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MISSED APPOINTMENT CALL SCRIPTS
1. CA says: “Good morning, Mrs. Jones. This is _______________ from the Singer Clinic. We had you scheduled for a 10:00 appointment this morning. Was that correct?”
2. “Mrs. Jones, it is critical to your recovery that we make up that lost treatment. Can you come right in?” If not, ask about this afternoon, then tomorrow, then later this week and finally within 7 days.
3. If the patient refuses to reschedule but is keeping another already existing appointment: “The doctor has prescribed you a treatment plan of (3 times a week) and I don’t have the authority to change your prescription for care. Are you sure there isn’t some way we can keep you on your prescription.”
4. If the patient questions “prescription”:
“Mrs. Jones, these treatments are just like doing an exercise program. Unless you are keep the frequency the doctor has prescribed you will not get progress. Those muscles and ligaments have to be retrained to hold the vertebrae in the right place. The single most important factor in recovery is frequency of treatment. If this is not done, there will be minimal progress and a greater likelihood of re-aggravation of the same problem.”
5. If the patient still refuses to reschedule:
“The doctor is going to want to discuss this with you when you come in so expect your visit to take a few minutes longer.”
6. If patient says, “I’m feeling better!”
CA says: “Great, Mrs. Jones, we are expecting that. But don’t forget what the doctor told you in your x-ray report. The pain is the first to go, but the body has not yet been retrained and therefore correction of the problem is not complete”
7. If patient is adamant about not rescheduling, try to find out the reason.
CA asks: “Mrs. Jones, please tell me - has our service been unsatisfactory to you?” If yes, ask, “Mrs. Jones, what would it take to make it right with you?” Volunteer to give the doctor any messages or communication that is important. If patient does not reschedule, do a complete write-up for the doctor.
8. If the patient is going to drop out of care:
“If you can’t discharge yourself from care but will need a discharge exam which will be at no charge. Let’s schedule that right away
9. If the patient wants to know why:
“We have to have the exam to close off you file. It’s also for your protection, if anything should ever happen to you you have a record of the condition you were in at the time you left the office as a baseline for any future care.”
10. If the patient refuses to schedule for an exit exam:
“I’m sure the Doctor will want to talk to you to address any questions he may have. Is it alright if he contacts you?” If the patient won’t allow that call find out if she has an upset with the Doctor and handle it.
11. If the patient won’t schedule because they don’t know their own schedule.
“Ok, so when will you find out what your schedule will be.
“Let’s go ahead and make a tentative appointment for now and if you find out that won’t work call me and we’ll change it, but at least this way you will have the most likely spot reserved for you.”
12. If you reach someone other than the patient and the patient isn’t available.
There are two basic methods that can be used.
A. Continue to try to reach the patient method:
“When do you expect (the patient) back?”
“Thank you. Please have her/him call us as soon as she/he gets in.”
B. Scheduling the patient method:
“Let (the patient) know that we will be open until 6:00 PM and have her/him come in right away. Otherwise we will schedule them for tomorrow at the same time. If that is not convenient for (the patient) please have her call us at 555-1234. (Note: If tomorrow’s schedule is different reschedule the patient accordingly. For example if the patient misses Friday at 5:00 and the clinic is open on Saturday 9:00 to 11:00 you would reschedule her for tomorrow at 9:00am.)
REMEMBER - Patients can be called at work. All business establishments and even industries will take messages from doctor’s offices for their employees. This is one of the best tools to get patients to make up their missed treatment the same day.
IF NO SHOWS ARE A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM
1. Make certain the doctor is using Singer’s Report of Findings and emphasizing the necessity of the frequency of treatment.
2. The first time a patient misses an appointment, without communicating it to the clinic, schedule the patient for a 5-minute mini-report before his treatment time. Have the doctor pull his x-rays and go over his problem, the amount of treatment necessary to correct his condition and the consequences of non-treatment.
“Mrs. Jones, it’s sort of funny, if I don’t treat you you don’t get better. And right now at less than three times a week you won’t make adequate progress. It’s not just a matter of your treatment plan taking longer because we are spreading it over more weeks. It’s a matter of requiring 70 to 80 visits to do what would have taken 45 visits at three times a week. You would be taking months longer at a much greater expense. If I thought you would make the same progress on less frequent visits you would be on that schedule and you are not ready for that yet, when you are I will tell you.”
Note: the above lecture must be done at the first missed appointment so the patient is gotten back on the beam immediately. The figures above were made up for an example the ones you give to your patient must be an honest reflection of you experience just as the treatment plan must be what you honestly feel is best for this patient.