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If you are a doctor and have been in the field for a long time, you may have the dream of opening a medical practice of your own. Your practice can be in any variety of specificities, including pediatrics, psychiatry, oncology, and many of the other fields of medicine that exist. It is important that your patients always have the best experience no matter the type of practice you operate, and that your staff enjoys their jobs. This can come through making the entire practice much more efficient which can come by following the tips that you can find below.
1. Meet With Your Team
It is so important to meet with your team on a regular basis. These meetings can address concerns and answer any questions that your staff may have about the procedures or any changes at the practice. You can also find ways to delegate the tasks that you have coming in the upcoming day when you are at these meetings. It is important that the information is given at the beginning of the day and that answers are cleared early so that time is not taken up during the day that is ahead. Make sure that your staff can track the time that they spend throughout the day at your practice as well so that you can gather a report on their productivity.
2. Do Paperwork Early
With this EHR, you may even be able to send your patients the paperwork they need to complete before their appointments. This will save your patients time so that they can see their doctors as soon as possible, and it will save your receptionists time. Patients can fill in the intake forms from their computer, and print them to bring with them or email them back to you. You can also ask patients for their insurance information beforehand so that you can ensure the information is valid to avoid any confusion when the patient arrives. Sometimes, when patients do not provide the right information at the start of the appointment, there can be a large amount of confusion with a lot of phone calls that take up too much time at the front desk.
3. Increase Automation
In the world of technology, more and more patients are likely to want to increase how their services are automated. Offer a kiosk in your waiting room on which patients can check-in for their visit and can even ay for their visit without waiting in line. Allow them to schedule from a mobile application or from a website browser so that they do not have to worry about calling into the office and waiting to speak to someone. You can also allow your patients to check their medical records when they are utilizing the patient portal or utilizing the mobile application. This will also allow your staff to deal with the most pressing matters so that they can complete work more efficiently.
4. Keep to Your Procedures
As the owner of your medical practice, you have the right to come up with the basic procedures. Ensure that all of your staff are well-trained in these procedures so that they always take to them. When staff has specific steps that they have been trained to take, they are less likely to waste time asking questions or doing meaningless tasks to get by. These procedures can give everything you need to say to your staff about how to do their jobs in one comprehensive package that saves time. Guidelines also help to keep everyone safe so that your patients always feel comfortable at your healthcare practice.
5. Use an EHR
An EHR, or electronic health record, has the ability to save you so much time and can help patients trust your practice more when they come in to see you. One of the most important factors to patients is that their medical information remains secure and confidential and that nothing becomes lost which is a common occurrence when you rely on paper records. EHR software can help to ensure this confidentiality in that you can even add password protection and give access to records to only those who need it. Plus, your staff will be able to complete their documentation much faster than with paper documents.
If you are a healthcare provider who has opened your own medical practice, it is essential to keep it as efficient as possible. This will help you be able to see the most number of patients possible so that you can really live out your passion. You also will leave your staff happier as they can complete their tasks in confidence and will leave your patients feeling more at ease when they come in. Doing something as simple as installing an EHR at your healthcare practice can really change the way that you are able to do business.