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Improve Medical Practice Workflow to Boost Revenue

January 28, 2020

medical-practice-workflowA medical practice that consistently completes tasks the same way they have always done things is likely to find itself falling behind as models for reimbursement change. An effective way of reducing loss of revenue is to find opportunities for improvement and ways to address inefficiencies by conducting a practice workflow assessment. 

Where to Start

Removing processes and steps that are redundant allows a medical clinic to focus its efforts on opportunities that are billable such as pre-visit planning and patient engagement. Sticking with old processes usually means that a practice is efficient in some areas and lagging in others. This is caused by resources that are deficient in some areas and overloaded in another. 

Components of the Ideal Workflow

The ideal workflow modifies the order of events to support the implementation of top of licensure practices. This allows management to focus on business-oriented activities designed to allow the practice to operate more smoothly. 

In its truest form, a workflow has provisions built into it to address any possible questions that might arise when medical staff is completing a task or deciding on an action related to a task. The purpose of this approach is to boost the confidence level of each individual. In turn, this confidence is reflected in the quality of care patients receive and improved success in the pay-for-performance program. 

Implement the Next Steps

Once the medical staff understands when a particular event arises during their workday, the task is implemented and smooth workflow throughout the office is achieved. The key is to establish these processes in written form and posting it where the staff is able to easily access and read it such as in the break room. 

Additionally, providing per copies of the processes means that medical staff has the resource on hand when a situation arises. They don’t have to stop and look at the posted processes. Instead, the staff simply needs to pull out their personal copy, find the appropriate solution and move on. 

This approach empowers the medical staff and makes it more likely that they’ll thrive when new opportunities and programs occur. A review of the current workflow processes on a quarterly basis keeps the staff up-to-date and ensures that they understand. Encouraging the staff to evaluate the processes and provide solutions for improvement where necessary helps solidify the fact that it’s a team effort. 

Wrapping it All Up

In many medical practices, the majority of processes that contribute to workflow are unwritten and undocumented. This can lead to confusion and indecisiveness, costing the clinic time, money, manpower and other resources. 

Taking the time to map out the workflow processes that a medical practice has implemented demonstrates improvement opportunities and highlights areas where the current efforts are successful. Implementing improvements opens additional opportunities for medical practices. Additionally, taking this step provides the medical practice with the ability to catch up with the requirements that are part of today’s modern programs. 

Know When to Outsource Processes

In some cases, workflow mapping reveals deficits that simply cannot be solved with resources the medical practice currently possesses. This may be due to a lack of budget, skilled staff or time. Outsourcing some workflow functions, such as medical coding and billing, frees up staff and other resources and contributes to the smooth daily operations of the clinic. 

M-Scribe Medical Billing provides services that support the successful workflow of today’s busy medical practices. From medical coding and billing to payer contract negotiations and HR service, M-Scribe Medical Billing is designed to reduce a medical practice’s operating costs, increase the efficiency of their medical billing processes and increase their patients. Compatible with numerous practice management (PM) and electronic health records (EHRs) software, M-Scribe Medical Billing assists with the implementation of healthcare business intelligence (BI) that is the key to helping today’s medical practices make the best decisions for its continued success. 

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