Provider Appointment Availability Survey Results 2007
Magellan’s 2007 provider appointment availability survey evaluated the average number of days for appointment availability and the method of after-hours coverage for network providers in 41 states. We conducted this survey to determine our provider network readiness to see members based on the urgency of the situation, to assess the typical in-office waiting time for the appointment to begin, and to learn how providers handle after-hours communication with members. It also was important to us to identify any barriers to accepting appointments with Magellan members.
In total, we distributed 26,445 surveys by fax, e-mail and postal mail during July and August of 2007. We thank you for a remarkable 51.6 percent response rate.
Results
Nearly all of you, 94.6 percent, told us that you were accepting new patients. You also reported that 98 percent of the time our members wait 15 minutes or less in your office before their appointment.
You let us know that you are not always able to meet the Magellan standards for appointments as reported below. Group practices and master’s-level practitioners reported the highest level of success in meeting the standards, with psychiatrists and psychologists reporting the most difficulty.
Appointment Type |
Standard |
Overall Percent Meeting or Exceeding the Standard |
|---|---|---|
Number of days for an emergent non-life threatening appointment |
1 day |
48.1 % |
Number of days for an urgent appointment |
2 days |
63.4 % |
Number of days for a routine appointment |
10 days |
82.5 % |
Number of days for appointment following hospital discharge |
7 days |
80.9 % |
Barriers you noted to accepting new Magellan members or meeting appointment standards included:
- Vacation and out-of-office time
- Full practice
- Staffing issues
- Not participating at this time.
Finally, when you were not available, you communicated when members called with emergencies using outgoing message instructions (64.2 percent), a live answering service (26.3 percent) and/or were available by cell phone or pager (62 percent).
On the improvement front, we hope that you will…
- Avoid “no-shows” for appointments by placing reminder calls to members
- Inform members of how to proceed, should they need services after business hours
- Provide coverage for your practice when you are not available
- Contact your Magellan field network representative to let them know if you will not be available for an extended period of time.
We thank you for taking the time to participate in this survey. Our quality improvement and network management teams are working together to analyze these data and identify opportunities to improve access for our members.