Patient scheduling, if properly streamlined and is done practically error-free, helps clinics and hospitals to find more time to spend with their patients.
Paper Based Scheduling Is No More a Favored Option
Paper based scheduling is no more a favored option if one wishes to maintain a professional image. Such schedules are difficult to read and access. Web-based patient scheduling prevails in terms of accuracy, ease of use, convenience, fewer delays and greater flexibility. Some healthcare providers choose to contract out their appointment scheduling process to medical outsourcing companies who would answer their calls for them, using the client’s own scheduling software or their own software. One can usually find appointment scheduling software that can be customized to integrate with one’s billing and EMR software.
Benefits of Well-managed Patient Scheduling
Well-managed patient scheduling helps clinics and hospitals in the following ways:
- Efficiently adjusts appointments that overlap.
- Enables booking of recurring visits.
- Offers multispecialty support.
- Tracks no-shows and cancellations.
- Enables easy checking of appointment statuses like missed, confirmed, and checked-in.
- Enables the best possible utilization of the practitioner’s time as the duration of each kind of appointment (eg. detailed examination, post-operative check) would be taken into account when scheduling the appointments.
- Simplifies appointment rescheduling and cross-scheduling, and the directing of patients to other offices.
- Patient information can be quickly and easily updated.
- Referring doctors, authorized visits, resources, sales, and insurance coverage can be followed.
- Orderly callbacks and appointment reminders.
- Facilitates group scheduling.
Garner Patient Appreciation and an Improved Bottom Line
Online and outsourced patient scheduling means one can say goodbye to the days when scheduling procedures, medical tests, consultations, and treatments were a hassle.
Rajeev Rajagopal, the President of OSI, has a wealth of experience as a healthcare business consultant in the United States. He has a keen understanding of current medical billing and coding standards.