Ensuring an excellent patient experience is a great way for healthcare providers to attract and retain patients. The more productive a healthcare practice can become, the easier it will be to deliver the high-caliber, delightful experiences that make patients loyal to your practice for years to come. To boost workplace productivity, practices must embrace technology to eliminate paper-based processes, improve patient communication, and boost overall efficiency.
How to Boost Workplace Productivity in Your Practice
Any practice is only as productive as their systems and processes allow. No matter how skilled and competent your workforce, productivity can be limited by things like complex systems, inefficient paperwork, and duplicated efforts. Patients notice these, as they often translate into pain points that range from minor inconveniences to major headaches.
The best way to improve productivity is to improve your systems and processes. Doing so will help your practice become more efficient, which will help provide the best possible experience for your patients. Here are three steps you can take to achieve a more productive practice.
1. Move away from paper-based processes
Unless you’re a salesperson from The Office, paper should quickly be moving to an “old school” method for organizing our business. By investing in purpose-built practice productivity tools designed for healthcare practices, you can digitize paper-based processes, eliminating paper trails while streamlining internal communication and administrative tasks in a HIPAA-compliant manner.
You can take control to make sure your providers and your staff are not bogged down by paper-based processes. A 2021 Medscape study found that the average physician spends 15.6 hours a week on paperwork, documentation, and other administrative tasks which is 15.6 hours they are not spending with patients and making money for your practice.
Getting away from paper has a cascading effect in improving efficiency. Searching for files can be done through a search bar instead of thumbing through a filing cabinet. Digital data can quickly be copied across files. And future systems can easily leverage your data without further manual entry efforts.
2. Communicate with your patients digitally
Patient portals, online billing options, and virtual consultations were all on the rise prior to the pandemic, but they have since become the norm for patient/provider interactions as social-distancing requirements forced practices to find new ways to provide services. And now that they’re here, the improved communications and ease of access provided by digital solutions aren’t likely to go away.
Patients aren’t the only ones to benefit from these technologically aided conveniences. Practices can rely on automated reminders to cut down on no-show appointments and reduce unnecessary downtime. Virtual consultations help physicians use their time effectively, while online communication through the portal or texting/SMS messages let them provide fast answers to patients’ healthcare questions.
3. Embrace the new normal of healthcare
There are plenty of tools available today to help healthcare providers make productivity a priority in their practice. Digital practice management tools, smart scheduling software, and HIPAA-compliant communications platforms are no longer the wave of the future–they are the new standard for healthcare providers large and small.
It’s time to embrace the many benefits that come from leaning into the available technology. When you cultivate a work environment that encourages collaboration, education, teamwork, and support, you’ll find productivity to be woven into the very fabric of your operation. Your staff and your patients will notice the difference.
You Can Increase Workplace Productivity with Updox
Improving your systems is like adding a new lane to your highway of productivity. If you were operating at peak efficiency before, you’ll suddenly find new bandwidth for getting even more done.
One way to do that is by implementing Updox’s practice productivity and patient engagement solutions into your workflows.
For more information on how Updox can help your practice get more done faster and achieve better health outcomes because of it, schedule a demo today.
