Front Office
Management
Jeff Steele, LDO, CPOT
Spokane Community College
Objective
Explore the duties and responsibilities of
the front office staff and manager
 Prepare the student for management
position in a clinical or optical situation

Managing the Practice
Staff management
 Delegation and Time Management
 Telephone Management
 Scheduling/ Appointment Management
 Patient Record Management
 Fee Management

Management of the Practice
Collections management
 Managing Patient Recalls
 Managing Patient Follow-up
 Inventory Management
 Computers in the Practice

Important Message!!!

Loyal, well trained staff members are
the most valuable management
mechanism for any practice.
Staff must be motivated and
willing to learn

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Technical skills can
be taught
Importance of
enthusiastic,
professional staff with
positive attitudes
Staff Training Program

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One article or chapter
of technical book per
week or month
Allocate time during
weekly staff meeting
Study time offered
during office time
Delegation and Time
Management

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Well managed time
means money
Utilizing staff is like
doubling your time…
Doubling your time
means generating
more income
Delegation, Delegation,
Delegation
“ The road to genuine
efficiency is paved with
delegation even though
most of us are dragged
into it kicking and
screaming in a futile effort
to maintain what we
perceive to be control”
Robert Nelson, economist
Excuses For Not Delegating

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My staff lacks experience
It takes more time to explain than to do the job
myself
A mistake by one of my technicians will be too
costly
My patients will pay more attention to me
There are just some things I shouldn’t delegate
to anyone
Excuses For Not Delegating
My staff lacks the overall knowledge
necessary to make proper decisions
 They are already too busy
 They just aren’t ready to accept more
responsibility
 I’m concerned about lack of control when I
delegate
 I enjoy keeping busy and making my own
decisions

Excuses, Excuses, Excuses

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Delegation needed
for quality vision care
Provides better
service
More productive use
of professional time
Profitable bottom line
Part of The Management Team

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Staff help better
manage all areas
All contribute
different things
One coach
Telephone Management

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Opportunity calling
First point of contact
with the practice
One person should be
assigned the task
Minimum of 2 phone
lines are needed
Answer before the
third ring
Telephone Management
Define an initial greeting
 Every employee to use this standard
greeting

Telephone Management

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Identify the practice
Identify the person
answering
Offer an opportunity
for the patient to
continue speaking:
“How may I help
you?”
Develop Telephone Scripts

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Scripts can be used
by staff members to
answer the most
commonly asked
questions
Use as guides ( not
word for words)
“Hold On, Could You?”

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Do you care for the
patient standing in
front of you first?
Do you take care of
the caller first?
Exercise good judgement

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First case: “Thanks
for your patience”
Second Case:
“Thanks for your
patience”
Telephone Management
Screen calls based on urgency or
importance
 Provide priorities for interruptions
 Take messages whenever possible to
avoid interrupting the office patient flow

Telephone Management
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Politeness
Kindness
Consideration
Respect
Smile!
Use the patient’s
name
Get the Whole Scoop
Pull patient’s chart and attach telephone
message the chart to provide needed
background information
 Staff can manage many of the telephone
inquiries and questions
 Delegate when possible
 Locate the info immediately or offer to
return the call once you have the needed
information

Scheduling/ Appointment
Management

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Ensures smooth,
efficient day to day
flow
Effective scheduling
is managing time well
Scheduling Appointment
Management

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Time parcel
Allocation by type of
appointment
Allocate specific time
blocks to new
patients, follow up
exams, C/L disp,
refitting C/L
Scheduling Appointment
Management
New patient comprehensive exam = 1
hour
 New C/L fitting = 1/2 hour additional
 Patient care & handling instructions = 1
hour
 Follow-up = 15- 30 minutes
 Additional time for elder or child = 15
minutes

Scheduling Appointment
Management

Scheduling the first appointment
correctly is critical to gaining a lifelong
patient
Scheduling Appointment
Management
In today’s busy world… the first
appointment is best scheduled within
one week
 Later - The patient may forget, or
schedule conflicts occur

Scheduling Appointment
Management

To ensure the patient arrives for the first
appointment and impress them with quality
care
 Fax
or email a map or directions
 Mail, fax or email an office brochure
 Mail, fax or email a note of welcome
 Send the website address
 Telephone or mail in advance the complete
the health history information
Scheduling Appointment
Management
Confirm the appointment 1-2 days prior
 One person should be responsible for
keeping the appointment book full
 The key-the flow- the daily operation of the
practice - IS The APPOINTMENT BOOK

Scheduling Appointment
Management
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Never rely on memory
Computerize
appointing system
All patient files are
easily computer
linked
In a smaller practice,
a manual system
works
Scheduling Appointment
Management
Offer two appointment times
 First available , one alternative

 Keep
the practice busy
 Ensure the patient turns up based on their
selected convenience
Scheduling Appointment
Management
Reconfirm 1-2 days in advance
 Offer method of reconfirmation at time
for appointment setting
 Discourage “drop ins” as they will
interrupt daily flow

