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Some of the details a procedure manual
should contain include:
· Telephone procedures: Answering
techniques, calling missed
appointments, scheduling new
patients and handling problems.
· Regular patient procedure: Sign in, filling
treatment rooms and scheduling the
next appointment.
· Collecting money: What to say, handling
unusual problems, sending statements
and phone call collections.
Since writing procedure manuals is a
new experience for most people, there is one
important technique that makes it easier.
Each step should describe a specific action.
If you start each sentence with a verb, you
will have an action step.
Below is a simple example of the procedure
that needs to be followed when opening the
clinic in the morning. Writing all this down
might seem like a lot of trouble, but if you set
up systems you will find they save you time,
energy and money.
OPENING THE CLINIC
1. Unlock doors
2. Turn on lights
3. Turn on air conditioner
4. Check messages on answering machine
5. Turn computer on
6. Check for cleanliness
7. Check bathrooms for toilet paper and towels
8. Check appointment schedule
9. Pull out patient charts
Remember that working in a doctor's clinic
is a stressful job, with constant distractions
and the need to handle multiple jobs at a time ­
greeting patients, collecting money, answering
phones, putting patients on hold and ensuring
the doctor's workflow is running smoothly.
It's a demanding job and the time, money and
energy you invest in hiring the right person
will pay off a hundred fold.
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