How to Combine Clinic Efficiency and Effectiveness? Intro!
We Are Lucky
We are lucky and privileged to be physicians. It is a rewarding career where we impact others significantly, frequently many. Seeing the result of our work is rewarding and fulfilling, and it is the reason to keep us going every day. It was not an easy path; it necessitated a lot of emotional and financial commitment and hard work.
Training
During medical school, residency, and possibly fellowship training, we learn the depth of medicine and procedures, and we should be comfortable practicing medicine afterward. But we rarely get exposed to other important aspects of the practice like billing, workflow management, setting boundaries, patient satisfaction, and quality measures. We also get rewarded for the quality of work and teaching we do, regardless of how much time it took or if it infringed on the other priorities in our lives.
During the training, it is understandable that we work many hours during, before, and after the work hours. But it will be a big problem if we continue to do so after training completion.
In the best-case scenario, you want to start work on time, finish on time, and have the capacity to see an adequate number of patients to achieve your target revenue. You also want your patients to feel well-served, satisfied, and not rushed. Outside of work, you are dedicating this time to your other priorities, everything but work-related tasks. Doesn’t it sound like a dream for many of us?
What is being reinforced?
What others subconsciously encourage often increases our guilt. Some patients will praise the doctor who called them at 9 p.m. to follow up on routine labs. Another doctor will wake up at 4 a.m. to tackle the inbox at 5 a.m. when the clinic starts at 8 a.m.
Others can be proud of managing labs and reports from patients every few weeks when they see them every three to six months. There are many stories about how the exceptions became the rules and how we were encouraged to work before and after work hours to be better doctors and get that praise.
Basic Principles
There are a few basic foundations that I would like to elaborate on upfront so that we are on the same page. The term efficiency means that you are starting and finishing your work on time. This includes pre-charting, clinical encounters, completing notes and charges, managing the inbox and paperwork, and doing administrative work. The goal of efficiency is to have no work before or after work hours.
If my clinic is Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., I do all of these takes during that specific period, neither before nor after.
The term effectiveness means that your work is impactful. You are doing what you love to do, and you are excellent at it. Your clinical encounters are personable and pleasant, so patients are happy with you and your results. Therefore, they talk positively about you and will refer you to friends and family members in need. This is usually the best marker to speak about your work.
You’re also very good at promptly communicating with your colleagues and can fit in the referred patients soon. They are satisfied with your work and will consider you at the top of their referral list. Your staff members also appreciate you and understand the great work you do. If they are in need, they will be your patients.
As you can see, this is what I meant by effectiveness at work. It necessitates excellent communication skills and solid medical knowledge; both are important.
Effectiveness
Effectiveness extends well beyond your work. It speaks about your goals in life and your impact on your family and community. I love the second chapter in Dr. Stephen Covey’s book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, where he elaborated upon the vision and mission in life. It would be best to go fast on the right path, whatever you actively choose for yourself.
I’ll talk about the typical social circumstances with the understanding that some will have very different situations; you get the idea. Assuming you have a family of yours, a spouse and children, and community activity and a religious belief, like a church. It is crucial to determine what your priorities are, and your calendar should reflect them.
I look forward to helping you be more efficient at work so that you can dedicate the time outside of work to your essential priorities and have a fulfilling life during and after work. I believe that my different passions can help you achieve what you want.
