Sorry if this is the wrong place to ask… but is there a specific subreddit that would cater to practice management issues? Are there active users in this sub that are administrators?
I'm a provider, and an administrator at a small outpatient clinic.
I'm new to the business side of things, and would love to seek advice from more experienced managers about a few things. A big one is scheduling. Our busiest MD is booked our for 8+ weeks. People make appts so far out, that by the time the date arrives, they've had other things come up and they cancel or NS. We have a cancellation list five miles long, but when you give 40 working professionals 30-60 mins notice about an appt, hardly ever can they accept and be here on time.
We end up having tons of holes in the schedule, and tons of long-term patients who are cranky at having to wait so long for a follow-up. The tried and true regulars will be recurring appts, but that's not necessary or an option for everyone.
I'm experiencing the same issue in my own patient schedule, so I'm trying to build in "last minute" slots and "emergency" spots. I have 30-60 mins on every work day that CANNOT get booked until 48 hours or closer to the appt time. So far it's working out, but we also run the risk of not filling them every time and creating holes in the schedule.
The biggest gaps I experience are substance abuse patients looking to get started. If someone calls for help and is ready to get into treatment, and I have to make them book 3+ weeks out…. the chance of them actually showing up when the appt date arrives, is slim to none.
Sorry if this is the wrong place to post. Any insight, suggestions, resources, or guidance would be appreciated. I'm wondering if experienced practice managers have some kind of secret formula or some tried and true method of figuring out a schedule.
My Office Manager is amazing and very skillful, but it's her first outpatient clinic job.
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