5 Reasons Your PT Patient Scheduling Process Is Failing And How To Fix It

1. 5 Reasons Your PT Patient Scheduling Process Is Failing And How To Fix It Sometimes, scheduling conflicts are simply unavoidable. But if this problem happens too frequently, then there might be a problem with your PT patient scheduling process. It’s time to take some measures to eliminate or at least reduce the problem by implementing tools such as a solid patient scheduling software solution. Not only will this technology improve the quality of your customer service — it can also enhance the reputation and financial health of your practice. Before you start looking for a good ​physical therapy scheduling software​, consider identifying the reasons why your current patient scheduling process is failing and how you can fix them. Here are five of the most common causes of this problem and tips on resolving them: 1. Over-scheduling Frequent cancellations and no-shows could make you prone to over-scheduling. However, if you book more patients than what you can handle reasonably in a day, you and your staff could become overwhelmed — and the quality of your care and service will eventually be affected.

2. Adopting scheduling tools that can help map out your day is a good way to avoid over-scheduling and overwhelming your own practice. Just make sure your staff understands the duration of appointments and when you are actually available. 2. Missing reminders and alerts When patients do not show up for their appointment, it’s likely that they forgot about it. A good patient scheduling software can help you send alerts and reminders via texts or mail. You can set the alerts and reminders at the time of scheduling, around 24 hours before the appointment is due. Once set, you do not have to worry about it. 3. Lack of a cancellation or no-show policy How do you deal with sudden cancellations and no-shows? If you treat them like they are no big deal, you could be putting your practice at risk of losing money and wasting time. You need to let your patients understand that not showing up for their appointments and canceling can hurt your practice. Consider having a firm policy in place, such as requiring patients to pay if they do not show up for an appointment, requiring cancellations at least 24 hours before the appointment, and charging a cancellation fee if they give a last-minute notice. You may also want to personally speak with patients who constantly cancel or miss their appointments. 4. Scheduling time Every patient will be spending different lengths of time with you, usually depending on the treatment they require. If you are not sure about how much time you need per patient, you can get backed up throughout the day — and this can make other scheduled patients leave when they get impatient.

3. Physical therapy scheduling software can be helpful in setting sufficient appointment times for each patient. It also gives insight on how long treatments usually take and amount of time you need between each appointment. This way, you can be sure that patients for the day are properly scheduled. 5. Technology use to help with scheduling If you are still using the old-school and outdated ways to schedule appointments (i.e. manually writing them down in a log book and using spreadsheets), you risk misunderstandings and making too many mistakes. It is better to use modern solutions like specialized ​patient scheduling software​ for physical therapy practices. This way, your practice can be well-equipped and up-to-date, and you can maximize the profitability and efficiency of your practice.