Q&A
Clarification on double booking practices in H+H hospitals
2:18:49
ยท
144 sec
Council Member Carmen N. De La Rosa seeks clarification on the practice of double booking patients in H+H hospitals. Dr. Adedayo Adedeji explains how double booking works, its impact on patient care, and the challenges it presents for doctors.
- Double booking involves scheduling two patients in a single time slot, often for new patient visits
- This practice can lead to doctors seeing up to 8 new patients in the time originally allocated for 4
- Doctors often have to rush through appointments and work overtime to complete patient notes
Carmen N. De La Rosa
2:18:49
Thank you, Jarnarcees.
2:18:51
I have a few clarifying questions.
2:18:53
So you mentioned the double bookings.
2:18:55
Mhmm.
2:18:56
Can you explain give us, a little bit of insight into what that looks like and what the double bookings mean and how they show up in the system for you?
2:19:04
Like, what happens when you're double booked?
2:19:07
Okay.
Adedayo Adedeji
2:19:07
So when I first started working at King's County, I noticed, you know, on the, like, 8 20 slot, there'll be 2 patients in there.
2:19:13
So I'd go to the front desk and say, there's a mistake.
2:19:16
You know?
2:19:16
What's going on here?
2:19:17
They're like, oh, well, they kind of figure that there's a 20% chance that one patient's gonna show up, so they double book in one slot.
2:19:28
And invariably, it turns out that it's not the revisits that they double book, but the new visits.
2:19:33
And as you well know, whoever's beyond epic, you have to put in an inordinate amount of information.
2:19:40
They're allergies, and patients always say they're allergic to stuff.
2:19:42
I'm allergic to iodine because when I touched it as a kid, you know, it made me vomit.
2:19:48
That's not an allergy, you know.
2:19:50
So, we have I have 4 patient new patient slots and they're all double booked.
2:19:56
And invariably, what will happen is all those puppies will show up.
2:19:59
This one needs an interpreter.
2:20:00
This one needs social services.
2:20:01
This one's depressed.
2:20:02
This one has no food.
2:20:04
And, of course, you're not being in a safety net hospital.
2:20:06
You're responsible for everything.
2:20:08
Patients come and just tell you everything.
2:20:11
You know?
2:20:11
And you
Carmen N. De La Rosa
2:20:11
So in that sorry to interrupt, but so in that situation
Adedayo Adedeji
2:20:14
Yes.
Carmen N. De La Rosa
2:20:15
If you're, quadruple booked and all 4 patients show up, those 4 patients are added to your 8 patient, portfolio for the day?
2:20:25
Well Or you see those 4 and then Instead
Adedayo Adedeji
2:20:28
of 4 slot instead of 4 new patient slots, there are actually 8 patients in those 4 slots.
Mitch Katz
2:20:33
So there
Adedayo Adedeji
2:20:33
are 2 patients per slot.
Carmen N. De La Rosa
2:20:35
Mhmm.
Adedayo Adedeji
2:20:35
So instead of just seeing 1 patient over 40 minutes, you're basically seeing 1 patient for 20 minutes, one new patient for 20 minutes.
Carmen N. De La Rosa
2:20:42
And if you spend 30 minutes with each of those 4 patients that are quadruple booked, that for new patients, then you'd have the time limit, the new policy for the time limit.
2:20:56
Correct?
Adedayo Adedeji
2:21:00
This was before the new 20 minute policy.
2:21:02
Okay.
2:21:03
So what would happen would be I would rush through everybody, just try and get them out as quickly as possible, and then spend the next x amount of hours after work,
Mitch Katz
2:21:10
Mhmm.
Adedayo Adedeji
2:21:11
After 8 PM, staying there, finishing my notes.
Carmen N. De La Rosa
2:21:13
And how do they reconcile your panel with then now these 4 new patients that are added?