Most of us run late once in a while—for work, school, lunch dates, etc. It's often not a big deal. But even just one patient running late for a dental appointment can affect other patients, staff and the schedule for the rest of the day. What's the best way to handle this situation?
Posted in Articles on Wednesday, October 2, 2024
Hopefully, your practice already has policies and procedures in place to address tardy patients. If not, or you haven’t reviewed them in a while, here are a few steps to help implement late arrival policies and procedures:
1. Create a policy statement that defines the purpose of your policy. Policy statements should emphasize:
- The staff’s desire to make visits as pleasurable and comfortable as possible, while also minimizing wait times.
- Your commitment to providing attention to patients during their reserved appointment times.
2. Determine the procedures that work best for your office, including:
- The definition of late for your office. Late is typically defined as a patient who is between 10 and 15 minutes late.
- If you will differentiate between the reason for the visit. For example, you may want to reschedule routine visits but offer to see a patient who is in pain as soon as possible.
- How the patient’s paperwork will be handled. Do patients need to arrive early if they haven’t completed forms ahead of time?
- How habitual late arrivals will be handled. Will you ask these patients to find another provider? Will you only give them appointments at certain times to reduce their late arrival impact? Will you address the issue with them?
- Will you request all patients arrive 10 minutes early to appointments? If so, your office must be open and ready for patients. This is important at the beginning of the day and if your office is closed for lunch.
3. Show your appreciation for policy adherence by:
- Mentioning your appreciation for a patient’s compliance and understanding as you strive to provide excellent medical care and outstanding customer service.
- Thanking the patient for his/her part in maintaining an efficient patient schedule.
Finally, be sure to share your policies and procedures with patients to help reduce any surprise or frustration. By taking these steps, you will be on your way to creating and maintaining an effective late arrival policy at your practice.