How To Schedule An Ophthalmology Appointment

1. Presented by:
Anna Garza
and
Eileen Seagraves, COT, ABOC, NCLEC

2. Who is our patient?
Routine?
Emergency?
Chronic condition?
Disabled?

3. Service with a smile !
You are the first impression of our company!
A patient will form their opinion of us and our
company as a whole in the first two minutes
People can hear you smiling over the phone
Your tone, the speed of your words, your intonation
and voice inflection can tell a person a multitude of
things

4. THE EXPERIENCE
How can we give our patients “the experience”? How
do we achieve this?
What do we say? What do we not say?
How would you want to be handled on the phone?
Do you remember the last customer service
encounter you had? How did you feel after the call?

5. THE EXPERIENCE Co nt’d
Basic Telephone Rules
Always be courteous
Always focus completely on the caller
Always emphathize – genuinely saying, “I’m sorry” or “I
understand” goes a long way
Always address the patient by their name.
 Example: Mr. or Mrs. __________

6. THE EXPERIENCE Co nt’d
Basic Telephone Rules
Never interrupt the caller
Never argue with the caller under any circumstance
Never raise your voice
Never lay blame on the caller
Never leave a problem unresolved
Never place the caller on speakerphone

7. THE EXPERIENCE Co nt’d
Your script: “Good morning/afternoon, Houston Eye
Associates, this is __________, how may I help you?
Then STOP and LISTEN!
You should never put someone immediately on hold.
Take the initiative to direct the patient to the right
person right away. Know the people in your different
departments!

8. THE EXPERIENCE Co nt’d
Listen carefully and repeat back the information you
received for clarification
When making an appointment, ask “Would you
prefer morning or afternoon?” Then STOP and
LISTEN!
The next statement should be, “The next available
appointment for that time slot is __________ “ and
state the date on which the day falls.
Example: “The next 4:00 slot available will be Tuesday,
September 2nd.”

9. THE EXPERIENCE Co nt’d
Repeat the patient’s appointment back to them
Your script: “Okay Mr./Mrs. Smith, I have you down
with Dr. _________, for Monday, June 15th at 9:00am at
our Gramercy location.”

10. Scheduling Rules
If the patient will be using their medical plan, then
book the appointment with the ophthalmologist at
the location of the patient’s choosing
If the patient will be using a vision plan that either
an optometrist or ophthalmologist accepts then
book the appointment with the doctor at the
location of the patient’s choosing.
If the patient requires a fitting, then the patient
should be booked with the optometrist, so we must
make sure we ask if the patient will need a contact
lens fitting.

11. Is this an emergency?
Yes No
What are their symptoms?
How long has this been
going on?
Do they have a doctor they
see regularly or a referral
from another doctor?
Follow
instructions
on triaging
Yes No
Book the patient
with named
physician
Continue to next
flowchart

12. What area of town would
you like to book your
appointment?
Offer a few choices that are nearest
the patient or offers the services
that the patient needs then ask:
Is this a routine or medical eye exam?
Routine Medical
If the patient has a vision plan
and especially if they need a
contact lens fitting, then book
the appointment with an
optometrist *
Book the patient’s
appointment depending on
the specialty they require
(memorize your doctors and
their specialties)

13. *Exceptions to the Rule

14. How Do You Know How
Urgent Is Urgent?

15. Triaging
Same Day Within 24 to 48 hrs Same Week Routine
Sudden loss of vision
and sudden onset
double vision
Flashes of light Mild itching,
irritation, or burning
Lid twitch
Red and painful
eye, discharge
Dull pain Bump on the eye Tearing (no pain)
Any eye trauma
(chemical burn,
penetration/perforati
on, foreign body)
Gradual decrease
in vision
Headache Blurred vision not
sudden onset
Sensitivity to
sunlight
Swollen lids Discomfort after
long use of eyes
Curtain coming over
vision, spider webs,
or veiling
Tunnel vision Seeing black spots
with no flashes
White pupil Excessive tearing
with pain
Post-ops (no
complications),
follow ups, annual

16. Quick Anatomy

17. Our patient is the most important person in our
practice.
He/she is not dependent on us.
We are dependent on him/her.
He/she is not an interruption of our work.
He/she is the purpose of it.
He/she is not an outsider to our practice.
He/she is part of it.
We are not doing him/her a favor by serving
him/her. He/she is doing us a favor by giving us
the opportunity to do so.
-Mahatma Ghandi

18. The End
Thank you!