Self-scheduling in a Large Multispecialty and Multisite Clinic: A Retrospective, Longitudinal Examination of Multiple Self-Scheduled Visit Types

Frederick North; Rebecca Buss; Elissa M Nelson; Matthew C Thompson; Jennifer Pecina; Gregory M Garrison; Brian A Crum

doi:10.1177/23333928241249521

Self-scheduling in a Large Multispecialty and Multisite Clinic: A Retrospective, Longitudinal Examination of Multiple Self-Scheduled Visit Types

Health Serv Res Manag Epidemiol. 2024 May 1:11:23333928241249521. doi: 10.1177/23333928241249521. eCollection 2024 Jan-Dec.

Authors

Frederick North¹, Rebecca Buss², Elissa M Nelson², Matthew C Thompson², Jennifer Pecina³, Gregory M Garrison³, Brian A Crum^{2

4}

Affiliations

¹ Division of Community Internal Medicine, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
² Enterprise office of Access Management, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
³ Department of Family Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
⁴ Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.

Abstract

Background: Self-scheduling of medical visits is becoming available at many medical institutions. We aimed to examine the self-scheduled visit counts and rate of growth of self-scheduled visits in a multispecialty practice.

Methods: For 85 weeks extending from January 1, 2022 through August 24, 2023, we examined self-scheduled visit counts for over 1500 self-scheduled visit types. We compared completed self-scheduled visit counts to all scheduled completed visit counts for the same visit types. We collected counts of the most frequently self-scheduled visit types for each week and examined the change over time. We also determined the proportion that each visit type was self-scheduled.

Results: There were 20,769 699 completed visits during the course of the study that met the criteria for inclusion. Self-scheduled visits accounted for 4.0% of all completed visits (838 592/20,769 699). Over the 85-week span, self-scheduled visits rose from 3.0% to 5.3% of the total. There were 1887 unique visit types that were associated with completed visits. There were just 6 appointment visit types of the total 1887 self-scheduled visit types that accounted for 50.7% of the total 838 592 self-scheduled visits. Those 6 visit types were a lab blood test visit (19.5%, 163 K visits), two Family Medicine office visit types (13.0%, 109 K visits), a screening mammogram visit type (6.6%, 55 K visits), a scheduled express care visit type (6%, 50 K visits) and a COVID immunization visit type (5.7%, 48 K visits). Twenty-one visit types that were self-scheduled accounted for 75% of the total self-scheduled visits. Four seasonal visits, accounting for 10.6% of the total self-scheduled visits, were responsible for almost all the non-linear change in self-scheduling.

Conclusion: Self-scheduling accounted for a small but growing percent of all outpatient scheduled visits in a multispecialty, multisite practice. A wide range of visit types can be successfully self-scheduled.

Keywords: access to care; efficiency; family medicine; health economics; medical informatics; outpatient visits; practice management; self-schedule; specialty visits; visit scheduling.