How ENT and Otolaryngology Practices are Getting More Patients

Modern practices are discovering that traditional scheduling methods simply can’t keep up with today’s patient expectations and complex administrative workflows. The future of ENT practice management lies in leveraging technology that can handle this complexity while making healthcare more accessible to patients. By embracing smart scheduling solutions, ENT and otolaryngology practices can not only improve operational efficiency but also create a better patient experience that drives growth and retention.

Keep reading to learn how these practices are revolutionizing their approach to patient acquisition and scheduling optimization!

What Makes ENT Scheduling Different?

ENT practices face distinct challenges when it comes to scheduling. From allergy testing that requires specific room preparations to complex surgical consultations that need extended time slots, these practices need a scheduling system that can accommodate various appointment types.

The complexity doesn’t end there. ENT practices must also manage:

• Multiple appointment types and providers 
• Specialized equipment availability across different locations
• Coordination with audiologists and speech therapists
• Emergency slot availability for acute conditions
• Seasonal variation in patient volume
• Pediatric and last-minute openings

Why Do ENT Practices Need Smart Scheduling?

Traditional scheduling systems have proven inadequate for the complex needs of modern ENT practices, particularly when it comes to managing intricate routing rules and appointment dependencies. Smart scheduling platforms have emerged as essential tools for practices focused on increasing acquisition while maintaining booking accuracy and efficiency. After all, relying on staff or call center agents to consistently follow complex booking requirements often leads to inaccuracies and additional routing work.

Similarly, if practices rely on off-the-shelf or limited scheduling solutions, often provided by their PMS, they may find that while patients can schedule more conveniently, they are getting routed inaccurately. As a result, these practices face increased booking challenges, and frustrated patients and staff, as the self-service convenience is stripped away when staff must call patients back to get them booked correctly.

One Chief Operations Officer shares her experience with an insufficient scheduling solution:

“That convenience factor we had given patients was taken away when our previous solution wouldn’t map patients to the appropriate bookings. It didn’t allow us to set the binders and rules we needed. Patients would book their appointments and plan accordingly, just for our team to call them and redo the process. That was a critical piece and what led us to look for a more robust solution.”

Intelligent online scheduling can be pre-built to route patients to the most appropriate providers based on their booking requirements. Another Director of Operations shares:

“When patients book with our smart online tool, we know it will be accurate, which isn’t something you can always guarantee in an over-the-phone interaction.” 

A digital tool can’t stray away from your pre-determined booking requirements or forget a key step in the process. Instead, it’s there 24/7, helping patients get booked on your schedule quickly and accurately. 

Additionally, a robust self-scheduling platform excels at managing multiple appointment types, implementing advanced waitlist systems, and enabling the practice to keep up with seasonal trends and traffic. This comprehensive approach to scheduling not only streamlines operations but also significantly enhances the practice’s ability to serve more patients efficiently.

Practices are already saving their staff over 1,500 hours per year while increasing patient acquisition simply by enabling patients to book their own appointments, just like they would when purchasing a plane ticket or making a reservation at their favorite restaurant. Other practices are seeing dramatic efficiency gains – for example, one large-scale practice, serving 500 patients daily, found that 45% of their online bookings were made after hours, while 34% were last-minute appointments that may have otherwise been lost to competitors, demonstrating how automated scheduling captures previously missed opportunities.

How Are Leading ENT Practices Getting More Patients?

Success in patient acquisition starts with removing barriers to scheduling. Modern ENT practices are implementing intelligent, digital scheduling solutions that allow patients to book appointments 24/7 through their preferred channels. This accessibility is crucial for how to get more patients, as it meets growing consumer expectations for convenience in healthcare.

These platforms enable practices to:

• Offer real-time availability across multiple locations
• Implement smart waitlists to fill cancellations quickly
• Send automated reminders to reduce no-shows
• Capture detailed patient information during scheduling
• Check patient eligibility and alert patients to make updates as needed

What About Complex Procedures?

ENT practices regularly perform complex procedures that require careful coordination of multiple appointments and resources. Smart scheduling systems have revolutionized this process through intelligent automation. These platforms seamlessly manage the entire procedure workflow, from scheduling initial consultations to booking follow-up appointments.

One Director of Operations shares her providers’ initial concerns:

“Our staff and providers had lots of questions initially around how well an online scheduler would be able to accurately book patients.” She shares a few examples, “We didn’t want patients with ankle injuries to get booked with the spine specialty physician. We also needed to know if patients were injured in an accident or had a lawyer. Similarly, we needed to prompt certain acknowledgments to patients who are uninsured.”

With a customizable self-scheduling solution, the opinions and requirements of the group’s 26 physicians were easily met. See how here.

How Can Technology Improve Patient Flow?

Smart scheduling is just the beginning. Modern ENT practices are implementing comprehensive Patient-Led Self-Service solutions to streamline other patient experiences.

Pre-Visit:

• Instant insurance verification, up to 7x per patient interaction (without added fees!)
• Pre-registration, complete with clinical intake and integration into your PMS/EHR
• Consent forms
• Voice, email and text reminders
• Two-way text messaging 

Visit:

• Patient-led registration via kiosk, tablet, or mobile
• Secure and private payments, including card-on-file
• Instant eligibility and staff control center dashboard

These solutions not only enhance the patient experience but also optimize practice resources, leading to improved patient outcomes, 5-star reviews and increased revenue.

Is Your ENT Practice Ready for Growth?

Implementing the right scheduling solution is crucial for ENT practices looking to expand their patient base and keep up with existing demand. With the proper tools, practices can efficiently manage complex scheduling rules while providing the convenient booking experience patients expect.

Consider these questions when evaluating your practice’s scheduling needs:

• Can patients easily book appointments online?
• Does your system handle complex procedure scheduling?
• Are you maximizing provider utilization?
• Can you quickly fill canceled appointments?
• Does your scheduling system integrate with your PMS?
• Are you capturing valuable patient data during scheduling?

Ready to transform your practice’s scheduling approach and learn more about how to get more patients? See  How to Increase Top-of-Funnel Patient Acquisition by downloading this guide. Get detailed strategies for growing your practice and techniques you can implement right away.

Remember, in today’s competitive healthcare landscape, making it easy for patients to access care is just as important as providing excellent clinical outcomes. Smart scheduling is no longer just a convenience—it’s a critical tool for practice growth and patient satisfaction.