Appointment Durations Report: Building a Strong Template Foundation
Appointment durations set the tempo for not only the provider template but all clinical operations. The workflows of the registration desk and patient work-up stations, the rooming process, provider time with the patient, discharge and check-out activity all drive off the appointment durations of the template. Optimally timed appointment durations are key to a well functioning clinic,
Appointment durations are typically presented in minutes as "new" (longer) and "established" (shorter) time slots. Common durations are 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, and 60 minutes; the time is built into the template based on the selected duration. Because time cannot be used concurrently and is perishable by nature, the manner in which slots are constructed is a leading factor in the volume of patients managed in an ambulatory practice that uses an appointment template. The appointment slots are, in essence, the seats on the airplane. Data regarding industry norms by specialty can be useful in constructing or reviewing your templates. Consider gathering the industry norm as you sit down with leaders at your organization; if the durations you are using vary from the norm, this may lead to a fruitful dialogue about whether there should be a difference -- or if this data may present evidence to justify a change.
Appointment durations are gathered from Patient Access Collaborative members. The data are presented herein via box plots. A box plot (also called a "box and whisker plot" based on its appearance) displays a summary of a set of data. There are five data points presented in the graphic: minimum, first quartile, median, third quartile, and maximum. They are useful to visualize the range of data. The box plots are accompanied by a table that highlights the data as presented in numbers.