SOME QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF WHEN YOU ARE HAVING TOO MANY CANCELLED AND/OR RESCHEDULED APPOINTMENTS

As a consultant at Silkin Management Group, one of the management systems we help our clients with concerns various methods for reducing the number of cancelled and/or rescheduled appointments. If a doctor’s office has too much of this going on, it can create havoc with daily production. Normally, when this is going on, it is a sign that the receptionist is not properly trained in scheduling appointments and in how to handle cancels and reschedules.

Here are some questions you can ask yourself regarding cancellations:

• Do you re-appoint a cancelled patient right away?


• When a cancellation happens, do you find out why and keep track of this information for future reference to implement any needed corrections?


• Do you have any patient policy regarding cancellations that is part of your “welcome to the practice” information given to patients/clients?


• If you have such policy, do you enforce it?

Here are some questions we go over with Silkin clients regarding “no shows”.

• What do you do when someone doesn’t show up for an appointment?


• Do you call after a certain amount of time, i.e. 10-15 minutes?


• Do you have any patient policy regarding “no shows” that is part of your “welcome to the practice” information given to patients/clients?


• Is the patient who “no showed” shown the policy the next time they are in?

The clients I deal with at Silkin Management Group are all given these simple questions, plus many more, to review in terms of any problems they are having with cancels, no shows, and reschedules. We closely evaluate the management systems and training they have in place with the staff members involved and then fix and/or implement the proper procedures to reduce the amount of patient loss. This normally leads to increased production for a Silkin client, without any increase in marketing or staff expense. This,of course, leads to greater efficiency and net in an office.

If you would like to find out more about Silkin Management Group, visit our website at www.silkinmanagementgroup.com, email us at info@silkinmanagementgroup.com, and if you are interested in one of our other blogs, please go to: silkinmanagementgroup.blogspot.com

Jack Hennessy
Silkin Management Group Consultant