Page 26 - 2020 Risk Reduction Series Effective Systems_Part 1_Flipbook

SVMIC Risk Reduction Series: Effective Systems

A note or copy of the test or referral ordered is placed into the

tickler file. When the test/referral result is received in the office,
it should be date stamped, matched with the corresponding

order in the tickler file, matched with the patient’s chart/record,
and then presented to the physician for review. If received

electronically, the result should be tasked to the physician
for review, and the note or copy in the tickler file should be

removed. The physician would then take the same steps as
previously outlined.

Similarly, if the patient is advised to return in several months and

does not schedule the follow-up appointment prior to leaving
the office, his/her name should be added to a tickler file (or a

patient recall log) so that a card or note can be sent reminding
him/her of the need to schedule the appointment. Copies of the

reminder cards should be maintained in the patient’s medical
record. Depending on the urgency of the situation, further efforts

to contact the patient by telephone may be prudent.

The use of a tickler file carries with it a responsibility to regularly

review the file and determine if any test results did not return or
if any follow-up appointments were not made. In the absence of

this type of assessment, the system fails to alert the physician
of the missing test or appointment, and the risk of a delayed or

missed diagnosis has not been averted.

Scheduling
The scheduling mechanism can be used in

several ways to track patients. The first is,
after the physician orders a test or referral,

he/she schedules a follow-up appointment
with the patient to discuss the results. This

system only works if the practice also

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