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Medical schedulers create schedules for clinics, interact with patients, handle phone and email communications, and coordinate with staff. No special requirements are needed, but good people skills and computer knowledge are preferred. They also handle paperwork and ensure confidentiality.
A medical scheduler creates a schedule for a clinic or clinic, balancing patients’ needs with care providers to suit patients and adjusting the schedule as needed to accommodate emergencies and other events. Medical schedulers work in the front office to interact face-to-face with patients and also handle office phone and email communications. This job has no special requirements, but good people skills and computer knowledge are generally preferred.
When a patient contacts a physician’s office for an appointment, the physician’s scheduler gathers some basic information to determine the urgency of the issue and estimate the time needed for the appointment. The scheduler also takes note of any procedures and equipment that may be needed, such as a set of x-rays or a blood draw. With this information, the scheduler can offer the patient some suitable times and make the appointment.
Medical schedulers can send reminders, emails or cards to ensure patients know when to come in. They handle cancellations, rescheduling as appropriate. If a patient cancels with little notice, the physician scheduler may also note that the patient is to be charged for the appointment, if this is part of the practice’s policy. In the event that appointments start to fall behind due to long appointments or technical issues, the medical scheduler’s job is to get them back on track, moving appointments and taking other measures if necessary.
In some practices, a medical scheduler also pulls paperwork and forms to prepare for appointments and may distribute supplies as well. In others, it is the responsibility of the nurses and other technicians who prepare the clinic for the day. The scheduler is also responsible for ensuring that adequate staff are available and coordinates with team members to make them aware of the daily schedule. If a patient needs a blood draw, for example, the medical scheduler ensures technicians have this on their schedule so they are ready when the patient arrives.
No specific training is required to work as a medical scheduler, although a brief course in medical terminology and business practices can be helpful. Previous reception and public service experience is often helpful for applicants, and skills such as bilingual skills could potentially come in handy on an application. The medical scheduler handles confidential information and may need to pass a background check or agree to sign paperwork indicating acceptance and understanding of the office’s privacy policies.
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