In the past, we’ve shown you how to prepare your house for surgery and how to keep the surgeon away, but today we want to highlight the simplest ways to schedule a doctor’s visit:
1) Check out the website –It’s always a good idea to check out your doctor’s website before calling to set up an appointment. Many offices have multiple locations, so you can save yourself some time by driving to the nearest clinic. Also, some medical centers have different specialties, so make sure the office you are about to call is equipped to handle your ailment.
2) Know your preferred date and time –You may not have your calendar in front of you when you call, but have a general day and time in mind. If you don’t have a specific time period, just tell the receptionist whether you’d prefer morning or afternoon. Also, the earlier in advance you call, the more availability. If you know Thursday is your day off, don’t wait until after work on Wednesday to try to schedule an appointment.
3) Have the right papers with you – For a quick and painless phone call, it’s best to have the right information with you when you call. Two important documents are your calendar and your insurance card. It might seem like you are saving some time by trying to schedule an appointment while you’re driving in your car, but the call is going to take at least twice as long and you may not be able to schedule a visit without the proper information. Have your calendar open and your insurance card next to you when you call. Not only will this prevent you from scheduling a visit during your child’s soccer game, but it also makes it easier for us to collect the necessary medical information.
4) Know your contact number – You would be amazed at how many people do not know their own cell phone number. Make sure you know a good contact phone number in case we need to get a hold of you. Also, it doesn’t hurt to memorize your spouse’s phone number in case you want to put a secondary phone number on file.
5) Concisely explain your symptoms – There’s a time and a place for thoroughly explaining your symptoms, but it’s not during your initial phone call. Receptionists have a limited amount of space to document your “reason for visit” so simply saying “I may have broke the big toe on my right foot” is much better than going into a story of how you were running late for your child’s piano recital because your husband had to work late and you stubbed your toe on your way out the door.
If you follow these simple steps, you can quickly and painlessly schedule a visit. We want to give you the best experience possible, and that begins the moment you pick up the phone to give us a call.
