Tackling patient wait times will positively impact patient satisfaction, benefiting an organization in a value-based environment, according to Diagnostic Imaging.
Here are five strategies:
1. Select a physician leader who grasps how patient access impacts quality and financial measures. If a respected physician supports a scheduling or workflow change, other team members will be more likely to hop on board.
2. Examine your practice's average wait time for the third available appointment. Avoid analyzing the wait time for the first available appointment, because there will likely be cancellations or no-shows, which reflects inaccurately short wait-times.
3. Closely study provider schedules, pinpointing any unused "overbooking" time where providers aren't meeting with patients. Gradually add in more appointments, trying to add one hour of patient care daily, every quarter.
4. Complete the benefits-eligibility verification process before patients arrive for their appointments. This will slash the front-desk time.
5. Move front-desk phones to a different area. Patients are often interrupted because the front-desk staff answers phone calls mid-conversation. This not only frustrates patients, but also delays appointments.