A lot of work goes into maintaining a medical practice. Whether you’ve just opened your practice or been in the business for years, these tips will help you deliver amazing service to your patients.
Value Your Staff
You and your staff are the heart of your practice. Hire people who you get along with, who interact well with your patients, and who you can trust to do their job well. Don’t be afraid to exercise scrutiny in your hiring practice; likewise, you should be willing to let an employee go when they don’t work out.
In exchange for meeting high standards, you should treat your staff members with respect. Do your best to honor their scheduling needs, and pay them a wage that lets them live the same healthy life that you wish for your patients.
Use Efficiency to Save Employee Time
If you’re pouring your resources into maintaining a good staff, you need to ensure that you use them effectively. Your clinic doesn’t have time to waste on busywork; you have patients to help, and you probably don’t have as much time for each of them as you’d like.
Start by tightening up your office technology. If your computer is a decade old and takes a full minute to load a webpage, you need to upgrade. Similarly, you should be using modern, high-end machinery in the actual examination room.
Next, refrain from assigning duties that aren’t in your staff members’ job description. Keeping a clinic sterile takes skill and expertise; consider hiring a trained cleaning crew so that your staff can focus on the work they do best.
Finally, watch for time-wasting activities throughout your day. If there’s a bit of administrative review that really isn’t essential, cut it in favor of processing more patient files. Your system will become more efficient with time; enlist the help of your staff and be willing to make changes for better workflow.
Pay Attention to Coding
Medical coding is an essential part of running a practice. For your clinic, using the correct codes will ensure that you get the right amount of revenue and that you maintain compliance. From your patients’ point of view, correct medical coding means that their insurance company will appropriately cover the cost of their visit.
You’re likely too busy to enter every code yourself without error. Instead, look for medical coding solutions that can take the burden off your shoulders. Hiring a team of dedicated medical coders means that your staff can continue to focus on their clinical work.
Keep Your Data
With patients, appointments, and days rushing by, it can be hard to get a sense of where your practice succeeds and where it needs work. Whatever system you use to store patient files, make sure that it’s modern and that you can review relevant data and statistics. You should know how much money your clinic brings in, what kinds of patients you see, and how often you see the same medical problems. This data will help you streamline your practice and build a record of your clinic’s success.
Running any kind of clinic takes work. As long as you choose good staff and prioritize efficiency, you’ll be able to make an amazing impact while living a lifestyle that keeps you healthy, too.