Healthcare Administration Leadership & Management Journal
The Impact of Scheduling Post-Discharge Appointments on Patient Preferred Dates and the Role of Flexible Scheduling in Completed Appointments and No-Show Rates
The post-discharge clinic improved follow-up appointment scheduling by granting patient navigator coordinators access to clinic providers' schedules. This flexible, patient-preferred system reduced no-shows, increased cancellations in advance, and boosted productivity.
January/February 2025 Vol. 3, No. 1 pp. 36–38 DOI: 10.55834/halmj.4925032441
Abstract
Arranging follow-up appointments for hospitalized patients can be quite difficult without knowledge of available slots. Unfortunately, patient navigator coordinators lack access to a scheduling system that displays available appointments, forcing them to rely on central scheduling, which does not accept patient input. To address this issue, the post-discharge clinic has established processes that grant patient navigator coordinators access to the schedules of clinic providers, allowing them to view available appointment slots that align with patients’ preferences. It is essential to offer flexible scheduling to accommodate patients’ preferred dates and times, even if it means changing the time of the appointment on the same day. By implementing a patient-preferred appointment scheduling system and offering flexible scheduling options, the post-discharge clinic has observed a reduction in the no-show rate, an increase in ahead-of-time cancellations, and an increase in available appointments for patients in need, ultimately boosting productivity.
