appointments Archives - Capko & Morgan

Filling your physicians’ schedule in Q1: Five Ways (webinar)

Whether you've got the deductible reset blues or have simply resolved to keep your schedule as full as it can be in 2016, I've got some ideas to share in my new webinar, "Five Tips to Fill the Schedule in 2016." It's free (sponsored by Kareo). Some highlights of what will be covered: Reputation management -- why it's more valuable and powerful than ever, and also easier than ever; The key segment of reputation management that must be your top priority -- and most reputation management experts never even mention it; How preventive services can help you cope with the deductible reset this year -- and for years to come; How embracing technology can become its own form of (painless) marketing, even as it gives your practice other big benefits. Of course, if you sign up, you'll have access to the recording a day or two after the presentation, so don't hesitate to register even if you think you might not make it for the live presentation. (But I hope you can join us live, because I really look forward to your questions and comments.) Here is the sign-up link.

By Morgan|2022-01-01T22:51:58-08:00January 13th, 2016|

When it comes to no-shows, think like an economist

As medical practice management consultants, we're naturally always looking for 'best practices' we can share with all of our clients. There is often a rub, though: what's 'best' for one practice (or one practice type) may not be right for everyone. When it comes to the best way to solve practice management problems, sometimes the only correct answer, as economists like to say, is 'it depends.' No-shows -- how to deal with them, how to minimize them -- are a great example of this sort of problem. I've been participating in a lively discussion on the subject on LinkedIn in the medical office managers group. The discussion was kicked off via a link to an article that seemed to have the definitive list of to-dos (and not-to-dos) to maximize show-rate -- except that the comments from participants in the group suggested it wasn't so simple. Example: "don't use postcards as reminders -- they're a waste of money and don't improve show rates." But, the data cited in the article pertained only to a residency-based family practice, and the study didn't provide any information about the wording of the reminders. But, other studies that weren't restricted to academic family practices showed otherwise, although the relative benefits of postcards versus other reminder methods were less clear. And other data show that multiple reminder types used together -- a combination of postal and SMS text, for example -- might deliver still better results. Given the lack of clear data on an issue like no-shows, you may need to try different approaches and aim to continuously improve your practice's performance. The answer to the problem of the right mix of reminders for your practice is likely to be "it depends" ... but, on what? The good news is, you can think through some of the possible factors that will influence reminder success pretty readily, since you already know a lot about your patient base. For example, you know something about the age of your patients. A practice with mostly older patients -- say, cardiology -- might find that postcards are still among the best

By Morgan|2022-01-01T22:52:32-08:00April 18th, 2013|

Scheduling for Profitability and Patient Satisfaction

Many practices fail to appreciate how critical a role scheduling has in a practice's profits and the way patients perceive care. As an example, consider how an ineffective reminder system can cause a cascade of ill consequences for your practice: the patient forgets their appointment -- the provider sits unproductive -- patients can't get into see their "fully-booked" provider. Both practice profitability and patient care are compromised. To avoid these scheduling problems, it's important to periodically review your scheduling operation from a patient's perspective. For each step make sure you have a comprehensive understanding of the full range of outcomes. Do you know, for example, what happens when your reminder system fails to deliver to a patient? Is someone on your staff charged with following up? Do you effectively track "no-shows?" Do you have goals for reducing them? Whether you conduct a review of your scheduling procedures using an outside consultant or your own staff, you may be surprised to see a boost in morale because scheduling staff have a tough job and are rarely consulted by management. Understanding the challenges that your scheduling staff face and their ideas for improving processes are great first steps toward increasing your practice's finances and improving the mood of patients and staff alike.

