Your patients want an empty waiting room (Part 18)

A message from Dr. Ziv Simon

April 9, 2020

Hi,

Thank you for all the emails in response to the "Aerosols" email last night. I got some great suggestions from all over the world about devices that remove aerosols and various filtering devices. I'll share that when I share my action plan for my office.

We now have close to 5000 dentists reading "Dentist Vs. Corona" 5 days a week and even some non-dentists (?). 

 Let's start preparing together for our first patient coming in when our practices open.

Here's my first go at drafting the steps before the patient comes in for treatment.  I call it "Patient Appointment Coordination" (PAC).

Let's imagine your practice opens May 1 (from this blog to G-d's ear).

We will need to schedule our patient's appointment, send reminders and take all the steps needed for the patient to actually show up on time.

This concept will not change significantly. 

However, we'll have to create a few screening protocols to ensure the patient is not experiencing any respiratory infection symptoms or travelled to a COVID-19 hot spot.

I'm going to describe the steps I envisioned until the patient stands in front of your door. I would appreciate your feedback on these steps. This is very initial still.

Patient appointment coordination (version  1.0):

1. Patient phone call to schedule appointment. Ask about symptoms/travel (use screening phone script). If negative, ok to schedule in the next 2 weeks if your schedule permits. If positive set a reminder to call patient in 4 weeks and repeat step 1. If you are scheduling more than 2 weeks from the time of the call, still screen and advise patient to notify us in case symptoms occur (we have a back up plan in case they don't). Let patient know that entry to the practice is for scheduled patient only (no accompaniment). Explain the new check-in process so there are no surprises (check-in process coming later).
2. E-mail/text status form (day before). This is a quick questionnaire asking about symptoms/travel and requires a signature. If positive. cancel appointment and set a reminder to call patient in 4 weeks and repeat step 1. Advise patient to wait outside the office and wait for text/call when ready to come in. This also an opportunity to have other forms signed (medical Hx update, consents) and even an online payment option. 
3. Text patient (5 min before ready to be seen). Prepare for patient check in and advise to come in.

I kept this part to 3 simple steps. Set up the same number of reminders you had before the Corona outbreak.

There are 3 main points that we need to focus on in coordinating the patient's appointment:

• Screening for symptoms and travel when making the appointment and in the reminder text/email.
• Explaining that no accompaniment is permitted (we'll find good verbal skills for that).
• Making sure the patient is coming in right before their appointment (step 3)

Our goal in this sequence is preventing sick people from coming in, minimizing the number of people checking in and minimizing the number of people in the office in general (no accompaniment).

It looks like we want our patients IN AND OUT.

That's exactly right. 

I believe that our patients will want the same. They will want an empty waiting room.

If the system is not implemented well we'll get several bottle necks at check-in and at the door or outside.

I would like to create a system that would work well for large offices like mine but also for smaller practices.

The things you need for this part:

1. A screening phone script
2. Email/text script
3. Screening form (email) that can be signed electronically (example company DocuSign).
4. Sign on the door ("Do not enter if you have the following symptoms....). Acts as a final screening before walking in.
5. Automated reminder system with screening form (example Weave)

By no means is this perfect or even tested but we must think differently. Patients would not want to sit side by side many other people. 

We are all a bit traumatized and that needs to be accounted for. We need to allow for proper screening in the office and an effective check in process. 

I'm sure I'll be getting feedback from you with suggestions. Thank you! Let's put our 30,000 heads together.

Next, let's plan the check-in process. When our practices open we'll be ready.

Stay strong!

Ziv.