In our current model at UCSF and where I manage practices at the Cancer Center, we have a check-out system where patients are only able to obtain follow-up appointments for their infusion treatment or a future follow-up appoitment with their physician within our practice only. They are also able to get their radiology scans scheduled as well.  However, patients are often referred to see practices outside of the Cancer Center but are not able to obtain those appointmetns immediately upon their depature from their appointment.

What I beleive would be value add from the patient's perspective, is if we had a centralized scheduling desk on each floor throughout all of UCSF Medical Center where a patient would stop by this central desk to have all their appointments scheduled from their radiology, lab, financial couneling and any other physician appointment from primary care to their oncology appointment scheduled with this desk. When a patient leaves from this scheduling desk, they would have a comprehensive itinerary of all future follow-up appointments at UCSF medical not needing to then wait for their appointments and then needing to follow-up individually with each practice they have appointments in. It is an excellent way to coordinate care for the patient and makes it easier on the patient as well.  This would require the scheduling desk the ability to direct schedule into all ambulatory practices via APEX. Ideally, each desk would have 3-5 schedulers located in various areas.