How can we make sure patients don’t fall through the cracks?
Often patients “fall through the cracks” when it comes to scheduling follow-up appointments. Effective patient hand-offs are the key to moving your patients forward. When passing a patient from one staff member to another, there should be a verbal exchange to pass on patient information. When handing off a patient the passing team member should make a value-added statement to the patient about the receiving team member, what has occurred today, any concerns the patient may have, and good-bye. Far too often doctors and staff members forget to say good-bye to the patient and the patient is left wondering if that person will be coming back.
