Make improvements when it comes to your medical practice

When running a medical practice, there are a lot of different elements to consider: what management software to use, how many patients can be seen per day, how to bill and more. Although some of these decisions may seem arbitrary, remember that it is the patient experience that matters most, and any decisions you make for your practice will affect your patients in some way. How should a medical practice be run in order to achieve the best results?

Delegation is key

When running a practice, especially one on a smaller scale, it is all too simple to become overwhelmed with the multitude of small but taxing chores that pile up through the day. Minimize the amount of administrative tasks upon your physicians by utilizing staff members. Where you can, assign staff to manage jobs such as note-keeping, timetabling and practice management, so your physicians are free to give their attention where it is due – namely, with their patients. Ensure, through support systems and personnel, that this goal is achieved. Doing this will be beneficial not only for your physician but also the patient; leaving room to hire an extra administrative member of staff.

Be sure to communicate

Creating an efficient and successful workflow can be difficult. For optimal performance, check in with your physicians and staff to see how the current system is working. If your designated time-frame for each patient is proving too short, you could extend it by 5-10 minutes. This would inevitably mean fewer patients per day, yet it should benefit the team in terms of effectiveness and job satisfaction. A content environment can minimize human errors and retain personnel.

Get familiar with your finances

Set a budget based on the location and current market – and adjust it as needed – in the first few years. With time, you’ll see areas to improve your financial strategy, and experience is extremely valuable in budgeting. In addition, services are available to help you customize your budget, so don’t forget to plan for them, too!

Be prepared to pay for exceptional physicians and staff, but make sure you’re getting what you’re paying for. Salaries are a major expense, so it’s tempting to offer lower salaries to cut your bottom line. Nevertheless, patient satisfaction and practice success depend heavily on excellent physicians and staff, so quality must never be sacrificed.

Co-payments are traditionally due at the end of a treatment, but many patients leave quickly to get on with their day. Don’t forget to bill your patients! It’s usually unintentional, but sending a bill will take much longer than taking care of co-pays on-site. If you are struggling with co-pays at the end of appointments, try requiring payment at check-in. This can reduce lag time between appointment and payment, and help with accurate budgeting!

Confirming appointments is another important part of your plan. The process is time-consuming, but it is crucial. National Recalls will remind each of your patients 24 to 48 hours before their scheduled appointment to remind them of their appointment time. Upon confirmation or rescheduling if necessary, we eliminate the possibility of no shows.

Learn more about how we can help you improve your medical practice by visiting our website.