Smart Scheduling

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Single most effective
means to establish
efficiency with the
patient OR NOT
Shows respect
Smart Scheduling

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The commodity of the
new millennium is
time
If only I had more
time, I could do
more……
Time has great
value….
Smart Scheduling

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“Fill up” the patient’s
time if needed
Utilize staff,
educational materials
Make “use” of the
time…. Value it..
Smart Scheduling

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Be observant
Be flexible
Your time is the
patient’s time
The Reception Area
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Utmost importance to
office ambiance
The first /overall
impression of the
office
Office flow and
efficiency is evident
The Reception Area
Nothing succeeds like success
 A small area, filled with people,
comfortably, is more impressive than a
large area that is empty
 Balance perception, patient flow, workload
to achieve a pleasant profitable, schedule

Managing Patient Records

Alphabetical
 simplest
 alpha
sequence
 according to last name
 watch for spelling
errors!
 Results of mis-filing
Managing Patient Records

Numerical
 More
complex
 Assign patient file
numbers
 Corresponds to crossreference
 Tracks more recent
patients
 Former patients can
be reassigned
 Old # = need for recall
Managing Patient Records

Color Coding
 Nearly
impossible to
misfile
 Contrasting color
stands out
 One letter designated
as color
 A=red, B=blue,
C=green
 If numeric, color
identify patient
segments
Managing Patient Records

Daily Task
 All
staff should be able to file
 One person to take lead to manage
 File each day to prevent pile up
 File each day to prevent lost charts
 Identify those charts that doctor has
Fee Management

Written fee statement
 Clearly
indicate total
 Clearly indicate
breakdown
 No charge items
separated
 Fees as package or
individual items
Fee Management

Fee Agreement
 List
out items
 Patient review & type
of payment noted
 Patient signature for
agreement of
responsibility
Fee Management
Policies
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Diplomacy & grace
Believe in your fees
Use skilled staff
Discuss fees
comfortably
Encourage payment
at time of service
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Payment
Offer variety of
payment plans
Most common : 50%
down, 50% on next
visit
Monthly payments
accepted by
discouraged
Collection Management

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“Accounts
Receivable”
Large amount is
detrimental
Collect at time of
service or delivery
Costly staff time to
collect later
Collection Management
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Send out billings
routinely
30,60,90, then to
collections
Accept credit cards
Offer credit card
instead of payment
plan
Medical Bills are last
Patient Recall Management
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Patients busy, need
reminder
Recall ensures ocular
health
Eye health is
important
Keep reminder
simple, efficient
Patient Recall Management
Encourage attitude of regular follow-up
 Set the recall appointment “now” or
 Notify when you will recall

 Preappoint

and then remind
Notify by mail, email or telephone
 Combine
methods
 Reinforce why the should return
Patient Recall Management
Telephone Benefits

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Immediate
Book appointment in
one step
If no answer,
implement another
method
Have script, “This is,
Dr. indicated, would
MTF be best?”
Patient Recall Management
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Less responsive
patients, use variation
Simple card file will
work well if computer
not available
Patient Recall Management
Computer Benefits
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Tracks better
Easy
Predesigned software
recall packages
Set variables
Date is most common
Patient Recall Management
Computer Benefits
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Designs database rather
than strict index card or
log
Special recalls
Promote new product or
service
Emphasizes patient
benefit
Emphasize exam without
red eye or pain
Patient Recall Management

Reinforce Follow-up
 Patient
Education
Initial visit begins education of follow- up
 Explain Frequency of return visits
 Manage effective recall
 Plant ideas for future options
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Patient Recall management
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Cost containment packages
 Professional
care packages
 Discounted Care Packages
 Bulk contact lens purchase packages
 Service agreements

ENSURES HEALTH OF PATIENT and
THE PRACTICE
Managing Patient Referral

Remember to Say,
“Thank-you”
1
satisfied patient = 10
more
 KISS – Simple referral
reward system
Managing Patient Referral

Simple Note
 Handwritten
or personalized by practitioner
 Sent out soon after referral
 Different notes for each new referral
Managing Patient Referral

Gifts of Gratitude
 Show
special attention
 Results in more referrals
 Determine when note isn’t enough (4,5?)
 Flowers, coupon, other ideas?
Managing Patient Referral
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Keep record of
referrals with chart
Mention when they
come into office
Make personal
comment,”your friend,
Mrs. Stanley………”
Inventory Management
 Track all supplies ordered in the office
 Expendable
 Nonexpendable
 Capital
 Larger inventory means better service
 Reduced rates by wholesale company
Inventory Management

Methods
 Just
in time
 Direct shipment to
office/ to patient

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Record shipment
dates
Check with Sales
representative
Computers In the Practice
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Convenience
Time
Me/ Help
Now/ Not later
Computers and Other
Communication Links
Websites
 Email
 Mail lists
 Search Capabilities
 Education

Proper Management
……
Brings Balance to a
Pleasurable, Profitable Work
Day.