Re: OB: Patient Rotation/2 offices, 4 providers
From: Larry Glazerman (l.glazerman@rcn.com)
Mon Feb 28 19:45:34 2000
Garry:
In the group I recently left, we gave each ob patient a small, folding
index card sized appointment card. Each of her ob appointments was noted on
this card, including the provider she saw. This way, the scheduling staff
could easily see if the patient had seen each doc or not, and try to
schedule with the appropriate doc. It tended to work fine.
It was easier than asking the scheduling staff to look at the prenatal
record or asking the doc to designate who the patient should see next.
At 09:56 PM 2/21/00 -0600, you wrote:
>Does anyone have some sensible, practical suggestions to our practice
>dilemma?
>
>We have a 3 doc, one part time office midwife practice with two offices,
>one of which is the main office with up to 3 providers, and a busy
>satellite with only 1 provider at a time.
>
>Due to length of time in the area(s), time in practice, etc., we do not
>go to each office equally. Our goal is to have all of the Ob patients
>see each of the doctors at least once, and generally we try to have the
>patients go to their chosen, more convenient location for scheduled
>stuff. With no disrespect to the CNM, whether she sees all the Ob
>patients or not is immaterial, as she is not delivering currently.
>
>Doc A--Main office 90%, satellite 10% (least years at satellite)
>Doc B--Main 45%, satellite 55% (more years at satellite)
>Doc C--Main 66%, satellite 33% (new partner from 8/99)
>CNM--Main 66%, satellite 33%
>
>Because there is a substantial portion of our patients that go only to
>the satellite, and Doc A isn't there too much, Doc A sometimes doesn't
>ever see a patient he may deliver. To a lesser extent, Doc B sometimes
>is a bit pushed to see some of the main office patients, as he can be
>tight in that office, too.
>
>How do we get our staff or Docs to make sure we rotate the patients so
>that they get seen by everyone, within reason. We do not push patients
>to see a Doc they don't want to, but we do suggest it. Our appointment
>staff hasn't yet figured out how to balance this.
>
>My thoughts:
>
>1. Ask the docs to designate who the patient should see on
>return--easily written on the superbill by the return visit in X weeks
>spot. Sometimes the Doc is good about this, sometimes not.
>2. Have the check out staff look at the prenatal flowsheet and see
>which Doc the patient *hasn't* seen, and make the next appointment with
>him/her.
>3. At check out, make the next two month appointments, rotating the Doc
>to fix the problem.
>
>For most Ob patients seen at 8 weeks initially, she'll come in for 10 to
>12 visits. My gut says this isn't hard to accomplish, but we don't seem
>to have it right.
>
>Any suggestions?
>
>Thanks
>
>Garry
>
>--
>Garry E. Siegel, M.D., F.A.C.O.G.
>Roswell, GA
>Private Practice
--
Larry R. Glazerman, MD
Ob-Gyn at Trexlertown
610-402-0161
l.glazerman@rcn.com
