Physicians Practice: How To Improve Efficiency And Patient Care

Collaborative post – may contain affiliate links

Your practice provides a critical service to numerous people in the US. Thus, keeping on top of new ways to improve your practice’s processes is essential. In doing so, you can save time and money in the short and long term and improve your business’s reputation. 

Below is a range of suggestions that are guaranteed to enhance your practice, improve efficiency, and patient care. 

Improve the Waiting Area

From sterile colors to fluorescent lights, physicians’ practices are often guilty of not providing the most comfortable setting for patients to sit in a while waiting for an appointment. 

The patient’s journey at your practice starts as soon as they walk through the door. Whether they are waiting for test results or suffering from chronic pain. It helps to have a calm, inviting atmosphere waiting for each person to relax before their appointment. 

By adding vases of flowers, using warm tones on the walls, including toys for children, each patient will maintain a memorable impression of the caring environment you’ve created for customers. Furthermore, well looked after patients are more likely to leave you your practice a great review.

Delegate Tasks

It’s beneficial for you to delegate tasks to medical services, particularly when you’re busy.

For instance, extracting blood samples can be delegated and outsourced to Precision Labs, a phlebotomy service that offers flexible care when needed.

By delegating tasks to other trained professionals, you can focus on diagnosing and treating patients and provide each person your undivided attention during your meeting. 

With the help of other medical services and professionals, efficient patient care is possible. Delegating tasks is a smart way for physicians to save time, money, and streamline patient care. Without jeopardizing the quality of service provided.

Appointment Confirmation

An excellent, experienced administrator is often necessary for a busy practice. Physicians rely on scheduled appointments and take time to make the appropriate preparations ahead of each visit. However, when a patient doesn’t show, this wastes a physician’s time and loses the practice money.

If you haven’t already, hiring an exceptional practice administrator is key to handle the ongoing schedule. A schedule shouldn’t be left to run its course; the administrator should contact the patients ahead of their appointment to remind. 

A quick call can either prompt the patient to attend or allow them to cancel. If they can’t attend, the administrator should book in another patient promptly. Otherwise, let the physician know they have 15 to 20 minutes spare to tend too, for example, emails or filing. 

A simple appointment confirmation can improve the physician’s schedule’s efficiency, ensuring time isn’t wasted, and money isn’t lost.

Be Particular When Hiring

It’s an expensive process to hire and train a new professional at the practice. It’s also often a lengthy and costly process to let go of and replace an individual if they haven’t excelled in their role. 

To maintain continuity in the workplace, and prevent the risk of high staff turnover, be selective about the candidates you hire. 

Being vigilant over their background, experience, references, and so forth will help you build a real picture of whether someone is reliable, honest, and committed to the role. 

Salary and Incentives

On the subject of hiring excellent staff, it’s essential to attribute and reward those who go above and beyond to fulfill their roles. 

Retaining highly qualified, personable staff is much easier to do when you provide a rewarding package. Such as an excellent working environment, bonuses, recognition for hard work, and so forth. Rewards and incentives give employees enthusiasm to work harder and the urge to stay.

Familiar staff is often a desirable quality at practice, making patients feel comfortable and confident during their visit.

Assess Advanced Equipment

Keeping ahead of changes and advancements in technology and medicine is part and parcel of the job. However, that doesn’t mean you need to invest in every available piece of medical equipment out there. 

A cost analysis should be determined before purchasing a piece of medical equipment. Alongside the potential ROI (return on investment) to decipher what you and your patients are likely to gain from the new tool. And whether it exceeds the initial outlay.

Running a physician’s practice is incredibly rewarding. Building long-lasting relationships with patients, ensuring their comfort throughout their stay, and enhancing their service, should be the center of any great healthcare facility. 

An efficient, functional business will make better use of their time and offer excellent patient care in the process. In turn, this shall affect the reputation of the company positively.

An Essential Checklist For Your Medical Practice

Collaborative post – may contain affiliate links

Opening up a medical practice is one of the most popular dreams for those in the medical profession. To move away from regular practice to start your own private group is something that is exciting and hols many lucrative prospects

When developing and preparing to open a new medical practice in your local community this year, it is important that you get it right. A doctor’s surgery is a pillar of the community and is a place people will flock to when they are most in need of advice and assistance. In order to take care of patients effectively, you need to ensure that you offer a safe, relaxing, and calming space. 

Today we are going to take a look at the essential things you need to source and bring into your medical practice for success this year. 

The waiting room

The waiting room is an essential element of a medical practice. This acts as the face of your business and will be the place patients likely spend the most time when they come for a check-up. Here are the things you need to bring into your waiting room for success:

  • A TV with useful medical advice, as well as a popup for patients when rooms are ready
  • Flyers – to provide information on common illnesses and issues patients may face
  • Business cards – for mental health and other services a patient may want without speaking to anyone
  • Comfortable, wipeable chairs – comfort is an important part of medicine and you need to ensure that patients are able to feel relaxed. On the flip side to this, chairs should be easily cleanable to stop spread of disease
  • Toys – children can be more scared than adults, and giving them toys as a distraction is a great idea

Medical equipment 

Medical devices and equipment will cover the biggest cost in your practice, and it is important that you have the tools to perform many basic procedures and tests on your patients. 

  • Autoclave
  • automated external defibrillator
  • Audiometer
  • Blood pressure monitor
  • Thermometer
  • Pulse oximeter
  • Weighing scales
  • Storage
  • Centrifuge
  • Clock
  • Colposcope
  • Computer
  • Emergency supplies (airways, aspirators, oxygen, mask, resuscitation bag)
  • ECG unit 
  • Exam tables and paper towels
  • Eye charts
  • Procedure tables
  • Gloves
  • Aprons
  • Goggles
  • Refrigerator/freezer
  • Sharps containers
  • Ultrasound
  • Needles for flu jabs
  • Contaminated waste bin
  • Minor surgical equipment (Medtronic.com)
  • Step stools
  • Stethoscopes
  • Wheelchairs

Other 

As well as the obvious patient focussed items to bring into the office, you should also consider bringing some other items into the office to ensure the smooth running of your medical practice

  • Telephones
  • Computers
  • Kitchen equipment (toaster, kettle, microwave, fridge etc…)
  • Books and magazines
  • Plants (to reduce stress)
  • Appointment software

When setting up your medical practice it is important for you to think about all those little touches that will make the office homely, comfortable, and easy for patients to access. There are plenty of ways to make your medical practice more practical and comfortable, and with all of these things in your medical practice, you should have no problem running a successful venture this year.