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Managing same day appointments--a qualitative study in Australian general practice
Belinda Garth1, Meredith Temple-Smith, Malcolm Clark
1Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Australian Family Physician
|April 4, 2013
Summary
General practices often struggle to manage same-day appointment requests, with staff experience playing a key role in determining urgency. Clearer policies are needed to define roles and responsibilities for managing patient appointments effectively.
Area of Science:
- General Practice
- Healthcare Management
- Patient Access
Background:
- General practices require flexible systems for urgent appointments, but not all patients receive same-day slots.
- Limited research exists on how same-day appointment requests are managed within general practices.
- This study investigates the management of same-day appointment requests from the perspective of practice staff.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore how general practice staff manage requests for same-day appointments.
- To identify challenges and themes related to same-day appointment allocation.
- To provide insights for improving appointment management systems.
Main Methods:
- Conducted semistructured interviews with 20 practice staff members (receptionists, managers, GPs, nurses) across 10 general practices.
- Utilized thematic analysis to interpret interview data.
- Focused on the staff perspective regarding urgent appointment management.
Main Results:
- Most practices reserve appointments for same-day requests, though policies and practices can conflict.
- Staff experience significantly influences the assessment of urgency for same-day appointments.
- Identified five categories of urgent needs: medical, administrative, therapeutic, logistic, and emotional.
Conclusions:
- Clearer definition of staff roles and responsibilities in appointment management is crucial for practice policies.
- Reviewing clinic policies and practices can mitigate medicolegal risks and reduce workload from non-medically urgent needs.
- Enhancing the management of same-day appointments can improve patient access and practice efficiency.
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