A streamlined and effective appointment-making process is crucial to any practice's success and patient retention rate. Disorganization, lack of scheduling flexibility, and lack of communication negativity correlate with patient satisfaction.
To ensure a streamlined process for both the patient and your practice, Call Box has divided the process into three fundamental steps.
Patient needs not being met by practitioners results in 8.85% of unbooked appointments across all medical industries. Clear communication of treatments offered prevents miscommunication and unsatisfied patients. By clearly displaying and detailing your services on your website, you reduce patient confusion and free up your practice's phone lines from irrelevant inquiries. Patients’ time on the phone is valuable. Maximize efficiency and increase the number of appointments set by answering the simple question “What services or treatments do you offer?” on all promotional material and online.
The initial call from a patient is crucial to the appointment-making process and serves as a jumping off point to begin a practice/patient relationship. A good first impression is key. Ensure a positive atmosphere is created, demonstrating attentiveness and willingness to cater to the patient's needs. When beginning to schedule an appointment, offer as much scheduling flexibility as possible. 43.21% of missed appointments are due to calendar conflicts. If a patient is struggling to find a time that works, try to guide them to a singular time slot that best fits their schedule through the “Whittle and Shepherd Technique.”
Whittle and Shepherd:
Begin the technique with an open statement: “I have availability the week of the 14th, does earlier or later in that week work better for you?” After the patient gives their answer, further narrow down the time slots available: “Mornings or afternoons?” Continue this until you find two appointment times that work: “We have an opening on Thursday at 8:30am or 10am, which works best for you?” The patient only has two options to choose from, streamlining the appointment-making process. This appointment approach is more direct and avoids decision paralysis that often occurs during open-ended inquiries, allowing for more patients to commit to your practice.
Ensure no patient gets left behind. 15.93% of missed bookings result from a lack of follow-ups and patient concerns left unresolved. A combination of text messages and phone calls should be used following the initial call to prevent lost opportunities and increase engagement with patients. By confirming all the initial questions and concerns have been answered before the appointment, the percentage of patient satisfaction is increased. Guarantee all patient concerns are resolved and begin to build trust through making yourself available for assistance. This allows for a smoother appointment, creating a positive patient experience.
A strategic and consistent phone handling process can increase the likelihood of a set appointment and can increase the rate of patient retention. Utilize Call Box's advanced phone call insights and analytics to help your practice refine its phone process and better understand the reasoning behind why appointments go unbooked.
To learn more data-backed strategies to further refine your patient appointment outcomes and understand key reasons why bookings are missed, check out the full study HERE. To learn how to implement Call Box into your practice, talk to an expert HERE.