Scheduling In Offices: A Case Study

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First, some offices have set appointment times and schedule appointment for a patient’s chief complaint. “This system decreases the waiting time for the patient and give the office staff more control over the flow of patients in the office.” (Bayes, p.115, 2015). An office may choose to use this method for longer appointments such as yearly physicals.
Second, Open and fixed office hours are used. During the “open” times, a patient can walk-in and get care without having an appointment. During the “fixed” hours the patients are seen closer to their scheduled time. Most offices do not use this kind of scheduling due to several drawbacks. “It is difficult to control the flow of patients during open office hours.” (Bayes, p.115, 2015). This seems like a chaotic way to run an office, and I can see where it could create various issues. However, an office may prefer this method if there is a demand for it.
Third, wave scheduling is another example that offices may use. This is a method where around six patients may be scheduled with an hour time frame. This allows the patient to have a window of time to be seen for more routine care. “This works well in practices such as dermatology and endocrinology, in which the physician often does not need laboratory and x-ray results in order to diagnose and treat the …show more content…

Basically, these types of appointments are scheduled for people with more chronic issues, where perhaps a physician can meet with more than one patient at a time. This can include things like Type II diabetes, allergy immunizations, and cancer patients. Furthermore, I can see where groups meeting with medical advising staff could answer more questions in a shorter time frame as well as provide an environment where patients feel supported. One drawback is, “practices may lack the necessary resources, such as time, space, and staff, to run group appointment.” (Bayes, p.116,

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