How to Deal With Scheduling Conflicts in the Medical Office
There is nothing more frustrating than arriving for an appointment of any kind, only to find out that you have the wrong day. It has happened to all of us. Sometimes it is our error and sometimes it’s the error where your service is being provided. Regardless, of who is at fault, how these mix ups are managed can make or break the reputation of the business. If not done well, it can cost you a customer.

Take that same scenario, put in the medical arena and you have another potential situation that can lead to a very unhappy patient and some bad lip service for your practice. And even the loss of a patient.

Appointments in medical offices are often preceded with fasting lab work and a host of other things that need to come together before the patient can be seen. Consider post op visits that can be exhausting for the patient, visits by patients who come from a long distance, and older patients who require another family member to accompany them. Often, it isn’t just one person who is inconvenienced by a scheduling error, but several.

So, how do you manage those tricky situations, keep your schedule intact and keep your patient happy? Here are some things to consider:

• First, have a discussion about the possibility of this happening and what you are going to do about it. I promise you, it will happen.

• Direct staff to seek out the help of a manager or supervisor or even the physician, before turning someone away. This should not be a one person decision.

• Don’t assign blame, even if you are not at fault. Listen, apologize for the inconvenience, and let the patient know you will try to accommodate them in some way. This is not the time for a power struggle.

• Train front desk staff to be diplomatic. If you have someone on the front desk who can’t deal well with the public, get them off the front desk. They are often the first impression for your practice.

• When scheduling appointments give the patient an appointment card filled out by you. This will lessen the chance for an error.

• Call and/or email patients 24 hours prior to their appointment to confirm. Ask the patients to call you to confirm if they have not heard from your office within 24 hours.

• Consider working them into your schedule in some way. Maybe the nurse practitioner or the PA could help. Offering some alternative will leave a much better impression than just turning them away.

• Keep in mind that the patient is why you have a job. They are the most important part of the equation.

Another note…most offices schedule 6 months out and patients will have to call in at a certain time to schedule their annual appointments. Be sure to tell them the best month to call to get on the schedule. There is nothing more frustrating than calling in and being told that your calendar is already filled for the next three months. Remember, what seems to make sense to you, may not make sense to your patients.