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Case Study: Patient-Care Coordinators Improve Compliance
With the help of a patient-care coordinator, Veterinary Medical Clinic in Tampa, Fla., is seeing double-digit growth for the first time in years--and patients are enjoying even healthier lives, says practice owner Dr. Eddie Garcia. "The patient wins because it gets a better follow-up on what the doctor recommends and a better quality of life, and the client gets to enjoy the pet longer. The clinic wins because we're providing the service and making the income," he says.
CASE STUDY: PATIENT-CARE COORDINATORS IMPROVE COMPLIANCE
With the help of a patient-care coordinator, Veterinary Medical Clinic in Tampa, Fla., is seeing double-digit growth for the first time in years--and patients are enjoying even healthier lives, says practice owner Dr. Eddie Garcia. "The patient wins because it gets a better follow-up on what the doctor recommends and a better quality of life, and the client gets to enjoy the pet longer. The clinic wins because we're providing the service and making the income," he says.
Annie Wian moved from her role as receptionist to that of patient-care coordinator about a year ago. One of her main duties is to review records prior to appointments. She looks to see whether pets are current on their vaccinations and whether clients have followed recommendations made at previous appointments, Dr. Garcia says.
"Annie makes notes for the technicians and doctors, alerting us to issues we need to discuss when the client and patient visit the next day," he says. "She also reviews the medical records of pets who visited the previous day, looking for courses of action recommended but not scheduled. And she checks to see whether the doctors and staff members who wrote in the record initialed their remarks and whether we've created a medical plan for future care. If the doctors have missed any of these items, she gives them the record and asks them to complete it."
The patient-care coordinator's next step: Calling clients to remind them of recommended care, such as rechecks, health assessments, and dental cleanings. She also offers to answer questions and make appointments.
"Some receptionists thought this approach was overkill at first," says Dr. Garcia. "Once we explained how these actions benefit the patient and client, not just the practice, they bought in. They see that we're really offering better patient care. And our success reinforces the findings from AAHA's compliance study: People want to be reminded."
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