Have you ever wondered how some practices just seem to run effortlessly? They make it look so easy. If you asked one of these doctors why their practice runs so smoothly, they might give you a few pointers or say, "good staff." But more often than not, doctors can't pinpoint why their practices work so well.
Successful practices have identified important tasks, developed structured routines, and trained their practice team members in those routines. When a successful practice adds a new team member, the team member comes into a structure with specific expectations – spoken and unspoken. In this environment, the team member is able to be trained quickly and know the "secrets" of doing their job well. Let's discuss some of these secrets to maximize staff efficiency and productivity, particularly the value of routines.
Create Quick-Reference Routines
With quick-reference routines, every team member in your practice can know exactly what to do throughout the day and week. Begin by summarizing the general structure of the job into a simple, one-page (front and back) document, based upon the job description for that position. For example, you can develop quick-reference routines for the front desk, doctor, finance, rehabilitation and marketing departments.
Each team member can "wrap their mind" around the job almost immediately because the main tasks have been summarized concisely. They can start polishing the details as they get more experienced. Quick-reference routines foster self-management. They help eliminate bottlenecks in a practice. Team members can manage themselves more easily. Each job position knows the basic tasks they need to do throughout the day without having to ask someone.
Team members can be trained faster with quick-reference routines. You don't have to worry as much about someone leaving the practice and taking all the knowledge of their position with them. Specific tasks can be delegated more easily because criteria have been set.
Routines establish order to both new and more experienced practices. By implementing routines, new practices immediately gain the structure many offices take years to develop. More experienced practices have a tool to give their team members so everyone can be on the same "page."
Team members should refer to their job-specific quick-reference routine throughout the day to help keep on track. Once these routines are mastered, they will become automatic. It might be helpful to laminate the routines or put them in sheet protectors so team members can check off each responsibility with a dry-erase marker or china marker as they are completed.
Features of the Quick-Reference Routine
The features of the job-specific or department-specific quick-reference routines are as follows. Let's expand upon each feature in turn.
- Basic steps
- Morning / afternoon / evening routines
- Final product / stewardship statistics / goal
- Hot spots
- Weekly planning period
- Weekly task hour
- Clutter control
- Team meeting preparation
1. The Basic Steps
The basic steps of a job are the most important tasks. If these tasks are not accomplished, it will be difficult for you to ever be in control of your department, your day, your job or your life. Not only will basic steps assist your team members in getting grounded at the beginning of each shift; when the day seems to "blow up" they also can refer back to these basic steps and begin creating positive change immediately. These tasks will help keep you on track and make everything else work.
Sample basic steps for the front-desk CA:
- Appointment schedule: scheduling, recalls
- Phones: turn phone system on; retrieve messages, make recalls
- Set physical office in order
- Complete filing tasks
- Check daily reminders and task list
- Check inventory and supplies
2. Morning / Afternoon / Evening Routines
The daily routines are the "secret" things successful practice team members do. These are the ingrained habits of each job position that many successful team members might not be able to readily verbalize – they "just do it." Think of the quick-reference routine as a task check-off list for each day. When everyone does their daily routines, an office runs smoothly. If, for some reason, an office or specific team member is not performing efficiently, you can refer to the job-specific routines to quickly get back on track. Routines help you identify the specific task(s) that need to be concentrated on in your practice throughout the day.
Sample evening routine for the front-desk CA:
- Reconcile the sign-in sheet, fee slips, chart notes, computer entries, and the cash drawer and credit-card machine
- Prepare for doctor: patient schedule for next day; the day's practice statistics; computer stat sheet to reconcile against fee slips; deposit slip copy; requested records list; first-adjustment, new-patient phone calls; patient challenges and action steps
- Run computer backup and give to doctor
- Prep patient charts for the next day
- Physical: lights, temperature, music, straighten, check voicemail, turn off equipment and lock up
3. Final Product / Stewardship Statistics / Goal
The final product is the bottom-line focus of each job position. It is the "why" you do what you do; and it is the measurement of your successful accomplishment as well. It is the reason why the job exists.
Sample final product for the front-desk CA:
- Focused and helpful phone and communications skills that result in scheduled office visits and new patients
- Accurate and timely front-desk collections
The key statistics are the important numerical measurements of a specific job position's performance. Focusing on the statistics that directly reflect your department's efficiency and production is necessary to maximize the overall effectiveness of the entire team.
Sample key statistics for the front-desk CA:
- Front-desk collections
- Office visits (OV)
- Missed appointments (%)
- Scheduled office visits four weeks from today (at least 50 percent of today's total)
The job goal is what each team member should strive for in this job production. It is a picture of ideal performance; a benchmark. When a staff member achieves it regularly, they are in the elite of the profession and an asset to the team.