Schedule of the procedure for appointments

 Extract

APPROVED
by the Order No. V-279 of 27 February 2020
of Director of
Šiauliai National Hospital, Public Institution 

SCHEDULE OF THE PROCEDURE FOR APPOINTMENTS WITH PERSONAL HEALTH CARE SPECIALISTS AT ŠIAULIAI NATIONAL HOSPITAL, PUBLIC INSTITUTION

I. PURPOSE 

1.    The purpose of the Schedule of the Procedure for Appointments with Personal Health Care Specialists in Šiauliai National Hospital, Public Institution (hereinafter – the Hospital) (hereinafter – the Schedule) is to regulate the procedure for the appointments with personal health care specialists, i.e. consulting doctors and specialists independently admitting patients (hereinafter – the Specialists) in the Hospital, to determine the functions and the responsibility of the employees directly and/or indirectly participating in the process of booking the appointments with the specialists. 

V. APPOINTMENT BOOKING

15.    The patients are booked appointments upon the request constantly, without limiting the booking periods, apart from the exceptions stipulated by other legislation.
16.     The patients are booked appointments for elective outpatient services upon contacting the Consultation Units (by coming to the Consultation Unit Reception Desks, by telephone, online): 
16.1.    a user of the Early Registration System (Reception Desk Officer, Obstetrician and (or) Nurse working with the Specialist) shall enter the patient’s name, year of birth (if the appointment is booked for the first time – personal number), address, contact telephone number when booking the appointments for the patients with the Specialists in the online system;
16.2.     when the patient contacts the Reception Desk at the counter or by telephone, Reception Desk Officer shall: 
16.2.1.    determine the patient’s reason for contacting;
16.2.2.    identify the patient:
16.2.2.1.     ask to show their personal identification document when the patient is making the appointment at the counter in the Reception Desk;
16.2.2.2.    ask the patient to tell their date of birth, clarify their name, and the address when the patient is making the appointment by telephone;
16.2.3.    offer the patient and (or) their representative the nearest reasonably possible service provision date, arrange the date and time of the consultation;
16.2.4.    book the appointment for the patient at the later date chosen by the patient and (or) their representative and note “at the patient’s request” in a field designated for remarks should the patient and (or) their representative refuse to receive the service on the nearest reasonably possible service provision date; 
16.2.5.    inform the patient and (or) their representative that they must come to the designated Specialist’s room on the consultation day at the time indicated, and their Case-Record shall be already in the Specialist’s room;
16.2.6.     inform the patient and (or) their representative about the paid services if the patient is a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania who does not have the mandatory Health Insurance, has not declared their place of residence in the Republic of Lithuania, does not have a referral from a physician or a specialist providing the primary personal health care services (Extract of Medical Records/Referral, Form 027/a), and contacts the Consultation Unit regarding the provision of elective consultations; 
16.2.7.    clarify the available personal details of the patient; 
16.2.8.    inform the patient and (or) their representative that an automatic SMS message containing the consultation information shall be sent to the patients registered at the Reception Desk and (or) by telephone 48 hours before the patient’s appointment, and the patient and (or) their representative must confirm their arrival by an SMS message. Should the patient send a negative response, an open appointment shall automatically appear in the information system. 
17.    When the patient requires a repeated appointment or in cases of long-term health condition observation, Nurse and (or) Obstetrician working with the Specialist shall book the appointment for the patient in the information system under the Specialist’s orders, and shall immediately notify the patient about the date and time of their next appointment. 
18.    Under the Specialist’s orders, Nurse and (or) Obstetrician working with the Specialist shall book the appointment for the patient by giving a referral to the patient to consult another specialist and/or undergo instrumental examination. 
19.    When booking the appointment for the patient in the online system under the Specialist’s orders, Nurse and (or) Obstetrician working with the Specialist shall implement the actions under Subclauses 16.2.4 – 16.2.7. 

