Best Practices for Running a Small Medical Practice

Running a small clinic is akin to solving a complex puzzle. It requires ensuring smooth operations, adhering to regulations, and delivering quality patient care. Here are some detailed tips to streamline this process:

🚀 Understand the Rules and Policies:

Stay updated with the healthcare regulations and ensure your clinic’s policies align with current requirements. This includes not only major healthcare laws but also the specific rules each insurance company has for authorizations.

🚀 Establish Office Protocols and Maintain Red Books:

Red Book Definition: A departmental 3 ring binder or folder that has cheat sheets and specific industry nuances for staff to refer to. (Examples of Red Book documents:  Payor policies, specific codes relevant to the specialty of the medical practice,examples of payor medical cards, software cheat sheets, phone numbers for quick reference, workflow changes)

A Red Book in each department promotes daily consistency and streamlined processes. The Office Protocol and Procedures should detail every process from start to finish, preventing redundant issues from recurring.

🚀 Develop a Robust Training Strategy:

Regular in-clinic education reinforces rules and policies. Ensure everyone is aware of new and upcoming changes promptly. Delaying staff education on new policies until the day before implementation can lead to confusion and bottlenecks within departments.

🚀 Leverage Automated Tools in Your Software:

Utilize modern tools like electronic health records and specialized software for managing and streamlining all aspects of the clinical office. These tools can enhance clinic efficiency and reduce errors. It’s also crucial to have a team proficient in using the latest tools and software. Ensure your staff is trained and cross-trained on all aspects of automation and software processes. Assign at least two staff members as Super Users for any software used within the clinic.

🚀 Verify Eligibility and Benefits:

Patient eligibility and benefits should be checked at least 24 hours before the patient’s scheduled visit. This allows time for the clinic staff to contact the patient and obtain correct information or inform the patient about any Out of Network fees, copays, coinsurance, or deductibles. This also facilitates payment collection on the appointment date, helping to reduce outstanding patient collections.

🚀 Promote Professional Networking and Problem Solving:

Encourage open communication and professional networking to broaden your resources for problem-solving. If issues arise, address them collectively. Clear communication prevents problems from escalating.

🚀 Engage in Patient Communication:

Clear communication is vital when dealing with patient care and timely processes. It helps everyone plan and understand the expectations of the clinic, the physician, and the patient.

🚀 Ensure Timely Follow-Up:

Monitor patient processes or necessary clinical actions that are taking too long. If there’s a delay, inquire about the cause and how the issue can be expedited. This ensures patient satisfaction and timely patient care.

In summary, running a small clinic is like captaining a well-organized ship. By understanding the rules, creating a clear plan, training the team effectively, utilizing helpful tools, and staying updated, the clinic can ensure smooth operations and deliver patient care without unnecessary delays.