Practice Management Alert

Question: Our organization is hiring a practice manager who wants to switch our scheduling model to something called “block scheduling.” Currently we make an appointment for each individual and see them when we can; we leave a few appointment slots open each day for emergencies.

Maine Subscriber

Answer: Block scheduling can be useful if your practice has patients who are often late to their appointments. Block scheduling involves scheduling several patients for a block of time and then seeing each patient in the order they arrive. It’s helpful to explain block scheduling to patients, so they know they may have to wait in a situation where multiple patients scheduled to see the same clinician arrive at the beginning of the block. Of course, most patients go to doctors’ offices expecting to spend at least some time in the waiting room, but if you have very punctual patients, they may find block scheduling particularly exasperating.