The workflow your office is a core area that you have the most control over. Controlling your workflow directly helps you control your most expensive resource, your employees. A properly controlled workflow can give you dramatic cost savings.
It is easy to see when office is in a state of chaos; charts are missing, staff spends a lot of time searching for results, you open the chart to see that a patient's referral never happened, or even worse you open the chart and not see your last visit and the patient is wondering what happened. Even worse, workflow issues will result in insurance denials and delay payments.
Typically when you install an electronic medical record a close examination other workflow processes is done and then transformed into a flow that is conducive to how your electronic medical record works. If you understand your workflow before your selection of electronic medical record that matches how you want your office to flow is much easier. If you have already integrated electronic medical record and flow issues still seem to exist, a close examination of your workflow would be a step towards a solution. $100,000 computer systems don't fix the flow issues -- people do.
DFHA's experience can help a medical practice get control over the processes of its office to ensure that your staff is working as effectively and efficiently as possible. We do not do this through a series of check sheets and heavy oversight but by developing workflow procedures that are logical and easy for the staff to follow. Your staff knows how to get the job done our job is to help them do a better.
Workflow Analysis A Workflow Analysis is the first step towards improving your office workflow. This would be done through onsite interviews with the staff, observation, review of other documented procedure manuals. This information would then be evaluated and revised into documented steps to streamline your office workflow.
Workflow Redesign Once an assessment has been done of your current procedures these procedures are then compiled into recommended workflow steps and if needed tools are created to aid in the workflow. Tracking of your referrals, laboratory and radiology requests to ensure that the patient's flow through the process can be done easily and efficiently with the integration of simple electronic logs. Of course your staff involvement in creating the workflow redesign gives your staff ownership and makes implementation easier.
Implementation and Training Once you workflow system has been redesigned -- the implementation begins. Although many of the processes may be instantly corrected even during our first assessment, feedback from the staff as we implement any of the changed processes are immediately evaluated for inclusion or exclusion. DFHA's commitment to helping your staff adapt to the new workflow process is as committed as you would be because of the great savings it will show.
Follow-Up and Support Process improvement will become an ongoing clinic objective, not just a one time initiative. Howerer,as time passes the staff may digress back into old habits. These habits are usually coming back because of a lack of understanding or the workflow may not be a logical flow for your office. DFHA is therefore your staff to help make any changes and reinforce the need to follow your office workflow redesign.
Ready to learn more about how we can help your office get the workflow under control - contact us today!