For healthcare providers, days get easily filled providing compassionate care. But medical practices also have businesses to run. Managing finances, insurance, staff, and regulatory requirements all require administration untethered to direct patient interactions. Finding balance between caring for patients versus operating an organization is key for quality care provision and a thriving medical business.
Limit Direct Reports
The more people directly reporting to a physician, the quicker days get swamped. Set an appropriate ceiling for direct reports based on management bandwidth. Have additional staff report to a head nurse or office manager instead. Specialist referrals also prevent overload from addressing uncommon conditions outside expertise. Appropriate caseload levels ensure sufficient time with each patient.
Schedule Realistically
Many doctors overstuff schedules, doubling the allowed booking durations. This inevitably leads to patients feeling rushed and important information getting missed. Build calendars allowing adequate face time based on common visit types and health concerns. Factor in realistic charting and administrative time between visits rather than scheduling patients back-to-back. Keeping appointment lengths sensible but not excessive improves doctor availability.
Lean On Staff
Hire sufficient medical assistants, nurses and front desk associates to lift the administrative burden off physicians’ shoulders. Train staff to complete needs like patient chart prep, prescription refills, lab requisitions and message triaging based on protocols, so doctors directly handle only higher complexity tasks. Establish regular check-in meetings to address pending items requiring physician input. Delegating appropriate administrative workload is key.
Go Digital
Paperwork is a top doctor dissatisfaction driver. Digitizing systems through electronic health records, online patient portals and healthcare apps streamline tons of drudgery. Patients can self-schedule visits, review test results and message doctors through portals. Doctors access and edit charts from anywhere killing commute time. Digital workflows save hours over manual filing and form processing weekly, freeing up doctors for patient care instead.
Outsource What Possible
Consider outsourcing suitable non-clinical tasks. Billing services handle all insurance claims and follow up so practice revenue cycles smoothly without taking internal resources away from patient care. Live phone answering through a medical answering service like Apello provide prompt attention for existing patients while capturing new referrals during off-hours. Back-office digitization also allows offshoring transcription, collections, and some types of health coaching at significant cost savings.
Master EHR System
Electronic systems promise enormous efficiency gains but have steep learning curves initially. Allot dedicated training time for EHR mastery for doctors and assistants until utilizing optimally. Set up medical note templates, preset order panels and documentation workflows catered to common conditions treated. Deep command of EHR and healthcare IT capabilities unlocks huge administrative gains long-term through automated documentation, data analytics and simplified reporting.
Master Time Management
Like any business leader, successful physicians have polished time management skills prioritizing efforts for max results. Make checklists detailing tasks in logical daily order keyed to staff handoffs and office hours. Minimize unnecessary emails and meetings through delegation and refusal of peripheral requests draining time.Â
Self-Care First
Healthcare providers often sacrifice personal wellness to patient needs, building immense pressure and burnout over the years. But quality care relies on caregivers first taking good care of themselves. Manage schedules allowing proper sleep, healthy eating, regular vacations and enough home time for personal priorities like family or hobbies. The best doctor-patient relationships derive from revitalized professionals caring out of their abundance, not depletion through self-neglect.
Conclusion
Medicine sits equally across art, science, and business domains. Mastering the operational fundamentals through staff and digital systems best allows the art of caring for patients to shine through. Work towards ambitious but realistic patient loads aligned with personal and workplace wellness goals.