Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine

Clinic Visits

Return visit –

• If the patient arrives after the end of clinic (after 11:45am  for morning clinic, after 4:45 pm for afternoon clinic, they will not be seen).
• If the patient arrives up to 20 minutes after appointment time, check in as on time.  Physician can let patient know that they only have X minutes to spend to avoid delaying the next patient.
• If the patient arrives >20 minutes late front desk notifies patient that the physician will attempt to see them but that there will be a wait to avoid delaying other patients who arrived on time.
  • If patient chooses not to wait – notify physician and nurse, patient is rescheduled.
  • If there is an opening on the doc’s schedule later that day, CSR can move the patient to use the later time slot (if acceptable to patient). CSR notifies MA and doc.
  • If there is NO opening, contact doc to see if patient can still be seen (work into schedule).  If physician cannot see patient (needs to leave for satellite, etc) – physician must speak with patient.

New visits

• If the patient arrives after the end of clinic (after 11:45am  for morning clinic, after 4:45 pm for afternoon clinic, they will not be seen).
• If the patient arrives up to 20 minutes after visit time, check in for MD visit. (see pft rules)
• If the patient arrives >20 minutes after visit time (this means arrived at least 50 minutes AFTER pft appointment time) into MD visit, patient is notified that the appointment may need to be rescheduled, but will check if the physician can still see the patient (but that this would be an abbreviated visit).  If patient cannot be seen, physician must speak with patient.

CSR can reschedule that day in this order:

• Original provider new slot
• Resident, fellow, then other general staff in clinic that day
• If none, check if Shannon Neumann has an opening – if so, ask checker to review if patient can be seen by her (copd and asthma).

Pulmonary Function Testing

• Patient arrives up to 20 minutes after appointment time – check in, PFT lab will be performed

• Patient arrives >20 minutes after appointment time:
  • PFT + MD visit: Do not send patient back for PFT. CSR notifies MAs so that the MA is not waiting for PFTs to room patient.  MA notifies MD that patient arrived too late to have pfts done prior to visit without delaying other appointments. (If MD wants PFTs – will be done after patient is seen if wait is acceptable to patient.  Patients coming from 30 minutes away will be given priority).
  • PFT only: Contact the PFT lab to see when the patient can be tested.
    • If the wait is acceptable of the wait time, CSR checks them in for appointment.
    • If the wait is unacceptable – patient to be rescheduled.
  • PFT +K16 (Transplant) – Contact K16 to determine if they still want testing performed.  If K16 still requires testing before or after the transplant visit, contact the lab to determine wait time.  Patients coming from >30 minutes away would be given priority.