Until this semester, students could walk into Health Services and receive medical attention for everything from the common cold to mononucleosis.
But beginning this semester, students will have to call to schedule appointments before the time they want to meet with a medical professional.
In the past, as much as 70 percent of patients came to Health Services as walk-ins, according to Health Services director Dr. Edward Wheeler. But flaws in that system prompted the office to switch to an all-appointment system, which Wheeler said he hopes will allow Health Services to provide an improve level of care.
Patients should experience a reduced wait time for their appointments, and they will also have an increased chance of seeing the care provider of their choice, he said.
If the system works as planned, everyone who calls will be given an appointment on the day they choose, and Health Services will be able to accommodate its usual volume of patients per day, Wheeler said. And he said providers will have multiple same-day appointments built into their schedules. "Any student needing an appointment on that same day will be given one," he said.
The walk-in system is inefficient at matching patient flow with provider availability, and when patient flow is heavy, patients wait and providers rush, he said.
Under the old system, Health Services frequently exceeded its goal of 20 minutes' waiting time for walk-ins, Wheeler said. "Because the new system schedules all patients, we expect waiting times to stay closer to (the 20-minute) standard," he said.
In addition, the new system allows for increased "continuity of care," Wheeler said, because under the walk-in system, patients coming for follow-up appointments were treated as regular walk-ins and often could not see the same provider who originally treated them. And the new system will simplify staffing issues, Wheeler said. Previously, medical assistants helped check in the walk-ins; now, they can devote their time to assisting doctors and nurses by taking vital signs and writing lab slips.
Wheeler said under the old system Health Services saw about 70 percent of its patients as walk-ins and 30 percent as scheduled appointments, making scheduling problematic. With the new system, "patients can plan their time better knowing that they will be seen at a specific time. Patients will wait less and therefore reduce their exposure to sick people in the waiting room," he said.
Wheeler described the new system as treating students more like adults, because it allows them to call and schedule an appointment that fits into their schedule. "It introduces them to the real-world health-care environment," he said.
But some students said the new system could be an inconvenience to students.
"When I've gone to Health Services I usually see a nurse practitioner or a physician's assistant, not a doctor," said Eliza Goldberg '07. "If I have to make the effort to call and schedule an appointment at Health Services, why not call a doctor's office in Providence and arrange to see a real doctor?"
Goldberg said if she feels sick during class, walking into Health Services is more convenient than calling and scheduling an appointment first.
But other students said the new system could alleviate some of the flaws of the walk-in system.
Marissa Babbitt '07 said in the past she has seen a line out the door of Health Services of people waiting for an appointment. "I think the new system will allow for much more thorough care and less waiting, which is much better because more people will stick around for an appointment if they don't have to wait so long," she said.
Wheeler said students should call as soon as possible to make an appointment on the same day. "The new mindset should be 'call first' and 'call early,'" he said. Wheeler said students could help the appointment process be more efficient by taking morning appointments and coming on time.
"We are making a concerted effort to stay on time so students can count of prompt service. It may be necessary on occasion to deal with a student's main concern at the visit and schedule them for another appointment for other concerns," Wheeler said.
Students still have the security of knowing there is a nurse at Health Services 24 hours a day, a physician on call and a 24-hour Emergency Medical Services program, Wheeler said.
"Students who walk in with a true emergency, because they are bleeding or having a seizure, will be seen right away," Wheeler said.
Herald senior staff writer Kate Gorman '07 can be reached at herald@browndailyherald.com.
