Are you wondering how you can change your ways to make your practice run better? Check out these five ways to make your healthcare practice more efficient.
A report in 2019 found that 44% of physicians had symptoms of burnout, and much of this was due to an inefficient workflow.
To avoid this and make your healthcare practice efficient long-term, you need to focus on updating your technology and outsourcing some of your key processes.
Keep reading this guide to learn five ways to make your medical practice operations run more efficiently!
1. Outsource Your Medical Billing and Coding
Remember, your healthcare practice operations rely on efficient and accurate coding and billing of all medical claims. Medical coding can be time-consuming, complex, and expensive when you rely on in-house staff.
Professional medical billing companies are experts and will ensure your claims are accurately submitted and provide countless benefits to your practice, including:
Using certified professionals reduces medical billing errors
It saves you money on maintaining billing software and supplies
Improves your cash flow as there won't be interruptions due to staffing
Improves your patient satisfaction as you'll have fewer billing issues
Using professionals guarantees compliance with current coding regulations
You'll also get detailed records and performance reports. As a result, you'll get an excellent overall picture of how your practice operates and better insights on how to make further improvements.
2. Invest in Secure Messaging Systems
Secure communication systems can take your healthcare clinic to the next level. You can easily modernize services such as:
Online appointment scheduling
Automated appointment reminders
Secure online prescription requests
Your staff won't be overrun with constant phone calls, and thus will be able to focus on other tasks more efficiently. You'll also be able to delegate certain times to address the incoming messages you've gotten during the day.
3. Take Your New Patient Paperwork Process Online
Your next step to efficiency is getting your new patient paperwork online. Having your patients fill out the paperwork when they arrive wastes time and delays your daily appointments.
Even if only half of your patients go online to complete this paperwork, you're still saving time and money since you make your days more efficient overall.
4. Update Your Inventory Practices
Keeping track of inventory needs can be a huge drain on the efficiency of your healthcare office. You likely have inventory in different exam rooms, storage closets, and your office area.
This makes getting an accurate assessment of your inventory on hand not only difficult but a hassle for your employees, too.
Once you switch to inventory management software, you'll get automatic alerts when your stock is low or expiring. It's an easy way to reduce unnecessary spending and boost productivity.
5. Invest In Employee Wellbeing
Your employees make or break your medical practice, and team-building activities like weekly lunches are key to your practice's efficiency.
It's also well worth the investment to give your employees a peaceful place to relax and re-energize during the day. Some quick ways to do this include:
Bring old books and magazines
Have chairs or a sofa for lunchtime power naps
Provide yoga mats for meditation
Consider a diffuser with lavender to promote relaxation
Have dim lighting so employees can rest
Install a coffee station
You can also send out a survey to see what your employees would li