By Joe Capko|2022-01-01T22:52:38-08:00October 25th, 2012|

Costly (and easily correctable) telephone mistakes

All of us by now have had the feeling of being held captive by a merciless phone tree or being asked, "Can you please hold?" before being left in limbo for five, ten or even fifteen minutes or more. Like you, patients don't like having their time wasted when calling your practice. Nonetheless, many practices have taken high demand and technological developments as an excuse for failing to review and refine the systems they have in place for serving their patients over the phone. If you've recently reviewed your online presence and encountered a negative review, you can appreciate how important it is to establish with your patients a sense that you are dedicated to taking good care of them regardless of whether they are in or out of the exam room. Improving patient phone service needn't be an overwhelming chore for your all-ready busy office. In fact, this process is ideally suited for working on around your schedule as there are many components that can be improved in fifteen minute blocks. Most modern telephone systems have impressive reporting capabilities, despite the fact that most practice staff usually know nothing about them. Make it a priority to generate reports that can serve as benchmarks for your practice's performance in this area. How long do callers wait on hold? How many calls come in relative to your patient visits? When are calls coming in? One very common problem is the rush of calls that often occurs as the practice opens up after the lunch hour. As the lunch hour is the most convenient times for many of your patients to call, the simple fact is that you should have telephone coverage over lunch. Rotating this assignment through your staff is easy to implement -- you'll get more new patient bookings and smooth the flow of calls, meaning happier patients and staff. You should have a current diagram of your phone tree that illustrates that patients can find their way through the tree in a timely manner. Consulting with your systems reports, eliminate branches of the tree that are infrequently accessed. You've

By Joe Capko|2022-01-01T22:52:39-08:00May 10th, 2012|

Rate Practice Performance

Does your practice know how well it is performing - and if not, why not? It's important for physicians and managers to examine performance each month by looking at specific Key Performance Indicators, KPIs. This will help you understand your position and is powerful in guiding decisions to improve performance. Medicine is a business and it's time to take this seriously. Here are a few basic KPIs to look at each month: Income and itemized expenses as a total percentage of income. This will tell you where the money goes. The highest expense is likely to be staffing costs. If this shows a jump it may be due to inefficiency that results in staff working overtime or adding another staff member to support the inefficiency. Then again it might be poor morale, resulting in lower productivity. Accounts receivable. The average A/R for physicians runs around 1.5 months of charges, if yours is more than 2 months it is important to examine billing procedures and find out what's causing the problem. Is it becomes someone is on vacation, the computer crashed, claims rejections or a lack of attention to aged accounts? Speaking of aged accounts if the amount 90 days aged of more is above 18% get more assertive with collection pursuit. Productivity reports are included in the month-end management reports typically produced by the practice manager and reveals the total charges, receipts and adjustments for the practice and should also compare each physician's individual production. Keep an eye on fluctuations that need to be explained. Sure, one docs charges will be down if on vacation or ill, but otherwise start looking for the cause. If adjustments are climbing, dig to be sure staff understands legitimate insurance adjustments and fights for your money when insurance plans make errors. Industry expert, Healthcare Business Advisors, states that 30% of claims in the US are denied and of that 15% are never resubmitted, despite the fact that 70-80% of appealed claims eventually get paid. Be proactive and get what you deserve! Missed appointments cost the practice plenty, so track them. More than one or two a day is not okay.

By Judy Capko|2011-03-08T12:36:41-08:00February 26th, 2011|

Doctors: Dig for the gold

Doctors can increase revenue by as much as $100,000 by all but eliminating the missed appointments. Here's how....First, look at the historical scheduling patterns for the past 30 days to get the average number of no shows and double-booked appointments. If it's more than 2 a day your scheduling is out of control and you are losing money. It's time to look at scheduling parameters; the amount of time allocated on the schedule for different patient types.Second, abandon the typical "everybody gets 15 minutes" because it isn't realistic and it isn't happening. All things aren't equal so schedule based on patient types and consider shifting to 10 minute increments to allow more flexibility. I call it the "Go-Ten" scheduling system and it works! Scheduling 10 minutes for follow-ups, 20 minutes for chronic or more complicated patients, 30 minutes for new patients and pre-ops, and 40 minutes for annual physicals is a perfect example - but you decide what works for your practice based on your patients.3rd, honor the schedule - start on time and stay on time! And if you don't want patients to make last minute cancellations you must do the same. Once you get this wired down you can start training everyone to value the appointment.4th, script out language for staff to tell the patients how important the appointment is. "Doctor is dedicating this time just for you" or "We expect you to be here on time." These are strong messages that get the patient's attention.Finally, set up an automated appointment reminder system that confirms appointments 48 hours in advance. It's a great return on investment.Enjoy the results; more compliant patients, getting out of the office on time and a bump in practice revenue!Contact Judy Capko, one of America's best known practice management consultants: www.capko.com

By Judy Capko|2011-03-13T12:21:33-08:00November 26th, 2008|