|
Your emergency room department is likely dealing with many challenges. No doubt you're frequently short-staffed and overcrowded. Your patient volumes vary and each patient has their own unique medical needs where it calls for different types of doctors at different times. Doctors are missing or swapping shifts which can lead to stress when trying to find coverage. Not to mention the types of schedules your physician's work can lead to burnout.
Having to schedule around challenges like these can lead to mistakes and lost coverage. And, when your physicians are trading or swapping shifts, you need to adjust the schedule and redistribute it and cross your fingers that all your physicians will refer to the updated schedule and show up for their shifts.
Having to manually create the staff schedule can be time-consuming and keep you away from other important tasks you need to do. Because of this, many ER departments are making the switch to automated ER scheduling software. But, what are the signs your ER department needs physician scheduling software?
Signs Your ER Needs Emergency Medicine Scheduling Program
It may be time to upgrade to shift scheduling software if:
1. Your Physicians are Experiencing Burnout
While ER departments stay open round-the-clock, your doctors' bodies aren't designed to work 24/7. Scheduling rotating shifts can disrupt circadian rhythms.
American College of Emergency Physicians advocates for 12 hours or fewer shifts in a clockwise rotation. Ideally, eight-hour shifts, they advise, make it easier for the physician’s biological clock to reset.
They encourage schedulers and administrators to take into consideration the total number of hours worked and time off between shifts for each physician when creating the schedules. Having to take this into consideration could further complicate the scheduling process. ER scheduling software can handle this for you automatically.
2. Your Physicians aren't as Productive as They Used to Be
Doctors often work long, varied shifts that can affect their interactions with loved ones and their social lives. Using a scheduling program can provide doctors the ability to know ahead of time when they're working. And, because the schedules are real-time updated and are online, it decreases physician frustration. This leads to better performance, increased productivity and improved physician retention.
3. Quality Patient Care is Lacking
Improving your scheduling system is a commitment to both your patients and your doctors. Adequate ER scheduling ensures your patients are better cared for and reduces the stress levels of your physicians. This leads to more engaged doctors and more satisfied patients.
If you're noticing any of these signs, it may be time to implement shift scheduling software into your scheduling system. The software is tailored for specifically meeting the many challenges of scheduling. You'll have 24/7 access to the schedule both online and through mobile access which makes it user-friendly and convenient. If you haven't begun implementing automated software for your ER department scheduling, you're missing out on a more streamlined process.
|