Operations

What yardstick should you use to measure your practice against those of your colleagues?

We have - in healthcare - made the patient essentially a critical part of the process? In what other industry would we have the customer become a courier for his/her treatment or service?

Medical practices have been slow to embrace the "customer comes first" mentality that defines corporate America - an operational oversight they can no longer ignore.

Risks like security breaches, privacy violations, and misplaced patient information all need to be addressed when you adopt new technologies at your practice, say the co-authors of a book on "E-Health Hazards."

Inflation can be both good and bad for a practice. Therefore, understanding the nature of inflation can save your practice money.

Corporations know exactly what their costs are and how much they need to charge to make a profit. Do you?

Psychiatrist Doug Bey on how his staff helped him and his practice survive and thrive after his two heart attacks.

Why spend hours on the phone with payers when you can check online in minutes?

Today's practice managers must plan proactively for the new year - finding new ways to cut costs and improve efficiencies.

When patients demur over paying for care, don't be a soft touch - there are things you can do to collect

To err is human. To share it with the world is not, except in the case of surgeon David C. Ring.

Patient portals can offer better customer service and care, but only if you can get your patients to use it. We examine the pros and cons of jumping on the portal bandwagon.

Workplace negativity can drag down a practice and its staff, hurting both patient care and the bottom line. So what can you do to boost staff morale and encourage teamwork at your office?

Nearly every physician today is looking for ways to boost efficiency and productivity to stay profitable. So how do you achieve this goal without adding staff or compromising your patient satisfaction?

Do you have an emergency plan in place? You should. Our disaster-planning checklist gets you started.

Deborah C. Henry, MD, on how she managed her burnout

The surgical attending said to me, “The more pain he has from his ulcer, the more he will realize how serious this is, and the more likely he will be to consent to the surgery.”

How good are your key accounts receivable processes? Do you even know what to measure? Find out how you are doing by entering key data from your practice and comparing your key measurements to industry benchmarks.

Here are the fourteen key measurements you need to make -- about once a quarter -- to measure your practice's financial health. We've made it easy for you. Just enter some information; we'll do the math.

A white paper provided by Roche

Follow our flowchart to find ways to improve your collections. A great companion to our Accounts Receivable Key Indicators calculator. If your results there are lower than you like, this flowchart will help you improve.

Make sure you know everything you need to know.

Tell 'em what you want and how you'd like to hear about what happened.

Placing a sign-in sheet on the reception desk makes the reception process less friendly. Instead, try asking patients to fill out this slip -- and do the necessary paperwork immediately.

Abstracted with permission from Chapter 4 of The Toyota Way by Jeffrey Liker. This chapter summarizes the principles of lean manufacturing, now being used in medical practices. Order the book at www.amazon.com.

Consider this template for annual or quarterly reviews of the performance of business managers in your practice. Of course, make sure your review reflects goals set at the beginning of the year or in a job description.

Need a better way to track the status of lab work you've ordered -- but not ready for an EMR? This Excel document provides semi-automation.Be sure to turn on your macros and review the instructiosn on the last worksheet.Provided by www.docsboard.com.

Make sure the tests you ordered get done, that you get the results and that the patients knows if anything is wrong. Print this form on carbon paper to create two copies: Send one copy to the lab. Keep the other in the office, but don't file it until the results come back and the patient is notified. If the form is still sitting out a month after the test was ordered, you'll know to follow-up.

This is similar to the general notice above, but is specifically for laboratory work. Again, this form comes directly from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Access its Web site for more information.

Compare your denial rate from Medicare to national averages for your specialty by total amount denied, number of services denied, or percent of services denied. Data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.