What do you do if patient care urgency clashes with administrative deadlines in a medical practice?

Prioritize patient care by addressing urgent needs first, while delegating administrative tasks or reallocating resources to meet deadlines without compromising patient care.

Patient care always comes first. Full stop. Physicians don’t get sued for malpractice because an administrative task was delayed.

Prioritizing patient care not only aligns with ethical medical practice but also supports long-term revenue cycle health. When patient needs are addressed promptly, it often results in more accurate medical coding and documentation. This, in turn, ensures compliance and optimizes revenue, as timely and accurate documentation can prevent claim denials and rework. Balancing patient care with administrative tasks is crucial for maintaining both patient satisfaction and financial stability.

In the fast-paced environment of healthcare, it's crucial to strike a balance between patient care and meeting administrative deadlines. Adjusting deadlines when patient emergencies arise not only prioritizes patient care but also safeguards the integrity of the revenue cycle. Clear communication and teamwork are key in these situations to set realistic deadlines and maintain increased cash flow without compromising on care standards.

I have seen how crucial it is to have flexible systems in place to handle the unpredictable nature of healthcare. Implementing buffer periods not only helps in managing patient care during emergencies but also ensures that administrative tasks like medical coding and auditing are not compromised. This balance is essential for maintaining accurate revenue and compliance, ultimately leading to increased cash flow for the practice.

Weigh the level of urgency to determine your involvement. If the issue is urgent, then you communicate to your team that deadlines on all projects, unless otherwise stated, are temporarily on hold. Be transparent with your team about what you expect them to accomplish during this time. My most recent experience was having the entire front office team quit on the same day without notice, creating a significant staffing shortage that required the recreation of patient check-in and checkout workflows. Adaptability is critical to your success. Be prepared to have problems arise, pivot and fix them, and know when to move on to another solution.

- Quickly evaluate the severity of the patient's condition and the importance of the administrative task. - Always prioritize urgent patient needs over administrative deadlines. - Delegate non-urgent administrative tasks to staff or colleagues. - Request temporary assistance to handle administrative duties if necessary. - If possible, negotiate extensions for administrative deadlines, explaining the urgent patient situation. - Utilize technology to streamline administrative processes and save time. - Develop clear protocols for managing conflicts between patient care and administrative tasks. - Regularly review protocols and workflows to ensure effectiveness. - Encourage open communication among staff to address conflicts promptly.