Can Recall Lists Improve Productivity and Outcomes?

Podiatry Today had the chance to speak with Natalie Domek, DPM, about her American Academy of Podiatric Practice Management (AAPPM) Annual Conference lecture on “Incorporating Recall Lists Into Your Practice.” In this lecture she shares pearls and pointers on making your patient database work best for you.

Q: For audience members who may not be familiar, can you briefly explain what a recall list is?

Dr. Domek shares that the goal of a recall list is to contact patients so they return to the office. In order to achieve this, she says, a recall list may be compiled based on a specific set of parameters.

Q: Why is such a list so important?

“Recall lists are an essential tool to maximize your office productivity by leaning in on your practices' existing patient database,” she says.
 
Dr. Domek goes on to say that many offices spend countless hours and dollars trying to recruit new patients, but completely neglect their existing patient database as a source of appointments and revenue.
 
Outside of the potential benefit to productivity, she adds that recall lists can enhance patient care and outcomes.  
 
“(Recall lists may ensure that) patient populations are being followed at the intervals the physician deems appropriate,” she explains. “It helps prevent patients from getting ‘lost to follow up.’”

Q: What stumbling blocks or pitfalls do you feel podiatry practices run into when it comes to incorporating such lists into their operations?

One situation many podiatric practices face is a failure to establish patient follow-up guidelines, says Dr. Domek.
 
“Each practice needs to have a written guideline that lays out the expected intervals (during which) specific patient populations should be following up,” she says.
 
Some examples of these patient populations include patients needing yearly diabetic foot exams, patients with orthotics, patients who qualify for high-risk foot care, and those who qualify for diabetic shoes and inserts.
 
“Without establishing these follow-up guidelines, recall lists cannot be generated,” she explains.
 
Dr. Domek points out that another pitfall for many podiatry practices when attempting to incorporate recall lists is not creating a protocol. Protocols are essential to the success of a recall list operation as it sets expectations as to who is responsible for each step in the recall list process.

“A podiatry practice recall list protocol should include the established follow up guidelines, timeframe for how often the recall lists will be generated, and details as to who will be pulling the data for the recall lists and physically calling the patients,” she says.

Q: Anything else you’d like the audience to know?

“Recall lists are an inexpensive marketing tool that can easily be incorporated into any podiatry practice, no matter how large or small,” shares Dr. Domek. “Using recall lists will increase your practice’s productivity, revenue, patient satisfaction, and patient outcomes.”