Controlling Staff Costs

Question: My office is getting busier. I would rather invest money in technology than hire more personnel. What would you recommend? A phone answering system? Automatic patient scheduling?

Answer: Make the most of your Web site by offering patients the online options of requesting appointment times, paying bills, downloading and completing new-patient information forms, and accessing answers to commonly asked questions.

Also, there are many vendors offering phone services that integrate with your practice management software. They place reminder calls, handle recalls, and many also deliver lab results (you give patients a toll-free number and password to use, and they call in to get normal results or get a message asking them to call the office if results are abnormal).

There are lists of appropriate vendors in our online Buyers Guide.