VI. PUTTING PATIENTS ON THE WAITING LIST

20.    Reception Desk Officer shall: 
20.1.    upon the patient’s consent, put the patient on the waiting list in the online system, mark the date, time, method of patient’s contact, note the remarks expressed by the patient if there are no open appointments with the Specialist; 
20.2.     inform the patient and (or) their representative that the service receipt date shall be announced within one business day following the announcement of open appointments, and the patient shall be provided all information necessary to receive the service. 
21.    After open appointments are announced, the responsible employees at the Units/Centres shall notify them to the Senior Medical Registrar at the Consultation Unit of the Diagnostics Centre and (or) a responsible employee of the Reception Desk who shall oblige Reception Desk Officer to book the appointments for the patients on the waiting list:
21.1.    Reception Desk Officer shall call the patients on the waiting list or their representatives; 
21.2.    open appointments shall be booked starting from the patients put on the waiting list the earliest;
21.3.    the patient and (or) their representative shall be offered a specific date and time for the appointment with the Specialist; 
21.4.    if the patient and (or) their representative agrees with the suggested appointment with the Specialist, the patient shall be booked the appointment and taken off the waiting list, making a respective mark in the information system;
21.5.    if the patient and (or) their representative refuses the suggested appointments with Specialist three times, they shall be removed from the waiting list, making a respective mark in the online system;
21.6.    if it is impossible to contact the patient and (or) their representative via given telephone numbers for three business days, the patient shall be removed from the waiting list, making a respective mark in the online system. 
22.    Open appointments with the Specialist shall not be publicly announced as long as there are patients on the waiting list. 
23.    Senior Medical Registrar of the Reception Desk and (or) a responsible employee of the Reception Desk shall be responsible for the control of putting the patients on the waiting list, booking the appointments for them and taking them off the waiting list, as well as the supervision of the waiting list. 
24.     Should additional open appointments appear (due to the non-appearance of a patient, appointment cancelation, or provision of additional open appointments for the Specialists by the Centre Directors/Unit Managers and (or) Coordinators), a responsible employee of the Unit/Centre shall notify Senior Medical Registrar of the Reception Desk and (or) a responsible employee of the Reception Desk about this. Patients on the waiting list shall be booked such open appointments the first. If there is no waiting list for the appointment with the Specialist, Senior Medical Registrar of the Reception Desk and (or) a responsible employee of the Reception Desk shall announce such open appointments online. 

VII.  CANCELLATION OF CONSULTATION WITH A DOCTOR

25.    Cancellation of consultations with the Specialist due to the non-appearance of the Specialist:
25.1.     Centre Director/Unit Manager shall be responsible for organizing the consultations of the patients booked in advance for the appointment with the Specialist during the Specialist’s incapacity for work period or in case of non-appearance due to any other reason. They and (or) their authorized person shall report the non-appearance of the Specialist and the planned non-appearance (if it is known) to Senior Medical Registrar of the Reception Desk and (or) a responsible employee of the Reception Desk. Centre Director/Unit Manager and (or) Coordinator or their authorized person shall organize the admission of the patients who have already arrived. Information indicating the room the patients should contact shall be put on non-appearing Specialist’s room door. 
25.2.    In case of the non-appearance of a Specialist who cannot be substituted, Reception Desk Officer shall cancel the consultations booked in advance by telephone: they shall offer the patient and (or) their representative another open appointment and shall register them in the Early Registration System, if there are no open appointments, they shall be put on the waiting list. 
26.    Senior Medical Registrar of the Reception Desk and (or) a responsible employee of the Reception Desk shall be responsible for controlling the patient’s notification about the cancellation of the consultation and the moving of the consultation. 
27.     Cancellation of the appointment with the doctor due to the non-appearance of the patient:
27.1.    if a patient and (or) their representative cancels the consultation by telephone or by coming to the Reception Desk, Reception Desk officer shall cancel the appointment in the online system;
27.2.    if the patient fails to appear to the consultation without notifying about their non-appearance beforehand, Obstetrician and (or) Nurse working with the Specialist shall mark this in the online system. 
VIII. URGENT SPECIALIST’S CONSULTATION

28.    When the patient contacts the Reception Desk for an urgent Specialist’s consultation due to an acute illness or exacerbation of the illness: 
28.1.    Reception Desk Officer shall book the appointment with a Specialist appointed for urgent consultations on the day the patient contacts the Reception Desk; 
28.2.    if there are no open appointments for an urgent consultation, Reception Desk Officer shall notify Centre Director/Unit Manager and (or) Coordinator or their authorized person about the Specialist’s consultation, and, under their orders, shall form an appointment for the Specialist’s consultation, book the appointment for the patient, and mark “Urgent procedure” in a field designated for remarks;
28.3.    if Specialist’s consultation cannot be provided in the Consultation Units due to objective reasons, Reception Desk Officer shall refer the patient to the Admissions Unit for an urgent consultation. 
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