The decision to start your own medical practice in a new building can be both exhilarating and intimidating. Working at a hospital means being part of a much larger structure that is looking out for many needs of its employees including: administration, salary and employee benefits. Once you start your own practice, you are your own boss and it’s up to you to address these aspects of a company infrastructure that you once took for granted.
As you start to get more familiar with the ins and outs of running your own business, there are a few things that you might want to keep in mind to keep the gears running smoothly:
Consider A Medical Scribe
You already know that a lot of time can be spent filling out the Electronic Health Record of a patient, both for the usefulness this affords you and other doctors in the future when looking up a patient’s health data, and for the compliance with insurance regulations if you want to ensure proper payment.
Unfortunately, you’re probably also aware that filling out an EHR can take a lot of time. Many patient doctor consultations use up the majority of the time with a doctor filling out the necessary forms and giving the patient only minimal interaction in order to get this necessity out of the way. Medical Scribes are professionals that handle all EHR duties as well as take notes during consultations, meaning you spend more time actually interacting with and examining patients. This means a clinic can see more patients in a shorter amount of time, and these are usually quality interactions despite the smaller timeframes.
Maintain A Good Website
In the 21st century, not having a website is like the 20th century equivalent of not having a business card. It’s a serious mark against anyone’s credibility if they can’t be found on the Internet. You absolutely must take the time to maintain a good website that takes advantage of search engine optimization and tells local patients in the area everything they need to know to find you and take advantage of your facilities.
Younger patients and families do the vast majority of their research on the Internet, so just making sure your clinic is listed on the local Yellow Pages phone book is no longer a good indicator that you will be quickly discovered by locals in need of medical help. They are more likely to pull out a phone and do a Google search of local clinics than go hunting for a phone book and whichever website provides the most information will be the one they will likely choose.
Participate in The Community
We’re still social creatures, so if you move into a new area, make sure the neighborhood knows about it. Promote yourself at local sports and cultural events, meeting with the people that live in the area, interacting with them, and letting them know you’re here to serve their needs. People are more likely to visit a doctor they’ve met before and had a good talk with than someone that is just a name listed on a website or a phone book.