When I adopted a pair of twins, one of the first things that struck me was how many doctor's appointments they needed to go to. As we took them to all of their baby well-checks, I realised that these appointments were designed to find and address issues early before they caused other problems. Fortunately, our family paediatrician found a few critical problems that we were able to resolve head-on, and it was immensely helpful. Check out this blog for information about health care, preventative care, and helping your child to enjoy a better life. I know that some of these tips helped me, and I know that they can help you too.
If you operate a medical clinic, offering same-day appointments is one of the best things you can do for your clients. From a client's perspective, being able to book an appointment hours in advance and know they'll get prompt treatment when they are ill. However, implementing a same-day appointment service, when you have not previously offered one, can be a little cumbersome from a management perspective. Here are some tips to help you succeed in this regard.
1. Allocate Part of Your Day to Same-day Appointments
You may eventually reach a point where you're able to offer same-day appointments all day. But when you are first starting out, it is best to allocate just part of your day to these appointments. Perhaps you can offer same-day visits between 12:00 and 2:00 pm, for instance. Or, maybe you have enough staff and flexibility to offer these visits between 12:00 and 4:00 pm. While this won't give your clients quite as much flexibility, it does make things more manageable for staff. They will still know who they can expect to see, in advance, for most of their daily schedule. It will just be those few hours that are up in the air until the last minute.
2. Use an Online Scheduling Service
Fielding phone calls to schedule same-day appointments can be a lot of work, especially at a large clinic. The phone could easily end up ringing off the hook. So, if you plan on offering same-day visits, you really need a good, online scheduling service that clients can use. Some of your clients will still call to book, but they'll likely be the minority. The online system will take most of the burden off your office staff.
3. Be Clear in What You’ll Address During Same-day Appointments
Most clinics that offer same-day appointments do not give access to their full range of services during these visits. You may not, for instance, want to offer same-day visits for those who want more intensive care like screening services and blood work. Common issues people book same-day appointments for include acute illnesses like the flu and stomach bugs, minor injuries like cuts, and problems like bad headaches and dizziness. You get to decide which services you will and will not open up to same-day clients, but regardless of what you choose, make sure you spell those services out clearly on your website.
With the tips above, implementing a same-day appointment service will be simpler. In time, you, your clients, and your employees will adapt to this system.
For more information, contact a clinic that offers same-day appointments like Fuller Family Medicine.
Share6 April 2022
