Shared by: www.backtalksystems.com BACK TALK SYSTEMS, INC. 14998 W. 6th Avenue, Suite E-500 Golden, CO USA 80401 KEEPING TRACK OF YOUR PATIENTS If you are using a schedule book (not computerized) highlight your patient in yellow when they arrive for their appointment. This will allow you to identify your missing patients almost immediately and enable you to contact the patient within the first half hour. When your patient checks out, write in the next appointment next to his name in the schedule book. You will quickly be able to identify a patient who does not have another appointment. In other words, some action must be taken. If your patient is not on any treatment plan, in other words, he is A wellness patient, the possibility exists that he may not want to schedule another appointment at this time. There is no need to worry about an abandonment issue, however, you would like the patient to be in the book. Script for a wellness patient who wants to call you for his next appointment: „Mr. James, Dr. _________ indicated that you are a monthly patient. Let me schedule you for next month. Ižll give you an appointment card so you can check your schedule. Wežve found that when patients donžt schedule their next appointment, they lose track of time. You can call me if it doesnžt work for you.ū If Mr. James does not want to schedule now, ask him if he would like you to call him in a month. Most patients usually love that idea. A follow up card should be made up for that patient. Patient Service/Retention Technique Incidentally, it is a good patient retention technique to contact your wellness patients the day before their appointment. This will insure that they will remember their appointment. Better yet, entice your wellness patients to multiple schedule their appointments for the entire year. There should be some type of reward system for patients who do this. The preceding information has been excerpted from The Chiropractic Team Training and Practice Management Manual written by Susan Hoy and available at Back Talk Systems. This manual contains over 200 pages of team training tips and practice management procedures and forms. Why not join the hundreds of chiropractors who have already made the commitment to organize and systemize their office. For more information contact Back Talk Systems at 800-937-3113 or log onto their website at www.backtalksystems.com Susan Hoy has managed a busy chiropractic office since 1989. Currently, Susan travels throughout the U.S. helping teams become more organized, systemized and energized.