Open Access Practice: An open access practice (also known as advanced access) is based on the theory that one should do today’s work today and employs the concept of supply and demand to create a scheduling system that allows for more robust patient visits, increased compensation, higher net gains for clinics, more efficient clinic processes, and improved physician and patient satisfaction.
Implementing an open access model is hard work, but many open access physicians say it is well worth the effort and temporary inconvenience. Open access requires a complete overhaul of your scheduling system and that you work to reduce all backlog in your schedule. This may seem like a daunting task, but if you are willing to put the work into it, the process will move much faster than you think and, in the end, you will find yourself in a practice that operates more efficiently, effectively, and profitably.
How This Works in a Rheumatology Office
Implementing an open access model is hard work, but many open access physicians say it is well worth the effort …
One common thread between all three of the models described is that they all rely heavily on efficient processes and personalized care.
Redesigning a rheumatology practice is not about simply selecting and implementing an “off-the-shelf” practice model. It is more about understanding the core concepts of the new model with which you are working and then molding a new practice model that will work for your unique circumstance and position.
In the October 2003 edition of Arthritis & Rheumatism, Timothy Harrington, MD, an early adapter of redesign principles, stated that, “If we are to serve our patients’ needs, we must embrace healthcare redesign and work more closely with other physician specialties to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of chronic disease care, eliminate waste and duplication, improve patient adherence to long-term treatment, and provide measurable proof of optimal results.”1
Dr. Harrington knows the benefits of practice redesign firsthand. After adopting some of the basic principles mentioned in this article using business and industrial concepts, he molded those concepts into a redesign that worked for his rheumatology practice. After doing this, Dr. Harrington was able to report a clear increase in efficiency and effectiveness of practice operations.
Dr. Harrington is not alone in his redesign successes. In the April 2004 edition of Arthritis & Rheumatism, Eric Newman, MD, also reported great improvement in access, patient satisfaction, and finances after the Department of Rheumatology at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pa., implemented an advanced access system of scheduling.2 More specifically, Dr. Newman’s department saw a great decrease in appointment cancellations, an increase in overall patient satisfaction, and an increase in patient satisfaction with the physician, accessibility, and the time it took to get an appointment. In addition, Dr. Newman reported an increase in total new referrals (including a 50% increase in new rheumatoid arthritis referrals within one year), and a more profitable fiscal year performance—all due, in great part, to the advanced access initiative.
