There’s a growing trend in which doctor’s and dentist’s offices are allowing patients to make their appointments online. There are several reasons why this is a great move toward better effeciency. First, it takes away the telephone holding times, and the website alone with a properly prepared FAQ section can alleviate a lot of patient frustration. In addition to this, at the time the appointment is made, the patient is able to submit any special notes or concerns for the staff to review and bring to the doctor’s attention if necessary. Third, it makes planning ahead easier for everyone involved – including the doctor, who can block out times on the calendar for which he or she is just not available. Then, if there is still an issue, that’s where reception would come in – so no jobs need to be cut.
I wish that my health care practitioners were this up to date. Most of them don’t even have a website and a few don’t even have a computer with the internet in their reception areas. Strange but true.
On the flip side, human beings don’t know how to take a good idea and leave it at that. Somehow, any step we take toward modernizing health care is going to result in serious breaches of privacy and may lead to forcing people to receive RFID chips in their arms as is already the case with some pets and wandering seniors. Can’t have it both ways.
