A key strategy for an efficient clinic is synchronization.
The goal is to have the patient, provider, information and equipment in the exam room on time, every time.
5 key elements needed for the start of an appointment:
Strategies to support synchronization:
- Stagger check-in times for different providers to avoid front-desk bottlenecks.
- Develop a script for patient arrival time and appointment time to ensure patients
arrive on-time for check-in and rooming processes (consider time needed for
transportation, parking, elevators, etc.). - For virtual appointments, inform patients of their appointment time and also the
window of time before/after that the physician may call, what information they
should have ready, what happens if they miss the initial call. - Consider doing patient registration when confirming the appointment.
- Keep the exam rooms full of patients.
- Start the morning and afternoon first appointments on-time to prevent providers from falling behind.
- Schedule pauses during the day to communicate with team, review lab work and return phone calls so these tasks don’t cut into patient appointments.
- Finish all appointments on time and assure your actual red zone time (time spent with the patients) is less than/equal to the scheduled length of the appointment (truth in scheduling).
- Limit or eliminate interruptions during the appointment.
- Finish today’s non-appointment work today (example: paperwork, charting, notes).
- Shift appropriate work from providers to team members to free up provider time.
- Optimize office efficiency (example: ensure office is fully stocked and organized).
- Sign in to EMR and Netcare prior to appointment starting.
- Standardize exam rooms.
- Keep rooms fully stocked with supplies at all times.
- Create a room sharing strategy for all providers to ensure each provider has available rooms for their scheduled appointments.
- Agree on standard equipment, supplies, materials needed for each exam room.
- Develop signals to indicate just-in-time need for shared equipment.
- Develop methods to quickly locate shared equipment (example: central storage location and log when signed out).
- Implement morning huddles to help ensure equipment is prepped and ready.
- Ensure lab, x-ray and other diagnostics are requested or collected pre-appointment and anticipate time required to get test results before booking follow-up
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