What is the term for the process of moving a patient from appointment making through checkout?

The term that accurately describes the process of moving a patient from appointment making through checkout is patient flow. This concept encompasses the entire journey of the patient within the healthcare facility, starting from the initial scheduling of appointments, through the various stages of care, to the final step of checkout after services have been rendered.

Effective patient flow is crucial to ensure that patients are seen in a timely manner, which can contribute to overall patient satisfaction as well as operational efficiency for the healthcare provider. It includes managing various logistical aspects such as appointment availability, patient arrivals, and the transition between different stages of care.

While the other terms such as care coordination, patient routing, and patient navigation are important aspects of healthcare delivery, they focus on specific elements. Care coordination typically emphasizes the organization of patient care activities among various participants, patient routing may refer to directing patients to the appropriate areas within a healthcare facility, and patient navigation often involves guiding patients through the complexities of the healthcare system. However, none encapsulate the broad spectrum of the patient journey from appointment to checkout as effectively as patient flow does.