Dental Scheduling - Coordinating Doctor And Hygienist
Creating a smooth flow between doctor and hygiene patients requires proactive management of how doctors’ time is spent. This can be easily accomplished by appointing a facilitator to direct doctor rather than relying on the appointment time to dictate it. The best suited person for this responsibility is usually the dental assistant although not required to be. The appointed person must have an intimate knowledge of dental procedures in order to make use of doctors’ time appropriately and eliminate inconveniences.
The objective is to ensure timely patient care for all patients whether in doctor’s chair or the hygienists chair AND remain on schedule. To achieve the objective the facilitator must have a solid understanding of the following:
1. How much time is usually needed for a hygiene examination
2. What points or times during doctor’s procedure can he or she conveniently break away to see another patient
3. What part of the procedure can the assistant do without the doctor to facilitate treatment. The assistant is usually well aware of these answers hence is usually best suited the responsibility.
The scheduling facilitator plans all doctors’ movements in advance ensuring that all patients are seen without inconveniencing the other team members. The appropriate order is not necessarily the one stipulated by the appointment times. It is better determined by the routine flow and stopping points of administering treatment. Most treatment includes the use of materials that require time to cure or set creating waiting periods. The waiting periods become the various times when the doctor can conveniently visit another patient. They are natural opportunities when hygiene examinations should be worked into the schedule.
Creating your plan begins with the doctors’ schedule which is the center of operations. Determine the times during the day when doctor can break from his or her scheduled patient - conveniently. Place a mark at all the times when this can occur. The marks represent the natural points when doctor could be directed to a hygiene examination or other task.
Next eliminate any patients that doctor does not need to visit by drawing an “X” through them. These might be patients scheduled for alginate impressions and cared for by an assistant or patients in hygiene that do not require examinations. You want to remove any unnecessary stops during the day to create more flexibility. These people could be visited if time permits.
Take a marker or pen and draw lines connecting the remaining patients with the marks (natural points of opportunity) to identify which patient will be seen by doctor at what point. This is the path that doctor will follow in order to move from one patient to the next all day long. It is similar to a “trip tick” identifying the most efficient and convenient route between destinations.
Preparation and planning takes time and careful thought. In healthcare, change is inevitable because human beings and illnesses are not predictable. It is best to develop your strategy in advance so if changes to the schedule take place they can be compensated for easily and quickly. Generally, preparation one day in advance is sufficient. Through practice and experience you as facilitator will eventually be able to detail the movements of doctor right down to the minute.
Constance L. Knieper has served in the field of dentistry for over 22 years in all capacities of customer service, sales and marketing, and management. She has participated in testing dental products and materials and coordinated educational programs for public speakers. Her passion is developing and implementing strategies to facilitate accomplishment of personal and professional desires. She finds satisfaction in helping others to refine and create systems that encourage increased productivity utilizing all available resources more effectively. In June 2006, Constance formed her company Goal Achievements, L.L.C. offering her patent pending system G.A.S. Goal Achievement Scheduling™ to professionals. The system is designed to help optimize time management, while gradually progressing toward achievement of goals.
The objective is to ensure timely patient care for all patients whether in doctor’s chair or the hygienists chair AND remain on schedule. To achieve the objective the facilitator must have a solid understanding of the following:
1. How much time is usually needed for a hygiene examination
2. What points or times during doctor’s procedure can he or she conveniently break away to see another patient
3. What part of the procedure can the assistant do without the doctor to facilitate treatment. The assistant is usually well aware of these answers hence is usually best suited the responsibility.
The scheduling facilitator plans all doctors’ movements in advance ensuring that all patients are seen without inconveniencing the other team members. The appropriate order is not necessarily the one stipulated by the appointment times. It is better determined by the routine flow and stopping points of administering treatment. Most treatment includes the use of materials that require time to cure or set creating waiting periods. The waiting periods become the various times when the doctor can conveniently visit another patient. They are natural opportunities when hygiene examinations should be worked into the schedule.
Creating your plan begins with the doctors’ schedule which is the center of operations. Determine the times during the day when doctor can break from his or her scheduled patient - conveniently. Place a mark at all the times when this can occur. The marks represent the natural points when doctor could be directed to a hygiene examination or other task.
Next eliminate any patients that doctor does not need to visit by drawing an “X” through them. These might be patients scheduled for alginate impressions and cared for by an assistant or patients in hygiene that do not require examinations. You want to remove any unnecessary stops during the day to create more flexibility. These people could be visited if time permits.
Take a marker or pen and draw lines connecting the remaining patients with the marks (natural points of opportunity) to identify which patient will be seen by doctor at what point. This is the path that doctor will follow in order to move from one patient to the next all day long. It is similar to a “trip tick” identifying the most efficient and convenient route between destinations.
Preparation and planning takes time and careful thought. In healthcare, change is inevitable because human beings and illnesses are not predictable. It is best to develop your strategy in advance so if changes to the schedule take place they can be compensated for easily and quickly. Generally, preparation one day in advance is sufficient. Through practice and experience you as facilitator will eventually be able to detail the movements of doctor right down to the minute.
Constance L. Knieper has served in the field of dentistry for over 22 years in all capacities of customer service, sales and marketing, and management. She has participated in testing dental products and materials and coordinated educational programs for public speakers. Her passion is developing and implementing strategies to facilitate accomplishment of personal and professional desires. She finds satisfaction in helping others to refine and create systems that encourage increased productivity utilizing all available resources more effectively. In June 2006, Constance formed her company Goal Achievements, L.L.C. offering her patent pending system G.A.S. Goal Achievement Scheduling™ to professionals. The system is designed to help optimize time management, while gradually progressing toward achievement of goals.