Indeed, managing medical clinics can be a challenge for doctors.  Office management involves various simultaneous responsibilities, such as organizing data, financial control, personnel administration, marketing and patient experience, inter alia. 

As many specialists do not have technical knowledge in business administration, they may face difficulties in the area. 

Therefore, it is critical to develop strategies that assure daily practicality and productivity in the already busy routine of those healthcare professionals.  More than that, tools which help increase services and improve results.

Read below about the five best practices in administration of medical clinics.

Medical softwares for data organization and quick access

Nowadays, medical softwares help automating all the office internal processes. Storage of electronic records and data from doctors, as well as financial and administrative staff, are among their main functionalities.

This way, managing medical clinics becomes faster and more efficient. Thereafter, it also relieves professionals who work in various duties and office, besides studying.

For example, some programs even send reminders and ask to confirm the patient appointment. Undoubtedly, it is a great benefit, for it is frequent for the patient to miss an appointment.

Nowadays, with the broadening of telemedicine in Brazil, there are also systems that offer teleconsultations, telediagnostics, as well as digital prescriptions and certificates. All this assuring patient data security and cloud storage.

Service focused on patient’s experience

Progresses on technology have changed service relations. Presently, the customer is a protagonist: he/she has more decision power in hands and demands optimal experience during the whole service process. Moreover, they influence consumption choices of friends, relatives and followers on the internet.

The patient also fits into this scenario.  He/she goes through a journey before arriving at your office.  There are, basically, five steps: symptoms identification, decision for setting an appointment, search for the best physician, healthcare service and its further evaluation.

It is, therefore, fundamental to understand and map the patient’s journey, in order to improve in-clinic experience. Consequently, it increases chances of acquiring more patients and building their loyalty.

In fact, they report easy-to-solve issues. Check out some actions that increase user satisfaction:

• Possibility of setting appointments online;
• Comfortable office;
• Avoiding delays;
• Setting a quality standard for services;
• Reducing time of waiting between the patient’s journey steps;
• Humanized service;
• Investment in technologies for a more agile service and more assertive diagnostics.

Sound financial management

Undoubtedly, good financial management is one of the main requisites to avoid losses and decrease clinic costs. For that, it is necessary to develop an assertive planning of expenses and investments.

In this sense, it is important to recognize and measure resources involved in all areas of the clinic. Therefore, you will have available values at hand to decide what direction to take and how to apply each one of them efficiently.

Some tips to help you on this goal follow below:

• Have a proper control of your cash flow;
• Do not mix up personal and clinic accounts;
• Automate internal processes;
• Have a sound financial planning;
• Follow expenses and incomes;
• Use a good medical clinic management system.

People management

Recruiting and retaining talents is also a great challenge in medical clinic management. This area also needs close attention, since it is directly linked to the user experience, for example.

Therefore, some actions may help improving the staff work.  Check them out:

Encourage participation in strategic matters

Give voice to employees. Create an environment where he/she not only feels safe to opine, but also motivated to debate key subjects.

Offer incentive programs

This, in fact, is one of the measures that help engagement and recruitment of good professionals. It may consist in money rewards or life experiences, as trips, for example, according to employee performance and results delivered.

Define a career plan

Career stagnation is one of the main de-motivations among professionals. Therefore, offer a clear and attractive career plan so that your staff knows about their chances of development. 

Invest in training

Since the healthcare sector constantly evolves, it is essential that your employees receive training from your office.  In addition, that tool improves motivation and service quality, once more with positive effects on patient experience.

Digital presence

The ascension of internet and social media makes it essential for trademarks and companies to be present and accessible for customers. That includes your office. 

Most of the patients search the internet for information about services. Therefore, it is worth betting on a website for your clinic, as well as profiles in social media as Facebook and Instagram. After all, nowadays these are important communication tools to build user loyalty.

Undoubtedly, advertisement can be a powerful ally to increase your clinic visibility and create a confidence link with your patient. 

However, there are rigid rules to follow to the letter at the time of releasing information and services in this sector. Be attentive

Would you like to know more about medical administration?  Follow Phelcom blog.