BOOKS OF RtfiDIfGS - PAHO/WHO

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the lengths of time usually required for the varicus appointment
types) than it is for an appointment secretary in a
central location vbc^ must know the characteristics of all
clinic doctors.
2. The leaming period is shorter and so replacement personnel
are more easily trained.
3. Follow-up appointments are made at the floor just after the
examinations.
4. The doctors can easily check their schedules for
availabilities and patient load and any changes in schedule
can be easily communicated to the appointment secretary.
The clinic studied had a combined centralized-decentralized
system. The centralization was characterized by the work of the
Routing Section. This section made most of the consult and report
appointments, and scheduled special exams, e.g.: EKG,
EEG, basal metabolic rate test. The decentralization .was characterized
by the fact that the other appointment types (and also
some reports and consults) were ¡nade in the departments by
several clerical people. A study was conducted to determine who
was scheduling patients for each department.
Five types of appointment-making personnel were identified:
appointment secretaries, receptionists, medical secretaries, Routing
Department personnel, and personnel from the Appointment
Service Desk. l For nearly all departments, different types of personnel
were responsible for different appointment types and different
appointment-making procedures were being used. :n general,
the study clearly sho4 d the lack of uniformity of systems
and procedures throughout the clinic.
Current appointment practices
Upon making an. appointrnent, a patient is assigned to a doctor
or for a special exam in a specific department at a specified time.
Appointment systems may be classified into three categories:
pure block, individual, or mixed block-individual.
'The Appointment Service Desk makes some of the new and new-old appointments. Its
main function is to screen calis which have not specified a doctor or a department.
REISMAN, DA SILVA, MANTELL 1 Systems