You're managing a busy practice. How do you provide quality care while staying on schedule?

Quality care starts with hiring the best clinicians. It is our job to provide the tools and resources for them to provide that care in the most efficient and effective way possible. Communication is key. We need to make sure that the patients are receiving the information that they need, as well as our clinicians in order to make those clinical decisions. Developing streamlined workflows and a continuous eye on improvement helps to stay on schedule. Partnership with the clinicians

Minimize paper, maximize communications. Front desk is the first impression for all patients, attentiveness to waiting room area and flow is key.

Efficient scheduling, streamlined workflows, effective communication, and continuous improvement ensure quality care and timeliness in a busy practice.

Providing quality care relies on many factors that are pre, during, and post the visit. The great ideas shared are accurate. I would add it is the communication channels between the patient and care team (not just the physician) that impacts quality of care. To change quality of outcome we have to change the way a patient and physician interact not just during the visit. What if instead of a questionnaire filled out before the visit, the patient and nurse had a short telehealth appt (based on appt type) where deeper info can be shared that patients may struggle to write about but can talk through verbally? Post visit instead of a referral- a guided tool to scheduling with a specialist as needed is available. It is time to think differently.

It’s important for me as a leader to delegate because I can't and shouldn't do everything. When you delegate it empowers your team, builds trust, and assists with their professional development. As Leaders, when delegating it helps to learn how to identify who is best suited for tasks and/or projects.

Delegating to members of the team is essential to empowering the team. Delegating task creates a collaborative work environment which allows everyone to benefit.

Cannot emphasise this enough! Adequate training and allocating the right task to the right person whilst providing the necessary/extra support in training should be paramount in building a strong team. Everyone learns differently and at different pace so make sure the staff understand the task before fully committing to it. That would reduce stress and embarrassment and lead to better outcomes.

Patient flow is enhanced by filling out paper work prior to being seen. Have U/A done before being seen. We devised a system on when and if a patient needs labs before each visit. We obtained Consuls before being seen.

The nonphysician staff members' dedication to - and love of - their work, depends greatly on the physician staff's dedication to AND love of their work. Specifically, if some doctors make a habit of complaining about things to their staff, this sows seeds of unhappiness, resentment and discontent within the staff. If certain doctors, for example, complain about patients to staff members - or within earshot of staff - it can cause them to resent those patients and display impatience and disregard for patients' medical problems. Patients, of course, know the difference between these attitudes and genuine care and compassion. Please go on to the next post...

One key aspect of staying on time is to ensure that appointment lengths are appropriate for each individual provider. The management team must be committed to a continuous PDSA process. Use the data to right-size appointment lengths for each provider, recognizing that each provider may a different style of delivering patient care. Forcing a concept of a standard approach for all providers will likely be met with resistance. By embracing flexibility and individuality, providers will feel valued and heard, and this should result in a higher level of engagement. As long as providers are hitting targets on productivity and patient experience, they should be able to have some input into the format of their schedules.

Sempre é importante rever nossos fluxos para que o paciente não fique muito tempo na unidade, mas sempre lembrando em tratar o cliente com humanização e carinho.

Nobody wants to wait months for an appointment and nobody likes waiting hours when seeing a dental professional. Adequate training and highly efficient and friendly reception staff are key to keep a smooth patient flow throughout the day and ensure everyone gets an appointment in a timely manner

Ensuring efficient patient flow is a key priority to optimize the delivery of care and enhance the overall patient experience.

Patients, and their family members, pick up on these attitudes and consequently have their visit(s) made very challenging, if not unacceptable. When physicians act in this way, and convey their own dislike or lack of compassion for certain patients, it leads to a myriad of other problems, the roots of which are hard, if not impossible, to find by a superficial assessment of the practice. This behavior on the part of physicians not only negatively impacts the care and support the patients need. Read on...

Flexibility is definitely key. Do not be scared to try something new or innovative to your practice, but be humble enough to reel back and admit you got it wrong if it comes down to it. Being too rigid in a fast-paced healthcare environment will get you nowhere.

I definitely agree with Jeremy. Flexibility is a key to success. As soon as we become stiff like the mighty oak, strong winds will cause us to crack and break unlike the willow that sways back and forth until the strong winds subside.

In my experience flexibility is important in a rapid changing health care environment. Have a Plan B if things don't go as planned.

One thing I’ve found helpful is opening up my noon time block periodically for patients that need a sooner follow up. In occasion I have held evening hours for those who cannot typically make it during the day. Although that may not be possible for all to do. Virtual visits also offer some flexibility for patients.

Sempre temos que ser flexível , o mundo e as pessoas , tudo nessa vida tem. Um ciclo , então pensando nisso sabemos que a todo momento estamos sofrendo mutações e se não estivermos aberto a mudança sem essa flexibilidade , não vamos nos enquadrar .

Have the patient verbalize the plan so that they truly understand the treatments. This will also save office calls. Sometimes diagrams or simple anatomy explanation goes a long way and helps build trust.

Clarity in decisionmaking for patients and colleagues, as well as asking the right questions in the right manner are key features of quality and effective care.

Communication is the key to achieve all of the other options and to support/achieve quality and safe care outcomes, especially in busy work environments with limited resources. Effective communication is used to effectively streamline processes to reduce waste and non-value added steps. Effective communication is required to delegate tasks based on job-skill mix and to build unit-based leaders to precept/mentor and support the staff. Finally, effective communication is needed to justify training needs based on observed or documented gaps in care.

Daily staff meetings shouldn’t take hours. Few minutes every day to ensure everyone has the best opportunity to ask questions and knows what to expect of the day ahead of time.

Clear communication is vital in a busy financial planning practice to ensure both efficiency and client trust. Regularly update your team on goals, expectations, and any changes in processes to keep everyone aligned. For clients, use straightforward language and confirm understanding during meetings, providing follow-up summaries to reinforce key points. Consistent, transparent communication builds stronger relationships and reduces misunderstandings, helping to maintain high-quality service and smooth operations.

Missing from this helpful article (and fruitful discussion) is CONSISTENT staff. Training is critical. Evolution of practice is critical. However, consistent staff ensures less time is spent on training basics and more time is available to improve the process.

Investing in training is crucial for fostering employee growth, improving skills, and ultimately driving organizational success. By providing opportunities for learning and development, companies can enhance employee performance, increase job satisfaction, and stay competitive in today's ever-evolving business landscape.

Investing in training is crucial for sustaining a high-performing financial planning practice. Regularly upskill your team through professional development programs, ensuring they are well-versed in the latest industry trends, technology, and regulatory changes. By fostering a culture of continuous learning, you empower your team to provide better advice and service, which in turn enhances client satisfaction and trust. This ongoing investment not only improves the quality of care but also helps streamline operations as your team becomes more proficient and confident in their roles.

Invest in Direct Pay Services and Products. Part of the reason for scheduling delays is that insurance bound services are poorly reimbursed forcing the need to increase patient load. This forces overbooking, increased pressure to work quickly yet efficiently. It has a dampening effect on staff morale. Insider investing in training and certifying personnel in Direct Pay services and products that are not covered by insurance that will increase the per patient visit connections and reduce staff energy in the red tape of insurance. It’s easier than you think expect silly if you have a mentor or consultant in place here.