The Journal of medical practice management : MPM
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Medical facilities must streamline their processes if they want to maintain quality care while reducing costs. In 2005, Benedictine Hospital's struggle to operate more productively, efficiently, and profitably dissipated when it streamlined the administrative process of billing patients for chemotherapy treatments. ⋯ Over the last two decades, The Hudson Valley Technology Development Center (HVTDC) has worked primarily with manufacturing- and technology-based companies to help them adopt new business practices in order to grow and to work more efficiently, effectively, and profitably by streamlining daily operations. In recent years, HVTDC has chosen to introduce the long-established and widely proven principles of lean manufacturing to medical facilities.
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Whether you are a large, multi-practitioner operation, or a small, solo practice, the question is the same: What can you do now that will ensure greater success for you in 2008? There is so much to look at when strategizing for the future, that it's easy to overlook key areas that might need attention. Even the most organized, well-staffed practices often miss crucial areas where a small intervention would yield a significant increase in their success. In this article, you'll discover the five critical steps to take to move your medical practice from where you are to where you want to be.
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The telephone is usually the first contact a prospective or new patient has with a medical practice. It is also the method that existing patients and others commonly use to ask questions or convey information. At the same time, a telephone that rings off the hook can be one of the biggest drains on staff time and a source of tremendous frustration. ⋯ It also describes the fine points for taking accurate and complete telephone messages without turning off callers or misleading them. This article further explores practical strategies for using and not abusing the hold button and offers additional tips for telephone equipment and accessories readers may find helpful. Finally, this article suggests guidelines for using an answering machine or voicemail system and provides a 25-question quiz to help readers assess their own telephone technique.