In the context of growing demand, a wait list may seem to be an excellent indicator of a positive development. For cognitive behavioral therapy practices, however, the situation is far more complex than in most healthcare settings. While the number of inquiries tends to grow, the actual volume of available slots remains relatively constant. Thus, a practice needs to decide upon the ways of scheduling, intake procedures, and treatment timeline management.
Unlike in a setting focused mainly on short visits, treatment provided in CBT implies a long course of recurring visits scheduled for a certain amount of time. Once the patient has been accepted to the practice, the corresponding appointment slot will stay occupied during a whole session's duration. Thus, decisions on practice capacity will determine the actual availability months down the road.
The increased level of demand makes it even harder for a practice to find the appropriate balance between meeting patient needs and providing consistency to its current clients. If the practice tries to ensure that each of the available slots is occupied at any moment of time, it will likely face difficulties with accepting new referrals. On the other hand, holding a certain part of the capacity for future inquiries can result in underutilization of the clinician's schedule.
As a consequence, there is yet another reason for a practice to carefully consider scheduling issues. Long delays before starting treatment may affect the expectations of a potential client and push him or her away from seeking professional help in a particular practice. At present, most CBT practices are paying more attention to the organization of their intake procedures. The importance of such activities as an initial consultation, review of the referral, and scheduling an appointment should not be underestimated, especially under conditions of increased demand. Delays in these processes can seriously undermine practice efficiency, especially if the rate of inquiries continues to grow.
All these factors have to be taken into account while making decisions regarding the staffing of a practice. Expansion of its capacity by employing additional staff members appears to be the obvious step to be taken; however, recruitment and onboarding processes may consume quite a bit of time. Moreover, it may be rather difficult to estimate precisely the required amount of clinicians due to unpredictable fluctuations in demand. Besides, individual needs of patients vary substantially, implying the existence of both short-term and long-lasting engagement in care. As a result, prediction of the future capacity level appears to be somewhat challenging.
Finally, the activity of various referrals can influence scheduling in a practice in unexpected ways. CBT practices usually receive inquiries concerning the provision of services not only from the patient's side but also from healthcare providers, employers, schools, or other institutions. A sudden change in the rate of inquiries from one particular referral source may significantly affect the practice's workload.
Thus, it becomes evident that the issue of accessibility is gradually evolving into a business concern. More and more attention is being paid to the way scheduling policies affect scheduling policies of the CBT practice impact patient flow, work schedule of clinicians and availability of services. In many instances, the decision-making process affects a patient even before he or she receives necessary treatment.
