There is no healthcare professional in this world who does not want to see her or his medical practice thrive. That a straight-up fact! After all, a well-maintained and effectively run medical practice usually leads to happier, healthier patients and increased revenue. In previous years, healthcare facilities usually relied on an organized workforce and smart hiring to run their medical business with an iron fist and provide quality care. However, today, it takes a combination of old-school morale boosters and solution-based technology to improve your medical office without sacrificing patient experience and quality of care.
That said, today’s medical healthcare practice faces a variety of problems. These include anything from increasing operational costs to increasing patient expectations to outright regulatory issues. In fact, according to research, around 57 percent of healthcare CEOs identified increasing operational costs as their number one concern. All these issues contribute to inefficiently-run medical facilities, which leads to a weak bottom line. From online appointment scheduling to better break rooms, keep on reading to discover a few proven ways that will help you improve your healthcare practice.
Train and educate your employees
Employee training and education might skip a healthcare provider’s mind because it is challenging and requires investments. However, suppose an employee is not well-trained and equipped to deal with the patients’ demands and healthcare needs. In that case, it’ll probably be detrimental to your healthcare business and the patients as well.
Training and educating your employees by sending them to healthcare seminars and investing in further education will ultimately benefit your practice. That said, it is also vital to cross-train your staff. Imagine if your front desk administrator calls in sick or quits, you’ll need a well-trained replacement. Now, imagine; if you have an employee who holds an online MBA in health administration, they can step up to fill the shoes till you find a better replacement. In contrast, the training and education process might seem expensive and inefficient at first. But it’ll be worth it in the long run.
Provide online appointments to patients
There is no doubt that most of your patients will know how to use applications on their mobile phones. Today, digital comfort is the primary driving force behind medical service providers allowing patients to manage appointments independently.
Perhaps, there will never be a better way to lessen your administrative staff’s workload than a 24/7 online appointment scheduling system. A simple ‘book your appointment online’ button will streamline your front desk’s operations.
As a bonus, you’ll end up attracting a younger generation of patients with such a feature as well. Why? Well, a big reason is millennials avoid talking on their phone. They feel confident booking their doctor’s appointment online without even uttering a single word. Plus, if someone puts them on hold, they’ll end up choosing another healthcare provider who offers quick appointments. An online scheduling system is something you shouldn’t hold off on till later. It would be best if you implemented it as quickly as possible.
Keep your entire focus on your patients
In order to help improve your medical practice, your patients should always come first above everything else. It would be best if you spent at least thirty-seven hours per week on patient care. Of course, if your medical practice has multiple doctors onboard, thirty-seven hours is easily achievable.
That said, learn to delegate tasks accordingly. Many healthcare facility owners shy away from delegating tasks as they fear losing control over their practice. They wouldn’t want someone else dropping the ball. However, don’t forget. There will always be something that another doctor will be better at than you. Try to play on each employees’ strengths, and you will surely provide the best patient care possible. Plus, it’ll prevent you from wearing yourself out trying to do every task yourself.
Utilize automation to lower workload
Are you still sending out vital test results to your patients via post? Even if you mail test results to your patients, sending over hard copies requires money and time. You can save your resources by incorporating a secure messaging system into your medical practice. It will allow you to send out messages and enable you to share referrals, charts, and test results digitally.
Healthcare tech is an evolving, profitable industry that is getting more innovative day by day. So, don’t worry, as there are tons of options out there. Most medical tech providers will happily share information about their products with you. So, go ahead and do some research on a few vendors.
Provide prescriptions right away
Patients want two things from a physician. They want safe treatments provided at the right time. Electronic prescriptions might be an excellent way to fulfill these two patient requirements. Please give it a thought! For example, if a patient has flu or any other issue, you wouldn’t want to hand over prescriptions after being ready in a couple of days. Your patients want to get better right now! So, consider putting away your old, dusty pad and incorporate technology into the mix by using a tablet or an iPad.
Plus, in the case of longer treatments, try to give prescriptions till the patient’s subsequent follow-up. Doing so will allow you to increase your medical practice’s productivity. Nurses won’t have to answer calls or send out emails/messages just so a patient can get their prescription for the next six months.
Conclusion
As you can see from the tips mentioned above, there are tons of strategies that can help you improve your medical practice. In the end, if you can manage your resources effectively, chances are, you’ll have a better position to take on risks as they come up. And trust us, they will! Moreover, it’ll help you improve your medical practice’s effectiveness and better use your employees to provide better care to patients.
