Foolproof Appointment Scheduling: 10 Things Every Staff Member Will Need to Schedule Successfully

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It may seem like just a piece of paper, or a single screen on your computer monitor, but few systems have the ability to impact a typical day in your practice more than ‘the schedule’. When the schedule works well, patients are happy, staff members are motivated and energized and profitability and productivity soar.

When the schedule is not running according to plan, however, whether it’s due to cancellations, no-shows, emergencies, untrained staff – you name it – you often end up with dissatisfied patients, overly-tired and demotivated staff, and a doctor who wants to know “what happened?” 

The principles of ‘Foolproof’ appointment scheduling are easy to learn, and even easier to implement. They will show you how to:

• Guarantee a productive schedule
• Use a scheduling template to build ‘ideal’ days
• Fit it all in – learn the best way to schedule exams, emergencies and other ‘unexpected’ events
• Determine the ‘perfect’ appointment length
• Fill openings easily and quickly
• Use verbal skills to handle common scheduling challenges

The path to foolproof appointment scheduling is clear: learn the principles, determine your practice’s scheduling protocols, adhere to the standards, reap the rewards!