Seeing more patients. Streamlining workflow. Enjoying a greater work-life balance. These are just a few of the items healthcare professionals often identify on their practice “wish list.”
In the PatientPop 2020 practice growth survey report, healthcare providers at private practices listed less administrative work (40.9 percent of respondents) and an easier workflow (37 percent) at the top of what they want most for their practice. The only selection that rated higher was having more revenue.
It’s all within reach. But achieving those practice goals requires knowledge of a) recommendations from professional organizations, b) what works well for other practices, and c) how your own practice is currently performing.
To help feed that knowledge, we’ve compiled a short list of resources you can use at your practice. See where your practice stands. Understand where you want to make improvements, and how to enact change. Your providers, staff, and patients will thank you — and hopefully, you’ll be checking a few items off your own practice wish list.
AMA practice management
The American Medical Association maintains an in-depth set of online resources covering a wide range of practice management needs, from managing staff to understanding Medicare and Medicaid payments, to reopening your practice safely during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The AMA also offers an excellent telehealth quick guide that’s especially valuable as virtual visits continue to play a significant role in care delivery in 2020. The guide includes the must-know basics for practices getting started with telemedicine or perhaps expanding it within their business plans.
American Academy of Family Physicians practice management
The AAFP offers guidance for practice physicians, office and practice administrators, and even office laboratories. Of particular interest is a separate section for smaller medical practices, covering value-based payments, hospital privileging, and more.
Business performance analysis: Competitive practice scanner
PatientPop created this intelligent analytics tool to help healthcare practices understand their current online performance, and see how they stack up against similar practices in the community. In about a minute, the free competitive scanner provides your practice with a metric for each of four key online performance areas: online search results, online reputation (patient reviews), practice website performance, and overall web presence. Those numbers are compared with those of nearby practices of the same specialty.
American Dental Association Center for Professional Success
The ADA offers dental professionals a comprehensive practice management resource, divided into eight modules. Periodontist Dr. Irene Marron-Tarrazzi introduces the program in this video, encouraging dentists to use the information to answer questions that may arise in day-to-day operations.
Aside from the professional success program materials, ADA members can also download a COVID-19 toolkit to help educate patients about what to expect at office visits during the pandemic.
MGMA resources
The Medical Group Management Association houses an online resource center that assists group practices with some of the more complicated areas of practice management including compliance, HR, business strategy, and financial management. MGMA articles will sometimes offer links to useful practice toolkits — of recent note is one related to COVID-19 recovery.
Telehealth lookup: fee schedule and state regulations
This PatientPop lookup tool gives healthcare practices a baseline understanding of telehealth Medicare payments and regulations in their area. By selecting the state (and region, if applicable) in which they practice, medical providers can access expected Medicare fees for 18 of the most common telehealth codes. In addition, practices also get detailed information on emergency legislative adjustments due to COVID-19 and non-emergency state laws related to telehealth. Please note that information within the tool is accurate as of April 2, 2020.
Additional PatientPop resources that can help your practice:
Webinar: Updated 2020 blueprint for healthcare practice growth
Transforming your business with the “virtual practice”
Getting reimbursed for telehealth services: What providers need to know
