The Streamline Office

When was the last time you looked at your processes? Do you continually look for ways to improve efficiency in your office?

While it may be overwhelming to review and change every process at one time, perhaps you can address your systems on an ongoing basis.

Look for example at the flow of your patients. How long is the patient in the reception area before being taken into the treatment area? Does the patient go directly to an exam room or do they first go to a triage area? When are the labs drawn? How long is the patient in the office for their exam? Now ask yourself, “What is a reasonable length of time the patient should be in your office?”

If the patient is in the office longer than is reasonable, it’s time to look at your process and determine how to streamline.

Another process is to review telephone communication. A telephone should be answered within 3 rings. The greeting should be processional and identify the person answering. If the phone is answered by an automated system, it should be easy to maneuver the system and reach a live person. How does your telephone communication stack up? In what ways can you improve the process?

Other areas to look at are process and length of time to schedule an appointment, billing practices, clinical areas and technology.

Looking at individual areas of your business and looking to improve and streamline your processes will help you become more efficient and more effective. Your patients will notice the difference.

If you have any ideas on streamlining your processes, please share them below in the comments section.