[Chris Lassiter]

Thank you for your question. A time study is a great way to make sure you are scheduling in the most efficient and productive way possible. It may take 2 weeks to complete the study; you want to be sure you gather data for every procedure that is offered. It is a simple process – Use index cards to record time the patient arrives, time they are taken to operatory, when procedure begins and when it is completed. Do this until you have information on all of the procedures in question. You can then find the average time that should be given for each particular appointment and adjust your schedule appropriately. By logging the arrival time and when a patient is taken to the operatory, you are also gathering data on wait times. I hope this helps.

[Christy Francis]

Who writes on the index cards? I’m interested in this process. Also, when you speak of wait times, do you mean the wait times the patient has without the doctor?

[Samantha Shaver]

Like Missy’s response but be sure to also record the time the DR is needed and the assistant time. This will make scheduling templates easier. We printed a schedule and used it record things.

[Chris Lassiter]

The index cards get handed off as each person records time. Yes, if you want you can determine doctor/assistant time. What is great is you can customize the process depending on what you are trying to determine. It is nice to have “real data” to present to your providers; A doctor may think it takes 60 minutes for a crown and wonders why they are consistently running late. A time study can show the actual time it is taking. Hope this helps!