Independent physicians know two things: they need to provide good medical care and patient service in order for their practice to succeed while also needing to manage the business side of their practice so it remains competitive and grows.
But how does a single independent physician proactively tend to the health of their practice while tending to the health of their patients? From taking cues from urgent care centers to assessing practice optimization, Sunny Jarya, Director, Physician Network, Value-Based Initiatives at MPOWERHealth, shares a checklist of 10 things every independent physician should consider, including one big don't.
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Keep up with patient expectations, which have been shaped by customer service advances made by urgent care centers. People are used to working on their own schedules and want to make appointments through apps, get test results rapidly and on their mobile devices, and communicate with their providers virtually.
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Monitor and manage time to ensure efficient practice workflow. This reduces the risk of excessive delays and patient back-up, which could lead to negative experiences for patients and negative practice reviews
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Focus on quality outcomes for every patient by educating and constantly communicating with them to drive enhanced satisfaction and grow the relationship.
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Become one with your community. Dedication and support of a cause or local community event can help raise awareness and increase visibility of the practice, as well as the important medical and health care issues that physicians support.
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Be aware of care coordination processes to ensure patient care activities are well organized and allow for easy and quick sharing of information among all key stakeholders.
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Gather data for high-risk patients so they can identify their risks and spend time with them to better understand and address their needs. This, in turn, can help to hold down costs while meeting payers' demands.
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Pull together a marketing plan to keep the practice top of mind and in the consideration set among new and current patients and be aware and react appropriately to the reputation management process. A strategic marketing plan can help provide focus and reinforce your value as an independent physician practice in the marketplace.
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Conduct a practice optimization assessment to get a road map for achieving clinical excellence and operational efficiency while improving financial performance.
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Treat patients the way they deserve to be treated; otherwise they will go elsewhere for care and better service.
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Don't leave money on the table. Maintain a pulse on their revenue cycle process to assess practice performance and identify areas in the workflow that negatively impact the collection process.