A lot of people who start a healthcare business come from a medical background. Their expertise lies in treating patients. The general running of a business is not something they are familiar with, and it can turn out to be an overwhelming task on top of having to treat patients. Fortunately, there are many solutions that you can explore to make this admin more manageable. Below are just a few solutions to consider.
Choose the right EHR system
Every healthcare business – no matter its size – should use an EHR (electronic health record) system. This is software for all data in one place including patient information, appointment schedules, billing information and patient communications. Consider a software solution that is specialized to your field of healthcare and also suitable to the size of your practice (some are made for hospitals while others are made for small clinics). Read reviews and download free trials to find a software application that has all the features you need.
Automate as much admin as you can
So much of today’s admin can be automated. Examples of healthcare admin tasks that you can automate include patient data entry, bookkeeping, billing, sending appointment reminders and creating staff rotas. Don’t waste time doing menial admin tasks manually if there is a way of automating them.
Hire the right staff using a healthcare recruitment agency
Delegating much of your admin to a team of dedicated in-house staff is recommended. Even if you run a tiny practice consisting of a couple rooms, it could be useful to hire a secretary/receptionist to take care of the basic admin. A healthcare recruitment agency can help you to find staff who are experienced and reliable.
Outsource a management services organization (MSO)
A management services organization (MSO) is a third party company that can take over the bulk of your admin for you. Using these organizations is often cheaper than hiring in-house staff and these services are often scalable – allowing you to grow them with your business. However, it’s important to choose a reliable MSO that you can count on. Look for MSOs specialized to your area of healthcare and read reviews to get an idea of how trusted they are.
Invest regularly in admin training
Third-party healthcare admin training could be worthwhile for keeping up with changing laws (including HIPAA updates). It could also teach you a few tricks to help you run your practice more smoothly and efficiently. Consider paying for your admin staff to take a yearly workshop or look into online courses. Make sure that you invest in a reputable training program where you are certain to learn new things.
Conclusion
Keeping on top of healthcare business admin can be made easier by choosing the right EHR system, automating admin, hiring the right staff (with the help of a healthcare recruitment agency), outsourcing an MSO and investing in regular admin training. If you are just about to launch your business, consider implementing these measures from the get-go. Alternatively, don’t be afraid to make changes to your current admin management methods.
