they can grab lunch and head to the office," says Ms. Johnson. "It real-
ly works well to increase case volume and efficiency."
Another scheduling tip: Instruct patients to arrive 45 minutes
before their scheduled appointment to leave enough time for insur-
ance verification, admission paperwork and confirming rides home.
Then schedule each colonoscopy for a half-hour time slot. "That
seems to be enough time to complete the procedure and turn the
room over for the next patient," says Carroll A. Harrell, RN, CAPA,
director of the Princeton (N.J.) Endoscopy Center.
2
Patient education
Patients who know exactly what to expect before they set foot
in your facility are less likely to arrive for their colonoscopies
poorly prepped, which is a leading cause of delays, says Gerry Poitras,
RN, BSN, manager of the Advanced Endoscopy Center in Vancouver,
Wash. He says that after his center schedules a patient for a
colonoscopy, staff asks the patient to come in for an in-office meeting
where they dole out instructions. Then staff members call the patient
both 4 days before the procedure and the morning before to ensure he
understands how to do the bowel prep and that he has a driver in
place.
In addition to mailing patients a packet of information, the Lincoln
Endoscopy Center also posts prepping instructions on its website
(gidocs.net) for download. "Patients are very keen to the internet and
looking stuff up now," says Ms. Johnson. "When docs get that call that
the patient needs more information or he lost his packet, the doctor
can simply guide him to the website. This has really helped cut down
on our late night calls."
And when it's time for patients to leave your facility, don't just hand
them a sheet of discharge instructions and send them on their way.
A U G U S T 2 0 1 6 • O U T PA T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T • 7 7
