Practice tip of the week: Be an on-time physician
Your weekly dose of wisdom from the Physicians Practice experts.
With all the useful information available on Physicians Practice, it is easy to become overwhelmed.
With this in mind, the tip of the week is a chance to reflect on some of the wisdom found all across the site. This April 2024 article by Neil Baum, MD, on being an on-time physician gives this tip:
Instruct new patients to arrive 20-30 minutes before their appointment to fill out paperwork or complete the paperwork online if your website provides the forms for patient demographics and a health care questionnaire.
This approach makes it possible to avoid delays if patients complete their paperwork in the reception area. The receptionist should inform patients that this paperwork must be filled out before being escorted to the exam room. Consider explaining to the patient what will happen during the first exam, such as x-rays or blood tests, or providing a urine specimen so that there are no surprises for the patient upon arrival.
You might also want to estimate how long the visit will last so the patient can plan their schedule before or after the doctor’s appointment.
Click here to read the rest of the article and be sure to check back next week for another Tip of the Week!
