Saturday, January 21, 2012
The TEMPLEt OF DOOM
I hate making people wait and I know they hate waiting for the doctor and no matter what we do we always run late. We have looked at every possible appointment template and no matter what it always seems to fail. It is especially worse this time of year when everyone has to update their insurance and or Medicare info. The first appointment is at 830, we try to make that a follow up, but of course they come to the office at 830, have to update all the information which takes 20 minutes and then it has to be entered into the computer so they dont even go back until after 900. You then go to see them for what was scheduled as a brief check up of the problem that you were consulted to take care of only to have them want you to check and look at something unrelated. Meanwhile the other patients are arriving and by some type of space-time wormhole, all arrive about the same time regardless of their actual appointment time. Now the waiting room is full, everybody is mad and doesnt want to wait. In comes someone who has an appointment tomorrow and wants to see if they can be worked in. Whne you finally get to see the patients, after you see them for what the appointment was for, they say " oh, by the way, I have this stange pain down my left arm now and then, but its worse when I go up stairs!"
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5 comments:
Probably a silly question, but have you tried adding patient appointments with your office staff just before their appointment with you when there is paperwork to be dealt with?
Temple of Doom - funny. I know it's not when going through it ..but the image. Picturing a cave, primitive decor for a waiting room, docs dressed like Indiana Jones other staff dressed accordingly. Patients go back into the fire lit caverns and hopefully no secret trap doors,in various areas open, swallowing up said patients.
Although ..I can imagine having a button to selectively do that might be fun on some days. Goodbye difficult patient! Goodbye annoying pharma rep, EMR system!, etc. ;) Sorry off track - couldn't resist.
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Feels like a gerbil wheel, doesn't it?
I hope you didn't mind my joking about the Temple of Doom. Your post titles often amuse me ...even if I have to sometimes look up the meaning of something. :)
Since I've never done it, I've always been in awe of busy med office schedulers ..how they keep it flowing and find room, etc. It's like they're magicians.
Btw - that is really nice of you to try to accommodate a pt like that, requesting an appt.
You might find this article about Late Drs paying or being billed by patients interesting:
http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2012/01/doctors-give-cash-patients-running-late.html
I'd never bill or take money from my docs because they were late. I just figure they have emergencies or are hung up. They're doctors.
My docs are so good and considerate, etc ..I would not be mad at them. The worst I* would do is reschedule if I had to be somewhere else. I know patients get testy tho.
It must be extremely frustrating.
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