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EDUCATION

7 ways to get the most out of a work conference

Conference season is in full swing, after three years of postponed and cancelled events. Are there events you and your staff will attend for education, product knowledge, or networking? As a medical office manager, attending conferences and trade shows can be a valuable opportunity to learn about new trends and technologies in the healthcare industry. However, with all the hustle and bustle of travel, it can be difficult to make the most of your time at these events. It is important to use your time well, given the cost of travel, registration, food, accommodation and time away from work. Here are some tips to help you make good use of your time when traveling to a work-related conference or trade show. Plan ahead: Before you even leave for the event,… . . . read more.

HIRING

“You’re not hired:” Leaving job candidates hanging can hurt your reputation

When companies engage with job candidates, a new survey reveals the importance of following up—even if they opt not to hire them. The Conference Board survey found that 18 percent of candidates who didn’t hear back from a company after an interview took a negative action against the company. That includes declining to recommend it to others or leaving a negative review. And only 7 percent applied for another job at the same company in the future. Indeed, businesses that don’t respond to job seekers risk taking a reputational hit, losing out on future talent who read a negative review, heard an unfavorable opinion about the company, or who felt mistreated during a previous experience with them. Additionally, the survey revealed that the number of interviews a candidate must endure… . . . read more.

INCREASING PROFITS

Track these 5 metrics for practice profitability

By Mike Rigert “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times … , ” wrote author Charles Dickens in his classic novel, “A Tale of Two Cities.” While it’s certainly not the worst of times for most healthcare practices (that honor likely went to 2020-2021), things could always be better, right? You’re likely still dealing with the impacts of rampant inflation and ongoing short staffing, among other things. Despite these setbacks, there’s clear opportunities to move your practice forward to improve both production and productivity to help you reach your financial goals. It all goes back to numbers—the key performance indicators (KPIs) that determine whether your practice sinks or swims. Some metrics are more important and vital to the success of your practice than others. We’ve outlined five… . . . read more.

PATIENT EXPERIENCE

14 good ways to cut your appointment wait times

Long patient wait times cause frustration for patients, stress for reception desk staff, loss of confidence in the practice—and, ultimately, loss of revenue. Here are 14 things you can do to reduce patient wait times, courtesy of Stewart Gandolf, Chief Executive Officer of Healthcare Success, a team of specialists who partner with healthcare clients to profitably deliver results through data-driven marketing. 1. Offer digital check-in services that allow patients to submit medical forms before their appointment. 2. Offer hassle-free online appointment scheduling and rescheduling. 3. Integrate virtual care services like telehealth/telemedicine. 4. Stay on schedule by leveraging physician assistants (PAs) and nurse practitioners (NPs) for routine or non-urgent visits. 5. Develop better new patient lead workflows to improve efficiencies and productivity. 6. Conduct patient surveys. 7. Send patient appointment reminders to lower your risk of no-shows (which… . . . read more.

MARKETING

Take the sting out of bad reviews from patients

It is important to address every online review—good or bad—publicly so that others reading the review will know you are responsive to patient communication and concerns. Here are some simple steps to addressing a bad review, potentially resolving the patient’s complaint and showing possible future patients how you deal with patient concerns. Keep your cool As much as we want to think that we do the best we can for every patient, we do make mistakes, said Mary Pat Whaley, founder and president of Manage My Practice. “I spoke with a patient recently and told her the practice had failed to send her prescription in and she was dumbfounded,” she said. The patient was surprised and pleased the practice owned up to the error. Read it again “First blush reads… . . . read more.

WORKING WITH PATIENTS

How to fix failing patient engagement initiatives

Patient engagement initiatives are a dime a dozen across healthcare organizations. From patient advisory groups and patient-centered portals to social media outlets and secure messaging, healthcare organizations understand that it’s important to get patients involved in their care. Studies prove that engaged patients result in better outcomes, lower costs, and a higher quality of life. But a survey indicates that while most healthcare organizations have patient engagement programs, nearly 50% felt they were only moderately or not at all mature. Perhaps many patient engagement programs fail because they neglect to connect with patients in a way that is meaningful to them. Sure, your practice is checking off the patient engagement boxes. But, are your patient engagement strategies actionable and relevant to the people you are dedicated to caring for? Traditional… . . . read more.

MARKETING YOUR PRACTICE

Is healthcare SEO really worth the investment?

Years ago, planning a marketing campaign was a simple process. With fewer mediums available to reach potential clients, it was more about how much to spend and less about where to invest those resources. Today, though, the healthcare digital marketing landscape has changed dramatically. Instead of just print options, we now have things like pay-per-click (PPC), search engine optimization (SEO), email marketing, social media, influencers—just to name a few. One of the most talked-about of these options is SEO. But is SEO as powerful as people claim? More specifically, is healthcare SEO worth the investment? Can it really move the needle when it comes to new business? First—what is SEO? Before we discuss the validity of this marketing investment, we need to define what SEO actually is. Search engine optimization… . . . read more.

KICKBACKS

OIG issues fraud alert on pharmaceutical company in-person speaker programs

Before the pandemic put the chill on live conference events, it was fairly common for pharmaceutical companies, device makers and diagnostics companies to offer healthcare professionals fees for in-person speaking appearances. Such practices raise red flags under the federal Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) when those speakers recommend the products of those companies to their patients. So, on Nov. 16, the OIG issued a Special Fraud Alert warning companies about restarting in-person paid healthcare professional speaker programs when COVID-19 restrictions lift. OIG Skepticism of Speaker Fees Program Federal government suspicion of paid speaker programs, especially by pharmaceutical companies, is nothing new. For example, Novartis recently agreed to pay $678 million to settle a seven-year-long legal battle with the OIG over allegations of using its speaker programs as a way to disguise bribes to… . . . read more.

HIRING

Should you notify applicants they didn’t get the job?

Open positions, especially those advertised, often generate many applications. If your practice is located in a major metropolitan area or…


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READER TIPS

Use weekly meetings with doctors to keep office running smoothly

Meeting every week with the doctors makes a tremendous difference in how smoothly – and also how successfully – an office operates, says…


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