Certain types of medical care have been in particularly high demand over the last year. Those that saw a decline could reasonably expect that decline to reverse as the economy begins to pick back up and things begin to head in the direction of returning to normal. If you’re going to have a chance at keeping up with demand and maintaining customer satisfaction, you need to find ways to boost your medical practice’s efficiency.
Adopt Digital Platforms
Technology has provided a lot of platforms and tools that medical practices can take advantage of to make things easier. If you haven’t already done so, get online scheduling set up so patients can see appointment options and select the one that works best for them. There are multiple online scheduling platforms you can choose from, so you should be able to find one that works well for you. That should help free up some of your front desk staff. Similarly, you can have patients do new patient paperwork and check-in forms online before they show up. That should help you keep appointments on time since you’ll be less likely to be waiting on them to finish up their paperwork before you can get them in for their appointment.
Reduce Waste
Going digital doesn’t just help you be more efficient in terms of time. It also helps you become more efficient by reducing the waste your practice produces. Waste is inefficient by its very nature. Waste could come in the form of wasted supplies, medications, office supplies, or even employee hours. It isn’t just inefficient, it’s also expensive. You need to take steps to reduce the waste you produce. Concepts like Kanban provide the framework for eliminating waste in any business environment.
Communicate Clearly
Communication is essential to efficiency. You need to communicate responsibilities, priorities, and expectations to your staff. That enables them to understand what they should focus on and what their specific responsibilities are. You don’t want to have people trying to do the same thing or repeating processes that have already been done if it’s not necessary to do so. Make communicating clearly with staff an integral part of your medical practice’s company culture.
Between the increased demand and the need to keep costs under control, it’s essential to take steps to boost efficiency at your medical practice. Choosing to adopt digital platforms, finding ways to reduce waste, and making sure you’re communicating clearly as a practice are just a few of the steps you can take. Remember, the more efficient your practice is, the easier it will be to keep up with your practice’s patients.
Let us help boost your medical practice’s efficiency even more with a strategy consultation!
