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starting your check-in process a day or 2 before. "If you fall behind a
couple of patients on the schedule, you're dead in the water," says Ms.
Mackler. "So for the first 2 patients of the day, we'll confirm their pre-
admission forms and check for additional information on the phone
ahead of time, as opposed to on the day of. That's a good start."
Informed patients are satisfied patients. So when they arrive on the
day of surgery, be sure your staff fully explains the steps of the
process. "Open the window with a pleasant greeting and service right
away, and let them know what papers they're signing," says Ms.
Mackler. "Then keep explaining. What's next, who they're being hand-
ed off to, throughout the process. That's very important, the 'My name
is, I'm here to do this.'" OSM
E-mail
dbernard@outpatientsurgery.net
.
P A T I E N T M A N A G E M E N T
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