A ripple effect: The impact of process on patient care

April 13, 2013

In healthcare, small actions have ripple effects on providers and on patients' health. As a physician who has worked in practice management, I have seen how the work of practice administrators affects patients' health. Efficient scheduling, effective communication, the timely collection and analysis of data – each piece of the operations puzzle intersects to ensure better patient outcomes.

3 tips to optimize your phone system

March 25, 2013

Technology — such as EHRs, online portals and mobile apps — can make it easier for patients to access your practice. But for many, phone calls are still the primary way patients communicate with you. There are ways to improve how you manage your practice’s phones to provide better patient care and save staff time.

Patient engagement at your fingertips: Professionals tap new ways to communicate

March 8, 2013

Involving patients in their care in new and dynamic ways is a cornerstone of evolving healthcare delivery methods and has been shown to improve outcomes. The initiative includes integrating patient communication and education into healthcare technology, such as using the EHR as a teaching tool during appointments, as well as finding new ways to enhance the way patients and providers interact. Here are some of the Association’s patient-centered resources to help medical group professionals lead in this area.

Use pain contracts to manage patients on narcotics

March 6, 2013

Drug seeking patients Many medical practice professionals grapple with how to manage patients who seek pain medication as they want to ensure they are dispensing controlled substances appropriately. Some MGMA-ACMPE members have found that implementing pain contracts can help protect the practice while still meeting the needs of the patient, as outlined in “Pain points: Solutions for drug-seeking patients,” published in this month’s issue of MGMA Connexion magazine.

Plug the no-show drain: Use codes to track missed appointments

January 7, 2013

Use codes to track missed appointments No-show patients drain staff time and resources, and empty an appointment slot that could be filled by a paying patient. Assess operational processes and implement a no-show policy that uses codes to help find patterns in missed appointments. No-show codes can help staff identify chronic no-show patients — and can help you decide whether to implement a fee for these patients.