6 Ways to Boost Office Morale and Boost your Bottom Line
There are lots of reasons you need to keep your practice’s employees enthusiasm up: pessimistic attitudes spread quickly, patients can sense a negative office environment, turnover (Which is VERY expensive ) will increase, productivity and performance will suffer, and the end result of these combined is a lackluster profit report. So here are some ways you can keep your office staff looking forward to their work weeks and keep your practice running... Read More
Head in the Sand: Hiding from the Changes in Healthcare
As healthcare consultants, we travel… a lot. This week, we’ve been speaking at conferences in three different states. Though all over the map, many of the healthcare conference attendees seemed to have one thing in common: resistance and dread for change. Our Partner, Jamie Verkamp, asked one audience how many of them wished that social media was a fad and wanted to put their heads in the sand until it passed; over half of the room raised their... Read More
Guest Blog by Karen Corrigan: Patient Satisfaction Isn’t Always an Indicator of Patient Loyalty
Recently, I left my primary care physician of some 10 years to establish a relationship with a new doctor. Not because I was unhappy or dissatisfied with his services, or because we moved, or changed insurance, nor any of many other frequently-cited reasons. The defection started with an advertisement for a medical group that offered web access to patient medical records, on-line appointment setting and prescription refills and email communications... Read More
Creating and Retaining Doctor Referrals for Your Practice
Many specialties thrive off of other doctor’s referrals. From pediatrics to urology, many practices would see their revenue shrivel if other doctors quit passing on their patients. Are you doing all you can to maximize your referral relationships? There are a number of ways to cultivate referral relationships. First, scout out your potential partners and make sure they are in a position to refer to you (acceptance of similar insurance, no conflicting... Read More
Can a phone conversation replace a doctor office visit?
Kaiser Permanente is piloting a program where patients and physicians meet over the phone instead of in person. While some patients that have used the program are impressed by the convenience of treating minor issues, some healthcare professionals are appalled at diagnosing and drug prescribing without physically checking over the patient. Read the article then tell us your take. Read More
A New Year for Healthcare…The Bright Spots
It’s hard for healthcare professionals to stay positive about the industry while constantly bombarded with bad news, politicization and painful technological shifts. But there are reasons to look forward to the future of healthcare and gear up for 2011…many reasons, actually. Here are just a few: Experts are predicting that many falling market shares will rebound. SmallCap Network, Bloomberg and other market watchers are expecting certain hospitals... Read More
The Patient Experience Drives Referral Volumes: So Why Aren’t Patients #1?
A recent study published by the Healthcare Leaders Media Intelligence Unit reports that 79% of healthcare leaders agree that patient experiences directly impact the bottom line, while 20% somewhat agree with that statement. While 93% of leaders say improving the patient experience is on their top priority list, most leaders say their biggest challenge in actually affecting a change in their organization is that “higher priorities” distract... Read More
Staff Burnout: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
Emotionally drained employees in the physician’s office can create a negative experience for patients and big headaches for healthcare managers and administrators. With mounting stress in the physician’s office, increasing workloads, and dealing with disgruntled patients, it’s easy for staff members to burnout. Staff burnout happens when employees feel overwhelmed and become emotionally drained. This can occur for a number of reasons and typically... Read More
Winning Patients and Improving Performance through Transparency
Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital is a pioneer in the transparency movement. The Boston-based hospital has been publishing the quality and safety reports for years. Though some say CEO Paul Levy has opened the hospital to bad media coverage by exposing some areas that need improvement, Levy says that any unsavory incidents that come to light are simply speed bumps on the road to something bigger and better: a system that empowers patients to make informed... Read More
Medical Mystery Shopping: Continual Monitoring of the Patient Experience
While listening to a webinar this morning, the presenter discussed several reasons why patient satisfaction initiatives fail in the hospital and practice settings. One of the key mistakes many healthcare organizations make is that they fail to consistently monitor their patient satisfaction across the months and the year. Many times, a hospital, health system or practice can have the best intentions and start off on the right foot, evaluating... Read More
