Tamarah Alexander, Senior Healthcare Consultant, Hayes Management Consulting: This can save your patients considerable scheduling time, reduce phone tag and ensure necessary services are scheduled in a timely manner.
Coordinated scheduling is also a good tool to use for scheduling related services based on specialty. For example, an orthopedics office can leverage it to schedule appointments for physical therapy. A patient checking out from an office visit with a secured appointment for an X-ray service or a follow-up service related to their current visit makes life a little easier.
You can also consider coordinated scheduling for the following services:
• Services that do not require a referral or an authorization prior to scheduling
• Services that are related to the specialty (e.g. cardiology may schedule into the nuclear medicine department)
• Appointments that are easily scheduled based on a provider’s order or instructions
By utilizing current technology in new ways, you can ensure patients receive the services needed and are scheduled in a way that makes it seamless and easy.
If you would like to share your RCM best practices, please email Carrie Pallardy at cpallardy@beckershealthcare.com to be featured in the “RCM tip of the day” series.
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