How to increase productivity at your practice
You can have all the patients, all the money, and all the time in the world—but if your practice doesn’t function efficiently, it can feel more like a curse than an advantage. In fact, according to a recent survey conducted by the American Association of Professional Coders, nearly half of practicing chiropractors say that lack of productivity is one of the biggest challenges facing their profession today.
On a regular basis, you find yourself working late into the night, trying to meet deadlines while juggling multiple tasks. Or maybe you struggle to keep up with administrative responsibilities because you don’t have enough hours in the day to do everything you want to accomplish.
In either case, there are plenty of things you can do to improve your productivity at work, including:
1. Hire a receptionist. If you don’t already have one, consider hiring a professional receptionist to take phone calls, answer emails, schedule appointments and provide administrative support. This person can free up your staff members to focus solely on patient care.
2. Outsource tasks. There are many online tools that offer virtual assistants to perform simple tasks such as scheduling meetings, creating invoices and managing customer communications. These resources allow you to spend less time on mundane administrative tasks and more time focusing on providing quality care.
3. Use technology to streamline processes. For example, use electronic medical records (EMRs) to manage billing and scheduling. EMRs make it easier to track patient information, generate reports and communicate with insurance companies.
4. Automate tasks. When possible, automate repetitive tasks so that your staff doesn’t have to waste time performing them manually. For instance, if you send out multiple monthly bills electronically, set up automated reminders for each bill. Or, if you frequently upload files to Dropbox, set up automatic syncing.
5. Manage workflow effectively. To ensure that everyone is working efficiently, establish clear expectations about what needs to be done when, and how often. Also, assign responsibilities clearly so that no one feels overwhelmed or left behind.
6. Make sure your staff knows where to find important documents. Keep copies of key documents in easy-to-access places throughout your office. Post important forms, policies and procedures on your walls and put them into employee handbooks.
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About MIchelle Roberts
President of Novus - Be Known, Inc.
