CASE STUDY
FINDING WAYS TO WELCOME MORE PATIENTS THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR
CASE STUDY
FINDING WAYS TO WELCOME MORE PATIENTS THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR
Offering same-day care is a high priority for healthcare providers, especially with new patients, as they may not give you a second chance to schedule a first appointment.
An award-winning, Midwest healthcare system needed to ensure their appointment scheduling staff make every effort to meet patients’ need for prompt access to care, including offering alternative, in-system options when needed.
THE CHALLENGE
Monitor scheduling processes to evaluate key call metrics including same-day availability, access to preferred provider, or other in-system options
Identify opportunities to improve the overall patient scheduling experience down to the clinic level
THE RESEARCH
Quantitative tracking study among scheduling staff using a mystery shopping approach to track:
Availability of same-day appointment with the specific provider
How frequently in-system options are offered, when timely appointments are unavailable
Call details such as the use of approved greeting, call length, hold times, and overall friendliness
THE RESULTS
Customized reporting revealed multiple ways to improve the patient scheduling process at specific clinic locations
Identified the need for further training to ensure patients are routinely referred to in-system providers when appropriate