There are easy ways for physicians to manage time better, according to a new Medscape post.
Here are five key concepts to optimize physician practices:
1. When visits are often lasting longer than planned, work with your scheduler on strategies to adjust your appointment times. The scheduler can adjust the amount of time allocated for each patient, or work in 15 minute breaks throughout the day to get back on track.
2. Develop protocols that limit interruptions so everyone on the team is fully engaged and not putting more work back on the physician. Invest the time in staff so everyone knows what they're supposed to do and can complete tasks well.
3. Set an agenda for appointments and stick to it. Patients can sometimes ask questions about unrelated problems or concerns at the end of visits; to avoid spending time on these issues, make sure the nurse works with priorities for the patient's visit as part of the rooming process and if there are additional complaints schedule another appointment.
4. Formulate a process for handling messages, whether they are quick messages between appointments or dealt with during a specific block of time. Physicians can create "pockets of time" to deal with non-urgent messages. But keep in mind waiting until the end of the day can lead to redundant messages and frustrated patients.
5. Hire a scribe to help with EHR and data entry. The scribe is costly and may not be a long-term solution, but can help established physicians make the transition.