Best Practices for Handling On-Call Physician Scheduling After Hours

As a physician on-call scheduler, you've undoubtedly faced the unpredictable chaos that can arise after hours. Whether it’s a call-off from an ill clinician, a last-minute swap notification via text, email, or fax, or the alarming news that a scheduled clinician hasn’t arrived at the hospital, these situations not only disrupt your evening, but it can also sour relationships within your organization. 

More importantly, handling sudden departures of clinicians or updates during your off hours adds another layer of complexity. These disruptions can have serious implications for EMTALA compliance, contractual obligations, staff satisfaction, and most critically, patient care.

Two Strategies to Prevent After-Hours Scheduling Mayhem

Recognizing that physician schedulers are often limited by their software or existing processes, there are two primary strategies to effectively manage on-call physician scheduling after hours or over the weekend:

1. Implement a Well-defined Policy with Backup Staff: Establish clear protocols for scheduling changes that include having backup staff who are themselves on-call when the primary contact is not available. This ensures that there is always someone ready to handle unexpected changes seamlessly.
   
2. Empower Group Admins with On-Call Software Tools: Providing group admins (e.g., office managers, nursing supervisors, ED registration staff, etc.) with the authority and tools to adjust schedules can decentralize the process and enhance flexibility. For instance, by introducing a software solution that allows admins to make schedule changes whenever or wherever, you can minimize disruptions in patient care.
   
   A brief 10-minute training session can equip them with the necessary skills to make adjustments using the software, without needing to understand every feature in depth. Offering opportunities for admins to practice these changes, possibly through screen sharing sessions, can further enhance their proficiency.

Additional On-Call Best Practices

Regardless of whether your system is software-enabled or policy-driven, here are additional best practices to enhance your scheduling process:

✔ Train Additional Team Members: Ensure that at least one additional member of your team (e.g., house supervisor or similar role) is trained to make schedule changes. This can prevent any disruption in the scheduling process if you become unavailable due to illness or vacation.

✔ Set Up Communication Protocols: Implement an auto-reply feature on your email and include a special message or option in your outgoing voicemail. This should inform clinicians and hospitals about whom to contact, by providing a single phone number or email address that routes to your alternate’s contact information based on the on-call schedule.

Pros and Cons of Each Approach

Software-enabled Solution: This approach is ideal for schedulers working across multiple offices, as it leverages technology to streamline processes and ensure consistent communication.

Policy-driven Approach: Suitable for smaller or less complex environments, this method can be effective if implemented with strong organizational discipline. However, larger practices will almost certainly benefit from a combination of policy and software to accommodate the higher volume of scheduling changes.

Learn More

Find out how MDsyncNET’s platform can reduce stress for you, your clinicians, and your partner facilities everyday, everywhere. Schedule a demo.

*Brad Goldsmith is a serial entrepreneur and the CEO of MDsyncNET.

For over 20 years, MDsyncNET has been at the forefront of providing real-time on-call physician scheduling software designed to enhance hospital on-call transparency, flexibility, and efficiency. Our cloud-based solution ensures accurate schedules, reduces left-without-being-seen rates, and boosts physician satisfaction by eliminating unnecessary calls to the wrong provider.