Which is the best action for scheduling a physician who is consistently late for appointments?

Just about every medical practice has chronically tardy patients, the ones who arrive half an hour to an hour after the scheduled appointment time and demand to be squeezed in.

Experts say these patients do more than just try the receptionist's patience. They could cause lost revenue, make on-time patients wait and sometimes force staff to rack up overtime.

They say practices can avoid this problem by changing the behavior of the tardy patient, that of the staff toward that patient and that of the practice itself, if necessary. That means instituting disincentives for the tardy patient that stay in place until their on-time record improves, experts say. Staff should create a system of reminders and scheduling changes to accommodate these patients. But first, the practice needs to establish a tardiness policy, experts say.

"The goal is to change the patient's behavior so they show up for their appointment at the right time," said Jack Valancy, a practice management consultant in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.

Experts say making late patients wait can be effective in changing their cavalier attitudes toward time. Latecomers should be told that because they are late they need to wait until all the on-time patients have been seen. For some practices, this could mean the latecomer is the last person seen that day.

"Everybody who showed up on time should not be punished because of someone else," said Reed Tinsley, a health care consultant from Houston.

Tinsley said if the patient protests, he or she can be allowed to reschedule for another day. But late patients must be told that if they are late again, they will wait again, Tinsley said.

Tinsley said a practice needs to draw the line about how late a patient can be and still be seen that day. He said one hour is a good limit.

Valancy recommends putting chronic latecomers on a virtual doctor list. These patients need to wait until the first doctor in the practice (not necessarily their own doctor) is available, after all the on-time patients have been seen. Do this every time these patients come in, whether they are late or not. Once they establish a routine of coming in on time, they can gradually return to their regular schedule with their regular doctor, Valancy said.

Patients who are chronically tardy can be charged a late fee, provided your insurers don't specifically disallow these fees, said Alice Berkowitz, PhD, executive director of Practice Management Consultant Co. LLC in New York. As a last resort, the patient can be discharged from the practice.

Experts say if staff members notice a patient is continuously running late, they need to take the initiative to preempt any potential scheduling problems.

Call the patient a day or two before the appointment with a reminder of the day and time, emphasizing the time, Berkowitz said. Valancy said studies show reminders reduce the number of no-shows by 20% to 25%, and could work for late-shows, as well.

Call again on the day of the appointment to make sure the patient is running on time. Also, the doctor can give the patient a gentle reminder on why being on time is important for all the patients.

Most practice management software has pop-ups that alert staff to a patient who is usually late and needs to be reminded, experts say. This also allows staff to do some creative scheduling. One medical practice gives the patient an appointment card with a time 30 minutes to an hour earlier than is scheduled in the appointment book, Tinsley said.

Experts say practices can stagger schedules, such as having so many people arrive every 15 minutes, or straddle longer appointments with shorter ones so a tardy person could be squeezed in if there is a gap.

They don't recommend overbooking, as it could backfire by prompting on-time patients to become late patients to avoid the long wait times double-booking often causes.

And, before getting tough on patients, experts suggest the practice look at its own late record. "You need to run your practice smoothly and fairly on time if you expect patients to be on time," Valancy said.

Copyright © 2009 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.

A physician who habitually spends more time with patients than he or she is allowed can be handled by the MA. By adjusting the schedule, the MA can assist the physician in staying on schedule and allowing more time for the examination. Patients are scheduled for pre-determined appointments.

Table of contents

How Can The Medical Assistant Address A Patient Who Is Habitually Late For Appointments?

The following are effective ways to deal with patients who are always late for appointments. The patient’s name will be erased from the original slot in D.

What Is The Best Way To Handle A Practitioner Who Consistently Throws Off The Office Schedule By Returning Late From Lunch?

A physician who consistently leaves late from lunch should be handled in a certain way. Make sure the patient’s insurance coverage is up to date. A patient has been scheduled for an outpatient surgical procedure.

How Does The Medical Assistant Handle A Patient Who Arrives Without An Appointment?

A patient who comes to the office without an appointment should be handled by the MA. The patient should be assigned a schedule of one that expresses an emergency or urgent need. If you are in a routine situation, ask pt to return later.

Which Is The Best Approach To Efficiently Handle The Scheduling Of Patients Who Are Due For An Appointment?

What Duties Can A Medical Assistant Not Perform?

What Duties Can A Medical Assistant Perform?

Do Medical Assistants Handle Billing?

Administrative and clinical duties are both performed by medical assistants. Answering the telephone, greeting patients, filling out medical records, scheduling appointments, and handling correspondence and billing are some of the duties they perform.

How Do You Handle A Patient That Is Habitually Late For Their Appointments?

How Long Should A Patient Wait For An Appointment?

It is best to aim for the shortest wait time in the waiting room, as well as the shortest wait time in the exam room, before the patient is seen by the doctor or physician (not the nurse or tech).

What To Say To Patients When The Doctor Is Running Late?

Please let me know at the end of the visit if you have any additional symptoms that you would like to discuss. Unfortunately, we are not able to meet today. If you would like to schedule another appointment, let us know so that we can give you the time you need.

What Happens If Late To Doctors Appointment?

In the case of an established patient who arrives 15 minutes late or more to your appointment, you will likely be asked to reschedule unless the physician’s schedule can still accommodate you. If you are late for a patient, they will receive priority, and you may have to work in between them.

Which Is The Best Action For Scheduling A Physician Who Is Consistently Late For Appointments?

The physician can see more patients each day with D. The following methods can help you deal with patients who are always late for appointments: A refusal to schedule them after they have been late several times before.

What Is The Best Way To Handling Patient Cancellations?

Sending appointment reminders at least six days before the scheduled appointment is the best way to deal with cancelled appointments. It would be great if you could repeat them 48 hours in advance. If you still need to make a reminder, you can use a phone call. It is impossible to cancel appointments through these calls and messages.

What Is The Best Way To Help A Patient Remember To Schedule An Annual Breast Examination?

It is a good idea to check just as your period ends or on the day of your birthday to make sure you are on track. Your doctor should be informed of any changes. In addition to your annual breast exam, you should also have a self-examination.

Which Method Of Scheduling Is Based On The Fact That Some Patients Will Arrive Late And Others Will Require More Or Less Time Than Expected Multiple Choice Question?

When A Request An Appointment Time Is Not Available The Medical Assistant Should?

When Informing Patients That You Must Postpone Their Appointments Because Of The Absence Of The Provider It Is Good Practice To?

It is a good practice to inform patients that you will be postponing their appointments if the provider is unavailable. Scheduling may involve several patients arriving at the same time, which is known as wave scheduling.

When You Are Obtaining Patient Information For An Appointment You Should Include The?

What Are The Two Most Used Methods Of Appointment Scheduling?

Computer scheduling and appointment book scheduling are the two most common methods of scheduling appointments. There are advantages and disadvantages to each method, and the physician’s office should weigh the advantages and disadvantages before choosing the most appropriate method for the physician and his or her staff.

How Can We Improve Appointment Scheduling?

What Is The Appointment Setting Method By Which A Patient Logs?

Watch how can the medical assistant handle a provider who habitually Video

When there is a delay in the physician's schedule what is the most appropriate action?

What is a way to handle a patient who has a pattern of being late for appointments quizlet?

Which method of scheduling is based on the fact that some patients will arrive late and others will require more or less time than expected?

What is the most important action to take when changing a patient's appointment time?