Running a Smooth Orthopaedic Clinic

Clinic days can be laborious and frustrating. Success starts with identifying the goals of clinic, developing a strategy for scheduling patients, preparing required items for each visit, and training all team members. The check-in experience sets the stage for the patient visit and can increase patient flow efficiency. Surgeons can influence patient perceptions by considering their attire, use of computers, and level of patient education. Preoperative and procedure visits require special planning and organization by the clinic team. Medical documentation can be onerous, but tools such as patient-completed history questionnaires and scribes can ease that burden. Closing out the visit thoughtfully can improve patient adherence to treatment plans and postvisit satisfaction. Preemptively preparing the team for common clinic obstacles such as late or disruptive patients and physician delays can minimize frustration. Physicians should take the lead in organizing the mechanics of clinic and training the entire clinic team. Doing so can create an enjoyable working environment for their staff and can transform clinic into an enjoyable and rewarding part of a surgeon's practice. The purpose of this article is to provide surgeons with guidance on the basics of clinic management to improve both clinic efficiency and enjoyment.