Many dermatology clinics in the United States have long waiting lists. Patients may wait for months because there are not enough specialists and there are more complicated cases. Academic medical centers often have fewer dermatologists than needed. This means patients wait a long time for care, which can affect their health and how happy they are with the service.
Dartmouth Health’s Department of Dermatology faced a waiting list of almost 4,000 patients. They knew timely treatment was important and worked to manage patient flow without stressing staff or lowering care quality.
From December 11 to 15, 2023, Dartmouth’s Department of Dermatology started a program called “Patient Access Week.” It aimed to reduce the patient backlog by changing how appointments were scheduled and managed.
A major change was using a first-come, first-served appointment system instead of booking patients to specific doctors weeks ahead. This helped doctors see any patient who showed up and made the schedule more flexible.
Each appointment lasted 10 to 15 minutes. This was enough time to focus on the main skin problem. Shorter visits allowed more patients to be seen without lowering care quality. Patient surveys after the week showed many were happy with the care despite shorter visits.
The success of Patient Access Week depended on teamwork from everyone in the dermatology department. Physicians, residents, nurses, and staff all worked together. Residents paused their usual academic work to help with patient care, adding more doctor time. Caitlin Yazel, APRN, said it was important to get regular feedback from doctors and nurses to fix problems before starting.
Follow-up Patient Access Weeks happened in February, April, and June 2024. These focused on seeing patients again after their first visit. This way, normal clinic work could continue without becoming too busy with returning patients.
Dr. Matthew Davis said the team spirit helped staff serve many patients without getting worn out or lowering the quality of care. Working together was key to handling large patient numbers well.
This model offers other medical leaders ways to improve scheduling by making operations smoother while keeping good patient-doctor interaction.
New technology helps flexible appointment models work better. AI-driven front-office automation can handle phone calls and patient intake. For example, Simbo AI provides systems that manage these tasks automatically.
Many clinics spend a lot of time scheduling appointments and answering patient questions. AI systems can answer calls quickly, book visits, and send reminders. This cuts down on the work staff must do by hand.
Using AI with flexible scheduling allows clinics to better manage resources and improve how patients experience care.
The experience at Dartmouth Health’s dermatology department shows useful ideas for other clinics in the US. Many places, especially big academic centers, have long patient wait times. Changing appointment systems to be more flexible can reduce waits without hiring more staff.
Shorter, focused visits help doctors handle patient needs more efficiently. Adding technology like AI phone systems can speed up progress more. Automating tasks like booking and reminders helps match patients to providers at the right time.
Working together is important. Doctors, residents, nurses, and staff need to cooperate. Regular feedback, like that used during Patient Access Week, helps fix problems and improve how things run.
Flexible appointment models can reduce long patient wait times in specialty care in the US. Dartmouth Health’s Department of Dermatology showed that with careful planning, teamwork, and adaptable scheduling, large backlogs can be cleared quickly. Patients still feel satisfied with their care.
Using AI-driven front-office automation with these models helps clinics run better and makes sure patients get care when they need it.
Hospital and clinic leaders who want to improve care delivery should think about using these methods. Flexible scheduling supported by technology can help reduce delays and improve healthcare quality nationwide.
Many dermatology clinics are experiencing significant referral backlogs, with patients waiting for appointments for several months due to limited availability of specialists and a higher demand for complex cases.
The Department launched a ‘Patient Access Week’ strategy to clear a backlog of nearly 4,000 patients in just one week by optimizing patient flow and staff involvement.
The team engaged in thorough planning, identifying potential concerns through faculty and nursing team input to ensure a smooth operation throughout the week.
The department adopted a flexible, first-come, first-served appointment model, allowing providers to see patients without being tied to specific schedules.
All staff, including physicians, nurses, and residents, participated fully, forgoing other duties to focus solely on patient care and addressing the backlog.
Appointments were intentionally brief, lasting around 10 to 15 minutes, focusing on addressing the main concerns of patients efficiently.
Patient surveys indicated high satisfaction with the care provided, with patients appreciating that providers took time to connect with them on a personal level.
Residents engaged fully in the clinical work during Patient Access Week, gaining practical experience while helping to reduce the backlog of patients waiting for care.
Following the initial week, subsequent access weeks were held successfully, and the department’s schedules returned to normal without overwhelming providers with follow-up appointments.
Yes, the concept can be adapted to other departments facing similar patient backlog issues, although the specific implementation may vary based on patient needs.
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