What time interval is frequently used to set up the appointment schedule in a medical office?

Setting Up the Appointment Schedule. Appointments are usually scheduled up to 6 months in advance. Before scheduling can begin, the appointment book or computer software must be set up to indicate the times when the physician will see patients.

The most common type of appointment scheduling in a medical office are: Open office hours – This type of scheduling involves no fixed or previous bookings and the office keeps itself open during the working hours. Patients are seen by the physician in the order of their arrival.

Wave Scheduling In this method, a practice schedules three or four patients every thirty minutes. Then, the practitioner sees each patient in the order in which they arrive. Patients are seen in waves, meaning there is always a patient waiting to be seen.

An appointment scheduling method in which each patient is given a different, specific appointment time. Also called stream scheduling, fixed appointment scheduling, or single booking. Triage. The process of separating patients by the urgency of their need for care.