Any successful DC knows that the secret to running a thriving chiropractic practice involves having patients who return time and time again for your health-related services. But how do you get them to want to continue to walk in your door? You keep them satisfied. Case in point, one article in the Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery reports that patient satisfaction is “a very effective indicator to measure the success of doctors and hospitals,” due in part to its effect on patient retention. In other words, making your patients happy is critical your chirorpactic business success.
Sadly, this is sometimes harder than DCs anticipate which means struggling to keep the doors open, even if you are a master in your field. So what can you do to make your patients want to keep you as their primary health provider?
The answer is simple. You can avoid the three main reasons patients leave their chiropractor in the first place, and these revolve around issues with billing, scheduling, and service. (more…)
According to a review published in Administration and Policy in Mental Health, burnout—which the authors define as experiencing “emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment”—is rampant in the medical field. In fact, after looking at a number of different studies, it was concluded that these types of negative feelings affect as many as 67 percent of those with careers in a health-related occupation, on at least some level.
As far as causes go, one Mayo Clinic study identified a strong correlation between the use of electronic health records, or EHRs, and burnout. Specifically, researchers found that “physicians who used EHRs…were less likely to be satisfied with the amount of time spent on clerical tasks.” So what factors could have contributed to this finding? Here are three biggest reasons to consider before choosing your EHR. (more…)
According to an article published by Harvard Business School, there are a few telltale signs that a business is withholding important information from you when trying to negotiate a sale. Among them are using a minimal number of words or using shorter sentences. Other tip-offs would be swearing and speaking in third-person. Any of these behaviors can indicate the sales associate is exaggerating the truth or outright lying.
Of course, when looking for an EHR (electronic health record) for your chiropractic practice, you’ll want to avoid such unscrupulous companies and choose the best—a.k.a. Most reputable—vendor possible. And while many honest vendors exist, there are still some things that a few don’t want you to know, primarily so you’ll choose them over their competitors.
Knowing what companies are maybe hiding is critical to finding the right EHR system for you. With that in mind, here are the top 10 things EHR companies likely won’t tell you so that you can make a more informed buying decision. (more…)
Inefficient processes at your busy chiropractic office are not only a waste of time for both you and your staff but also a waste of your hard-earned money. In fact, in Business Efficiency for Dummies, it’s estimated that inefficiencies overall “cost many organizations as much as 20 to 30 percent of their revenue each year.”
Just imagine what you could do if you added that amount of money back into your bottom line. Maybe you’d decide to use it to get rid of that old, ratty office equipment (like your rundown chiropractic table and x-ray machine), replacing it with newer and more advanced models that respond instantly and effortlessly to your commands. Or perhaps you’d take the saved cash and take your family on a much-needed vacation to the tropics, or invest it toward your retirement.
Regardless of what you would decide to do with it, one thing is clear – you won’t have to worry about that extra revenue if you want to clean up your inefficiencies. While this may at first seem like an insurmountable task, one way to start is to choose an electronic health record (EHR) that uses patient-assisted applications. The most important applications to research would be online patient portals, waiting room kiosks, online scheduling, and digital intake forms. (more…)
Business Dictionary defines a contract as an agreement between two parties that is “voluntary, deliberate, and legally binding.” It goes on to explain that, “while all parties may expect a fair benefit from the contract…it does not follow that each party will benefit to an equal extent.” What does this mean?
What this definition is saying is, just because you have a contract, doesn’t mean the terms of the contract are always in your best interest. That’s why it’s critical for you to know exactly the contract says, as well as what it doesn’t say. For healthcare providers, this is especially true when signing electronic health records (EHR) contracts.
To help navigate an EHR contract, there are certain essentials you’ll want to be addressed. These can be broken down into four main categories: adherence to system performance, adherence to EHR safety, assignment of database control, and responsibilities in risk and liability. (more…)
