Summer can be a challenging time for pediatric practices. With kids away at camp and families on vacation, it’s not uncommon to see a dip in appointments. However, it doesn’t have to be that way. By leveraging the right tools and strategies, you can keep your schedule full and ensure your patients receive the care they need. Let’s explore how you can make the most of your summer schedule to keep kids up-to-date on the care they need and keep your revenue flowing.

Identifying Gaps in Care

One of the most effective ways to fill your schedule is through patient recalls. This involves identifying patients who are due for well visits, immunizations, or care plan follow-ups. A pediatric EHR like Office Practicum takes this daunting task and makes it much more manageable.

Start by setting parameters so you can find kids who need an appointment and aren’t already on your schedule. Then, use a patient notification tool to let families know that it’s time to schedule an appointment. This will have a tremendous impact on bringing more patients in for well care and overdue vaccines, contributing to a healthier revenue stream for your practice.

Targeted Patient Recalls

Tools like Demographic Analysis and Recall (DAR) can significantly enhance your recall efforts. DAR reports analyze your demographic data and recall patients based on the findings so you’re not sorting through chart after chart. With just a few clicks, you can:

• Create special reports and patient lists
• Identify kids who are overdue for vaccines and well visits
• Run recalls for specific age groups, a particularly useful tool for scheduling things like Kindergarten readiness clinics.

These tools reduce human errors and administrative tasks, improve workflows, and put all the necessary data at your fingertips, making the recall process more efficient and effective.

Getting Kids Scheduled

Once you’ve identified gaps in care, reach out to patients and schedule their office visits. Here are some tips to make appointment recalls quick and easy:

• Use bulk messaging for initial invitations. If you have a particular group of patients who all fall into the same age range for well visits, you can notify them all at once using bulk messaging.
• Try personalized outreach for non-responders. If a patient has a portal account set up, send a reminder message that way.
• Reach out using a family’s preferred method of contact. Options include text, email, and phone calls. As a last resort, you can even try snail mail.

Leveraging Social Media for Last-Minute Openings

While recall strategies are great for proactive scheduling, social media can be an excellent tool for filling last-minute openings. Here’s how you can use it effectively:

• Create a dedicated social media presence: Parents (and kids) are on social media, so you need to meet them where they’re at. Do this by establishing and maintaining active profiles on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
• Build a follower base: Encourage families to follow your practice’s social media accounts for updates and health tips. Place posters with your social handles in waiting rooms and exam rooms to raise awareness. Once they’re engaged with your content, they’re more likely to see last-minute appointment messages in their social feeds.
• Post about same-day openings: When you have unexpected cancellations or open slots, quickly post about the availability on your social media channels. Never share information or specifics about why a slot has opened to respect patient privacy.
• Use engaging content: Make your posts eye-catching with graphics or short videos to increase visibility.
• Offer incentives: Want to fill those last-minute slots? Try offering families a little something extra as a thank you! A free book, small toy, or other fun surprise can go a long way in showing your appreciation. It also gets kids excited about their visit. Be sure to post the prizes online to spread the word.
• Enable easy booking: Include a direct link or phone number in your posts for quick and easy scheduling.

Remember to keep your posts HIPAA-compliant and maintain professional communication standards, even on social media.

The Perks of Planning Ahead

Smart scheduling – like sending out reminders and using social media to fill last-minute openings – can do wonders for your pediatric practice. Here’s how it helps your patients and your bottom line:

• Happy, healthy kids: Keeping kids on track with recommended well-child visits leads to the early detection of potential health issues, which in turn leads to better patient outcomes.
• Up-to-date immunizations: Ensuring that kids get their shots on time protects them from preventable diseases and helps keep your community healthier.
• A thriving practice: More appointments mean more revenue, which means you can keep doing what you love – taking care of kids! 
• Building trust: Engaging families through regular visits fosters trust and open communication; it builds strong, long-term relationships that are essential in pediatric care.
• Get rewarded for quality care: Exceptional preventive care and positive health outcomes can lead to recognition and rewards through pay-for-performance programs.

A Win-Win for Everyone!

While summer can present challenges for pediatric practices, it also offers opportunities. By leveraging the right tools, implementing forward-thinking recall strategies, and utilizing social media for last-minute openings, you can keep your schedule full and ensure kids receive the care they need.

Remember, the key is to make proactive patient outreach a regular part of your practice. By doing so, you’ll build stronger relationships with families, improve patient outcomes, and set your practice up for long-term success.

EHRs are the key to streamlining operations, identifying efficiencies and gaps in care, and freeing up valuable time for you and your staff. OP’s pediatric EHR offers features designed to help keep your practice’s financial and clinical operations running smoothly so you can focus on your patients. Contact us today to learn how Office Practicum can help your pediatric practice operate at its best.