During the pandemic, we always see our front liners risking their lives just to take care the patients specially those who got infected by the covid-19 virus. But behind them are also people who work as hard as they do. The gatekeepers of our health-care experience are the ones helping both the patients and health care workers to be in order. They organize schedules for physicians, triage appointments, communicate test results and handle billing – and they’ve been doing it all the way through the pandemic.
For us to have a continuous smooth hassle-free transaction in hospitals or clinics, here are some tips from Doctors Nova Scotia:
Be Courteous
Before your appointments are set, your physician’s office already received almost a hundred appointments and everyone should be scheduled and checked thoroughly. This and other things can add to the stress of the admin staff. You can definitely help by showing good manners while making an appointment or when you call them.
Be clear
When making an appointment, be specific. You are not the only patient they are attending to. Physicians need different amounts of time for different appointments – a flu shot is quick, but a well-baby appointment takes longer. And with COVID-19 and virtual care in the mix, it might be possible to schedule you for a phone appointment, saving you a trip to the office entirely. This also helps the admin to set the schedule for the next patient.
Be prompt
If your appointment is set you should be there on time, or better yet be there 5-10 minutes early. You might hold up the waiting list for being late. When something came up, inform the admin for them to adjust schedules.
Be flexible
We don’t possibly know what happens to a physician or a patient during check-ups. There might be delays that could affect your schedule too. Be sure that you have time to spare in times like this. Flexibility can also work in your favour if you had to schedule your appointment a few weeks out. If you have some give in your daily schedule and the ability to get to the office quickly, ask about being put on a cancellation list – you might get to see your doctor sooner.
Be realistic
There are only things admin staffs can do. Not everything works in our favor. They can’t completely rearrange schedules, make diagnoses, renew prescriptions or reveal test results without the doctor’s authorization. But they can work with you to help ensure you get the care you need.
More to this story at https://www.yourdoctors.ca/blog/health-care/office-staff
Rerefence: https://www.yourdoctors.ca/
Photo by SHVETS production: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-person-taking-notes-while-talking-to-the-patient-8413183/
