Eyeworld

10 Ophthalmology Business • March 2016 expected—in other words, under- promise and overdeliver. Participants noted that the line for check-in appears to be longer than in the past. The practice management software begins tracking wait time from the point of check-in, but from the patient's point of view, the wait begins when they enter the check-in line. The line for check-out appears to be lengthier as well, and that particular wait can seem even longer when the patient is anxious to get out the door and move onto the next thing on their to-do list. Time spent standing seems longer than the same time spent com- fortably seated. Suggested action: Cross-train an employee from another administrative department to assist the receptionist or the cashier as needed during high-traf- fic times. Calculating SUCCESS Following the brainstorming session, the facilitator directs a discussion on tracking and evaluating the results of the suggested initiatives if and when they are implemented. How will patient satisfaction and changes in pa- tient satisfaction be measured? Should a quantitative or a qualitative ap- proach be implemented? These are two different perspectives, but they are not necessarily polar opposites. Elements of both can be used together to produce useful insights. With a quantitative approach, actual wait times would be measured with very little effort; that data could be extracted from the management system. To be useful, baseline "before" data should be compared with "after" data, and that would entail designat- ing how far in the future "after" will be—1 month, 2 months, 6 months, a year—and how often will the data be analyzed. Monthly? Quarterly? Annually? All of the above? The group decides to recommend quarterly and annual reports. Suggested action: Subscribe to a wider variety of magazines, some of which patients will not be likely to see elsewhere. Remove magazines more than 3 months old and issues with tattered covers from the racks. • Create a distraction. The TV in the reception area runs a 5-minute video about the practice on a continuous loop. As a typical wait is longer than 5 minutes, repetitions of the video could be affecting patients' percep- tion of the time spent in the waiting area ("They kept me waiting so long that I saw that video three times!"). Suggested action: Add enough content to the video to make it a few minutes longer than the average wait time ("That was fast—I didn't even have time to watch the whole video!"). This might be a good time to freshen up the video and make it more interesting and appealing. • Manage expectations. Think about how you feel when the hostess tells you that you have a 10-minute wait for a table or perhaps doesn't volun- teer any estimate at all. If the wait turns into 20 minutes without ex- planation, time drags when you see others being seated, and you seem to be waiting longer than everyone else, even if that is not the case. On the other hand, being seated after only 5 minutes rather than the estimated 10 puts an entirely different face on the wait. Suggested action: At the time of check-in, the receptionist will note that the doctor is, isn't, or is close to "running on time." If the wait will be more than a designated number of minutes, the receptionist offers a sincere apology for any inconve- nience and provides an estimated wait time that might make it possi- ble to get the patient in sooner than times, as tracked by the practice's man- agement software, are actually longer than they were 2 years ago. They have heard numerous complaints from pa- tients who considered their wait time excessive. Participants identify the following factors that have increased wait times: • As part of an efficiency initiative, the appointment calendar has been "tightened up" to fit more patients into each day's schedule. • That same initiative has modified the way patients are reminded of their appointments, and has been successful in reducing the number of no-shows and last-minute cancella- tions, contributing to the tightness of the schedule. The facilitator notes that tighter, more efficient scheduling and improve- ments in patient attendance are them- selves positive changes, and challenges participants to address the wait time issue without negatively impacting effi- ciency. There is some discussion as to whether the wait times, while longer than in the past, are actually "too long." The facilitator offers that these wait times are not significantly longer than average wait times at similar practices, and suggests that perhaps actual wait times don't matter as much as patients' perceptions on this matter. Might it be possible to shift those perceptions by providing a more interesting and comfortable reception area experience? A bit of brainstorming produces the following ideas: • Change the magazine landscape. Participants note that most of the practice's magazines are widely circulated publications related to homemaking, as well as the occa- sional news, entertainment, or sports magazine. These magazines also tend to be out of date or look worn out; it is not uncommon to see issues pub- lished more than 6 months ago. continued from page 9

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