How We Are Improving Families’ Scheduling Experience and Access at Seattle Children’s
Seattle Children’s is prioritizing making it easier for families to access care, especially in clinics with high demand and long wait times. This work includes making wait times more transparent to both families and referring providers.
We are pleased to tell you about some of the recent changes we have made and improvements that are in the works for the coming year.
Making the most of every available appointment slot
Thirteen Seattle Children’s specialties recently undertook a four- to six-month overhaul of their scheduling systems to optimize appointments scheduled. These include Endocrinology, Adolescent Medicine, Nephrology, Otolaryngology, Orthopedics and Sports Medicine and others. As a result:
- Appointment slots are now filled more efficiently, with fewer appointments going unfilled
- Families can self-schedule for the first time
- If a sooner appointment becomes available, families are automatically notified
Today, families who use MyChart’s self-schedule feature are typically being seen 20 to 50 days sooner on average.
Reducing the number of missed appointments
New tools have helped us correctly identify families who are more likely to miss an appointment and then step in to offer additional support. In 2023 to date, we have averted more than 8,000 missed appointments. Assistance usually takes the form of transportation help, childcare services at the hospital or clinic or switching the appointment from in-person to telehealth.
