The medical field is one of the most important in the world. The problem that many practices face is the challenge of how to grow and maintain a successful business. Whether it is a practice for gynecologist or a family medicine office, these tips can help you expand or maintain a successful practice.
- Think about how your patients view the office. This may be the most important thing when it comes to running a successful practice. It is not enough to be the best at what you do if you do not take some time to think about what their experience is, you will not be able to keep your office open. Here are some things to watch out for:
- Do not bite off more than you can chew. How many patients can be seen by family medicine practices depends a lot on how many people you have working in the office. You will have a diminishing return on investment if you take on too many patients. Then no one gets the treatment they deserve and you will lose them. Be realistic about how many patients you can handle and stick to that.
- Look at how long people have to wait. There are practices where people will wait for longer periods of time but you cannot expect people to be willing to wait all day. People do want to get quality time with their medical provider but the more time they spend in the waiting room, the unhappier they will be.
- Make sure your staff is professional on the phone. It can be trying to deal with people who are upset and not at their best. This is where proper phone training comes in. When patients call and are upset, the people they talk to should be cognizant of that. The same holds true for the phone service you use. If people call after hours, the chances are good that they are having a crisis.
- Communicate with your patients. Send out surveys to see what they think about your practice and pay attention to the responses you get. If you are a gynecologist, ask women what they like and dislike about going to your office. Send out reminder cards and birthday messages. People like giving their feedback and having it listened to.
- Make sure you take the time to hire staff. This is one of the most important parts of running any kind of business. Whether you are a gynecologist or sell lawn furniture, your staff are usually the first connection people have with your business. People will judge you by how they are treated. Of course, staff in medical practices need to have a level of compassion that might not be required in a sales office, the principle of putting the customer’s or patient’s needs first is the same.
- Create a team environment. It is no secret that happy workers do a better job. Any time or effort you spend making the people who work for your practice feel appreciated, the better things will work all around. Pay attention to birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays. Take an interest in the lives of the people around you and it will pay off.
- Keep your technology and software up to date. One way to help reduce the waiting time in your office is to have the right paperless digital check-in software. It is also crucial to have the right technology. This will vary from specialty to specialty but if you have an x-ray machine from the Cold War era, you should look into getting a new one. This also means you should have the right software for billing patients and insurance companies. The right software can cut down on the time spent in this area. It also can help you get the money you are owed sooner.
Building a successful medical practice takes more than just medical acumen. You can be the best gynecologist in the state will not keep your office open of you do not pay attention to the other parts of running a business. If you have a well-managed team and well-maintained office and pay attention to customer service you will have success.