1. Patients. Patient satisfaction is about more than good outcomes and if surgeons don’t have excellent interpersonal skills, the patient will often be dissatisfied regardless of the outcome. Have good bedside manner and make sure you listen to the patient and explain their options clearly. Surgeons should introduce themselves when they enter the patient’s room, smile at the patient and stand without their arms crossed when engaging in conversation. They should also use appropriate language to discuss the patient’s treatment and make sure they understand every step of the process. A written code of conduct might help promote these skills.
2. Surgery center coders. When dictating, physicians should describe the surgical procedure in detail, allowing the coder to clearly visualize the entirety of the surgical encounter. This should include the type of approach used (endoscopic, percutaneous, open procedure, etc.), whether the procedure was anterior or posterior, the laterality and if the surgeon operated on more than one level. Physicians should also describe any implants/graft used, and include details such as the type of implant and the number of units used (i.e., screws). Finally, the physician’s report should also establish medical necessity for the procedure, which needs to be defined through diagnosis codes.
3. Anesthesia staff. Ensuring that blocks and other anesthetics are administered at times that make the surgeon most efficient is also very important to success for an orthopedic service line. “Work with anesthesia to help them understand how [surgeons] want to coordinate their blocks,” says Timothy Kremchek, MD, medical director at Beacon Orthopedics and Sports Medicine and a physician-owner of the clinic’s surgery center. “This is very important for ensuring that procedures can begin in a timely manner. Otherwise, you may be waiting in a room before a procedure can start.”
4. Referring physicians. Orthopedic surgeons receive several patients from primary care physicians and other referral sources. These physicians are concerned about their patients and appreciate correspondence with surgeons. “I make sure to take care of referral sources and I’m in frequent communication with them,” says Bal Raj, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at the Beverly Hills (Calif.) Orthopedic Institute. When referring physicians are comfortable with you, they are more likely to recommend your practice to the appropriate patient. Orthopedic surgeons can communicate directly with the referring physicians through letters or phone calls to let them know how cases are going or thank them for referrals. Surgeons can also keep in touch with the referring physicians by hosting luncheons or educational seminars about their subspecialty directed toward the primary care physician audience.
