06.04.19

Five Ways to Improve Practice Efficiency
Kelly H. Buchheit

The concept of work efficiency is rife with adages such as “work smarter, not harder” and “arrive early, leave late.” While certainly meaning well, these statements are vague. As such, I present to you five specific ways you can improve the efficiency of your medical practice: Get Paid for What You Do You should make […]

04.18.19

Employees’ Favorite Topic: Paid Time Off
Kevin Omahen

Have you reviewed your practice’s paid time off plan lately? Whether your practice has implemented a strict plan or one that is more relaxed, it is a good idea to revisit the plan periodically.

03.28.19

Getting Patients to Follow Their Treatment Plans
Amanda Gutierrez

Patient noncompliance with physician directives has cost the U.S. health care system an estimated $100 billion annually, and much of it is linked to poor physician-patient communication. It is important for physicians to develop ways to improve their communication skills and achieve better patient compliance. 

03.05.19

Head Off Problematic Physician Behavior at the Pass

Of the issues and problems that can arise in a medical practice, disruptive behavior on the part of a physician is one of the most difficult to address.

01.31.19

How to Avoid HIPAA-Related Data Breaches
Jason Flahive

Data breaches are as prevalent as ever. News of large-scale breaches, such as tech-giant Facebook and insurance company Anthem, are popping up on the news nearly every week. Medical practices are often easier targets because of the personal and financial data available.

12.11.18

Mastering Your Patient’s Appointment Scheduling
Kevin Omahen

Good patient scheduling is both an art and a science. The goal is to determine the right amount of time to devote to each patient while limiting wait time. Obviously, efficiency is a goal, but not at the expense of caring for patients

10.23.18

The Pros and Cons of Offering Ancillary Services

Many opportunities may arise in a physician practice for providing ancillary services, depending on the nature of that practice as well as the physicians’ interests. A short list includes anesthesia, diagnostic testing, endoscopy, pain management and physical therapy. Before deciding whether to offer ancillary services, however, physicians need to answer two questions:

09.12.18

Accident Versus Intention: Six Ways to Improve Office Protocols

All too often, protocols in a medical practice evolve by accident. A person decides that something should be done a certain way, everyone follows suit and it becomes standard operating procedure. However, it is better to intentionally assess your processes and develop systems that can be used as guidelines for meeting your practice’s goals.

08.31.18

The Vital Signs of Your Practice: Choose and Use the Right Key Performance Indicators
Jason Flahive

In the age of big data, it is possible to measure anything and everything, ranging from the number of patients per day to the amount of time spent on phone calls. So, what should your medical practice measure?

05.24.18

What are the Elements of a Medical Practice Business Plan?
Amanda Gutierrez

Physicians typically generate business plans at two junctures in their practice’s development — when they want loans, or when they want start-up capital. In other words, physicians tend to get serious about a business plan only when they need to go to a bank and ask for money. Knowing the key elements of a business plan will help you construct an effective, comprehensive plan for your medical practice.