Infusion appointment scheduling is a complicated exercise. Labs, provider schedules, chair availability, and pharmacy capacity are only some of the many factors infusion center schedulers must consider when determining when to schedule a patient. Many centers try to prioritize patient preference, in the hope of providing a positive experience. This touch-and-go, part-science, part-art exercise can lead to long wait times, overtaxed nurses, and unhappy patients.
Over 700 infusion centers already have the schedule optimization solution – a set of customized iQueue for Infusion Centers templates for recommended schedules that match each facility’s unique demand and capacity. If these are not followed consistently, however, using even these data-driven, prescriptive templates will be like trying to drive a Ferrari through Los Angeles at rush hour: the potential power will be there, but users won’t be able to harness it.
A key to unleashing the full power of iQueue templates is to remove as many constraints as possible during the appointment making process. In practice, this means leaning into the science, or the optimized templates, and relying less on the art. The “art” can mean accepting patients’ asks for appointment times beyond what can be accommodated, or following historic “rules”, such as scheduling short appointments in the mornings and longer ones in the afternoons, that are entrenched in staff’s minds but no longer truly apply.
Below are the guidelines infusion schedulers need to have confident, successful scheduling conversations with patients, and improve infusion scheduling compliance. Combining the science in iQueue templates with this scripting will not only set the center up for efficiency and success, but deliver on all promises to patients. This approach leads to true patient-centeredness.
What is an infusion scheduling compliance score, and what should the goal be?
For infusion centers that use iQueue, the compliance score from iQueue measures how matched a particular day’s schedule is with the schedule the solution recommended. This takes into account trade-offs and overbookings, and can be used to quickly identify future days where scheduling deviates significantly from the template.
The reality of infusion scheduling is that no day will ever perfectly match the suggested template, which is why the iQueue team does not recommend trying to achieve a 100% compliance score. Trade-offs and overbooks are expected – this is simply the nature of caring for infusion patients. But doing this too often means losing patient access and increasing wait times – which benefits no one.
What if patients have strong feelings about when they’re scheduled?
The key to approaching scheduling conversations is confidence. In most cases, patients do not deeply consider their preferences until they are asked. Said another way, patients come up with their preferences on the fly and without the full context of how a particular preference may impact their experience in the infusion center.
Asking an open-ended question like “when would you like to be seen?” leads patients to assume that the center can accommodate any preference. In reality, this isn’t the case. Giving every patient their preferred appointment time would lead to long waits for all. It’s likely that if the patient had this full context, their preferences would be quite different.
With this in mind, schedulers should feel confident and comfortable guiding patients in conversations with them. This does not mean asking patients to disregard their own preferences, but to present them with options that will lead to both the best experience for them and the best outcomes for all patients who need infusion services.
How should infusion schedulers offer appointments?
The key to a successful infusion scheduling conversation lies in offering choices, not asking open ended questions that elicit unfeasible requests. With access to iQueue’s insights, predictions, and templates, schedulers are the experts on the infusion center’s upcoming capacity, and they know what works for both the patient and the center.
Schedulers should always offer patients appointment times, rather than ask for their preference. Some sample phrases might include:
- “I see you need to come in for your treatment early next week. I have an option available at [TIME] Monday, or [TIME] Tuesday. Which works better for you?”
- “We’ve got a few openings on the schedule next week. I would recommend [TIME] on Wednesday so you can get right in the chair when you arrive, as they are really on time at that hour of the day.”
- “I understand you normally like to come in the late morning. I don’t have an available nurse at that time. I do have a nurse at [TIME 1] or [TIME 2}, which would you prefer?”
While many patients will be perfectly happy with the options presented, some may be a bit more insistent. If schedulers are able accommodate requests without overbooking the schedule, they can do so. If not, phrases like these can help redirect:
- “We want to make sure that we’ve got a nurse available to get you started when you arrive. Our schedule is full at that time, but if you come at [TIME] or [TIME], we’ll have a nurse available for you.”
- “We know you prefer to come first thing in the morning, but it’s important you have your treatment on this day because you are on a clinical trial. Can you make the afternoon work on this day?”
- “I know it isn’t enjoyable to get here and have to wait a long time to be brought back. If you come at [TIME] instead, we should be able to bring you in right away.”
Saying ‘yes’ to a good patient experience
The tips above may not work all the time, which is why iQueue does not advise a compliance score of 100%. A patient may rely on a transportation resource that is only available at a specific time, for example, or a physician/nurse may indicate a clinical urgency that needs to be accommodated. Exceptions are expected, but schedulers must be mindful that every exception has an impact on all patients, not only the ones being overbooked but also the infusion staff. Schedulers should be strategic and only overbook for important reasons and as a last resort.
Any time they’re scheduling a patient who has strong preferences about his or her appointment time, schedulers must remember why they are sticking to the template – for the sake of all the patients. Schedulers are not saying no to their preference, but saying yes to shorter wait times for all patients in the unit that day, available chairs, and available nurses who can give dedicated time and attention to each of their patients fully.
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Interested in the templates provided by iQueue for Infusion Centers? Request a demo, or explore the efficiencies infusion centers have achieved through iQueue-supported scheduling.
