Quick call list for patients who want an appointment “Sooner if Possible”
This blog is about creating a a quick call list for the front desk to schedule patients.
We all want to see patients quickly and sometimes the perfect time isn’t as soon as you want or as soon as the patient wants.
What can you do?
Creating a quick call list for patients who want an appointment “Sooner if Possible”
You need a system to take care of getting the patient scheduled and the quick call system can help by first getting the patient an appointment and then making it a priority to move the appointment up sooner if it’s available.
This is a way to help patients when you don’t immediately see the appointment you’re looking for.
So first, you need to make an appointment that works. Even if the appointment isn’t as soon as you want and it’s booked out a ways, we make that appointment so that we know there’s an option for the patient. This way they’re in the system, even if it’s a little bit longer than we want, we have a solution.
Then we offer to call the patient to move up the appointment if an opening appears sooner.
It’s important that we have a good system to track this to make this happen if possible.
So of course you can include a note on the screen for the patient appointment that says sooner if possible. You may want to also include any specific details for the patient that they prefer, such as a morning or afternoon time or certain days of the week.
However, you can also try other methods to help move up the appointment and make it a priority as well. Many practice management softwares have an option of creating a quick call list. This way when you schedule the appointment, you may be able to click an option when making the appointment, such as sooner if possible, to associate with the scheduled appointment.
Then when you have an opening in your schedule and you’re looking for patients that want sooner if possible, you can run a report and find appointments that you know of patients who want to move up their appointment.
Useful tools for keeping track of patients looking for an appointment sooner
Practice management software can be a useful tool if you keep it updated, but it’s important to have accurate data in the system. You need to click the “Sooner if Possible” option to designate with the appointment and know how to run the report to search appointments.
Another tool you can use instead or in conjunction with the software is just a piece of paper in a notebook.
Sometimes just making a list of names to call can be an easy quick fill list to follow. And you can cross off names on the list after the appointment is moved up. It’s good to include the basic information that you need, such as:
- the date of the appointment.
- the type of appointment the patient needs.
- preferences for when the patient would like it to be moved.
Always remember when moving up an appointment to move the original appointment and make sure that any duplicate appointment is cancelled in the system.
We don’t want to have an extra appointment on the schedule. So the quick call can be helpful for the patient and for the office.
It helps to get the patient scheduled and then helps get them in sooner when the new time becomes available. And it helps the staff fill openings in the schedule as openings come up by identifying which patients really want that appointment.
So take some time to work with your team to clarify the system that works best for your location and consider using the practice management software or a quick call list and a piece of paper on a notebook to help get your patient seen sooner.