To meet the increasing demands of today’s healthcare environment, healthcare practices need to adopt progressive business models. The most progressive model today is an integrated workflow approach.An integrated workflow automates administrative paperwork and other time-intensive tasks to produce real results. It is a practice management model that integrates a range of functionality, so you don’t need stand-alone systems to do individual tasks.
By leveraging technology you can also successfully enhance the patient experience. You show that you care about their time, convenience and mobility by providing your services on the patient’s terms. This gives you a competitive advantage.
Besides improves your patients’ experience, there are many other benefits to implementing an integrated workflow:
Increased efficiency
Patients can fill out any paperwork online prior to their consultation with you. This could speed up the patient flow throughout the day and you would have their latest contact details. You can also access the patient’s information when they visit.
Afterwards, your assistant may send an email or text to patients to thank them for their visit and remind them to pick up any prescribed medications at the pharmacy. If you need to review lab results with a patient, this can be done via an online call rather than having the patient return to your office.
Real-time information
If you document patient information during their visit using a tablet or your computer in the exam room, rather than writing it down and transferring it into the patient’s file afterwards, you can save time. Your patient information is also readily accessible from any location where you can connect to the internet and is always up to date.
Increasing your happiness
Medical practitioners who have an integrated workflow in their practices have more time to spend with their patients. Primary care doctors in the US spend an average of six minutes per patient, as they must see a certain number of patients a day to be profitable. With improved efficiencies in your practice, you’ll have more time to spend with your family. You can even perform some administrative tasks on your tablet while away from the office.
Reduction of medical errors
Medical errors claim approximately 251 000 lives every year in the US, according to a 2016 study in BMJ. Immediate access to real-time information from an integrated workflow system can significantly reduce medication-related errors.
Financial success
The more efficient your practice, the more patients you can see. Your most limited resource is your time, as there is a set number of billable hours in a day. It’s therefore vital to maximise the time that you spend earning income. Unpaid telephone follow-up calls, patient no-shows and downtime between patients reduce practice profitability. This can be addressed cost-effectively with our practice management solutions.
Start benefitting today
With the numerous benefits of an integrated workflow, one would think all medical practices would have adopted it by now. However, some medical professionals are not aware that such opportunities exist.
To thrive in today’s healthcare environment, automated and integrated workflow is essential. It will make your practice more manageable and fulfilling, while enhancing your ability to deliver a higher level of patient care. If your practice is healthy, your patients will experience it. A patient-centered practice that is managed well is one of the best marketing tools you could have.
Speak to us about our solutions today and see the difference it could make to your practice.