Chapter 12
Scheduling Appointments and
Receiving Patients
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Preparing the Appointment Schedule
• Appointment books versus computerized
scheduling
• Establishing a matrix
– Mark off unavailable time
– Allow for flex time
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Methods of Scheduling
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•
•
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Clustering
Double-booking
Walk in/open hours
Single-booking
• Streaming
• Wave
• Modified wave
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Appointment Documentation
• Schedules are legal documents
– Important to enter information correctly
– Follow office procedure for cancelling
appointments
– Can be useful to document a history of no-show
or cancellation
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All rights reserved.
Creating New Appointments
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Creating New Appointments
• Required information
– Correctly spelled name
– Next available appointment or time requested
– Date and time understood by patient
– Amount of time to be reserved
– Preference for time of day
– Alternate time
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All rights reserved.
Creating New Appointments
• Telephone
appointments
– Obtain all necessary
information before
patient hangs up
– Read back
information to verify
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Creating New Appointments
• Follow-up
appointments
– Appointment cards
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Creating New Appointments
• Referral appointments
– Often referred for diagnostic testing, or to see a
specialist
• Inpatient admissions
– Be prepared to provide necessary information
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Maintaining the Schedule
•
•
•
•
•
Walk-in or chronically patients
Emergency appointments
Work-in patients
Missed appointments
Business appointments
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Greeting Patients
• “You never get a second chance to make a first
impression.”
– Smile
– Use active listening skills
– Make eye contact
– Provide clear and complete explanations
– Maintain confidentiality
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Greeting Patients
• Patient sign-in
– Helps maintain the schedule
– Always protect confidential patient information
• Obtain new patient information
• Verify insurance eligibility
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New Patient Information
• Complete, correctly
spelled name
• Date of birth
• Social security number
• Marital status
• Current address
• Telephone numbers
• Health insurance
information
• Guarantor
• Employer information
• Driver’s license
• Referral information
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All rights reserved.
Explaining Office Policies
• Use good communication techniques
• Patients may be unsure about new and
unfamiliar experiences
– Helps ease fears
– Maintains good rapport with patients
– Clarifies office policies
– Encourages patient compliance
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All rights reserved.