Solo and Small OMT Practice Schedule & Workflow

Mantra for the solo practitioner: "Predictability and Rhythm." Every minute must be accounted for and protected.

Scheduling Model: The Tiered & Buffered System

This model builds a predictable daily rhythm, help prevents burnout, and still has a buffer for the unexpected.

New Patient / Comprehensive Visit (60 minutes)

  • Purpose: Deep dive, full structural exam, establish rapport, and provide a substantial initial treatment.
  • Scheduling: Limit to 2-3 per day, ideally in the morning when the physician is freshest.

Return Patient / Standard Treatment Visit (30 minutes)

  • Purpose: The bread and butter of the practice. Re-assessment and treatment for 2-4 body regions.
  • Scheduling: This is the core of the schedule. Cluster them together to maintain a "treatment rhythm”.

Brief Follow-up / Focused Visit (20 minutes)

  • Purpose: Address an acute issue or provide maintenance for 1-2 body regions.
  • Scheduling: Use these to fill gaps and create natural buffers.

The Critical Buffer: Schedule a 15-30 minute "Catch-Up & Admin Block" mid-morning and mid-afternoon. This is non-negotiable. It absorbs overruns, allows for charting, and prevents the entire day from cascading into chaos.

Sample Solo Practitioner Daily Schedule:

  • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM: New Patient - Eval & Tx
  • 9:00 AM - 9:15 AM: BUFFER / CHARTING
  • 9:15 AM - 9:45 AM: Return Patient - Standard Tx
  • 9:45 AM - 10:15 AM: Return Patient - Standard Tx
  • 10:15 AM - 10:35 AM: Brief Follow-up - Focused Tx
  • 10:35 AM - 10:50 AM: BUFFER / CHARTING
  • 10:50 AM - 11:20 AM: Return Patient - Standard Tx
  • 11:20 AM - 11:40 AM: Brief Follow-up - Focused Tx
  • 11:40 AM - 12:00 PM: Admin Time (Phone calls, RX, etc.
  • Lunch Break (60 mins) - Actually take it.
  • 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM: New Patient - Eval & Tx
  • 2:00 PM - 2:15 PM: BUFFER / CHARTING
  • 2:15 PM - 2:45 PM: Return Patient - Standard Tx
  • 2:45 PM - 3:15 PM: Return Patient - Standard Tx
  • 3:15 PM - 3:30 PM: BUFFER
  • 3:30 PM - 4:00 PM: Final Patient / Admin Block

The Lean, Efficient Workflow for a Small Team

If you have very limited staff, the physician is doing more and will see more patients, so the workflow needs to be more razor sharp.

Pre-Visit (Streamlined Intake)

  • Digital Forms: Invest in a simple, inexpensive Electronic Health Record (EHR) or practice management software that allows the patient to complete intake forms, body diagrams, and even some outcome measures (simple pain scale, etc.) online in advance.
  • Trained Front Desk (Even if Part-Time): This person’s critical job is to maintain the schedule fiercely according to the tiered model.

The Exam Room Flow (Physician-Centric)

  • Standardized Setup: Every exam room is set up exactly the same, OMT table, stool, any tools you use regularly (sheets, pillows, etc.) all in the exact same place. This reduces wasted motion.
  • “SOAP” in the Room: Document Subjective and Objective findings right after the exam, do the OMT, then document Assessment and Plan before exiting the room. This is by far the single most important habit for accurate charting and billing.
  • Template-Driven Charting: Use smart templates in your EHR for your most common conditions (“Chronic Cervicalgia,” “Acute Lumbosacral Strain,” etc.) to accelerate documentation.

Billing and Coding

  • The Solo Practitioner’s Rule: If it wasn’t documented, it wasn’t done. Documenting somatic dysfunction per region in excruciating detail is what gets you paid.
  • End-of-Day Routine: Spend 15-20 minutes before you leave to go over every charge to make sure it’s accurate and supported by the chart.