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How to Tame the Big Time Wasters in Your Practice
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Braslow, Ken |
| Copyright Year | 2015 |
| Abstract | Pulling up charts. Phone tag. Prior authorizations. Rinse, repeat. Reminiscent of the movie Groundhog Day, the daily grind in running a practice rarely gives way. Some days there are more faxes to process or paperwork to push than other days but, on the whole, there's no escaping the tedium and time sink that these gloomy chores engender. In some practices, an assistant is hired to absorb the barrage; if not, it is left to the clinician to handle at the expense of time for patient care or life outside practice. Compounding matters, creating new systems to assuage these tasks can feel like a sisyphean endeavor, because the energy required to start likely will be more than what is already being expended. For example, switching from paper-based to electronic systems is tantalizing but incurs its own learning curve and has a financial cost. Likewise, hiring administrative help demands a significant investment in training and, if patient contact is part of the job description, even more preparation is necessary because she (he) becomes the public face of the practice. Fortunately, both of these options pay dividends in the long run. Yet, even with some basic strategies, what seems like the inevitability of inertia can be reshaped into a more efficient, less quotidian experience. Consider the following ways to streamline processes and eliminate time wasted and not spent on providing care. Patient-specific tasks Prior authorizations. The typical process is to have to call the insurance company to have the paperwork faxed, burning 5 to 15 minutes by being placed on hold or being transferred between departments. Instead, ask the patient to call the insurance company (she [he] should get the phone number from the pharmacist and have your fax number handy) and request the paperwork, with her (his) demographic information pre-filled in, be faxed to your office. If she is told by the insurance company that the doctor has to call, instruct the patient to explain it is merely a request to have forms faxed and to call again and speak with a different agent if necessary. If the patient pushes back, explaining that this helps keeps your rates lower or from having to bill for this specific time usually smooths things over. Voicemails. Listening (and re-listening) to a long voicemail takes time. Although using a professional transcription service might be costly, it may be less expensive than your time if you get lots of long voicemails. Or, consider using a service that provides computer-generated transcriptions. Although less accurate, it often allows you to skim and is more affordable. Scheduling. Booking follow-up appointments during a session uses valuable clinical care time, but booking them outside of session can be laborious. As an alternative, offer online scheduling through your electronic medical record (EMR) or a stand-alone service that allows you to retain control over what times you are available and how soon and far out patients can book. … |
| Starting Page | 47 |
| Ending Page | 47 |
| Page Count | 1 |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://mdedge-files-live.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/files/s3fs-public/issues/articles/047_0815CP_PRLS_Braslow_FINAL.pdf |
| Volume Number | 14 |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
