How long do new pt appts take?

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Specializes in peds, allergy-asthma, ob/gyn office.

Hi all.

My question is: how long does it take for you to get a new pt in and out the door? We have new pts arrive 30 mins prior to fill out paperwork. My problem is... if we run at all behind, then the person has been waiting forever to be seen. The patients get mad, just thinking of the time they were told to arrive instead of their actual appointment time. And, given that we are an OB office, things happen. I would love to have pts come just 15 mins early but doubt any change will be made.

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

What kind of paperwork are they supposed to fill out that takes 30 minutes?

We recommend that ALL patients (new or returning) show up 10 minutes ahead of appointment time, but only because the registration process is pretty slow and laborious and we have some new clerks.

For new OB patients, they used to give her a medical history form to fill out, but I did away with that when I started because a) I generally don't make them wait long enough to have time to fill it out before I call them back, b) since they weren't done with it, I found that their attention was on finishing that form rather than talking to ME, and c) I go over all of that with them anyway during the appointment as I complete their history.

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It depended on who they were seeing. Cardio patients had 30 minutes. GI patients had 40. Endocrine patients had 1 hour. Allergy patients had 30 minutes.

And wow, that's a LOT of paperwork. I'd also be miffed.

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Specializes in peds, allergy-asthma, ob/gyn office.

The paperwork is a demographic sheet, and 3 pages of medical history questions. Most people are finished with it in less than 30 minutes. Occasionally we will have someone take an hour. But generally, I think that amont of time is required for the front office to enter the info in the computer and assemble the (paper) chart. And they have to do all of this while answering the phone. We really are short a person up front but will not be hiring anyone. We have no physical space or a workstation to put them in.

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

Why don't they mail them the paperwork ahead of time, and ask them to fill it out and bring it in to their first appointment?

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