It can be difficult to figure out how to expand your medical practice while meeting as many patients as you can, attending CME courses, and managing administrative duties at your clinic. It can be difficult and force you to make compromises, such as cutting back on time spent with loved ones or reducing facial contact with patients. Doctors who manage their time well can solve this issue and achieve work-life balance. Time management is essential to your practice since it could result in better healthcare delivery, more income, and greater performance on your part.
- Establish proper goals
The last thing you want to do when things get hectic is rush around like a chicken with your head cut off. Spend some time setting objectives and giving your workweek purpose. Aim for 30, 60, and 90-day milestones. After that, set aside some time each week to examine your objectives, to-do lists, and progress.
- Learn to say No from time to time
Few patients may ask you for regular checkups on a holiday. Since it’s not extremely urgent you can schedule it for later. Be sensible and reasonable while planning your clinic schedule. Consider whether adding a few extra patients fits your schedule even though it may seem like a brilliant idea. Recognise that it is acceptable to say “No” if doing so means you will likely become overwhelmed by your job and won’t be able to give your patients the attention they need.
- Plan out your long-term schedule in advance
Looking beyond the day, week, or even month they are currently in is one thing healthcare practitioners need to do more. It is possible to succumb to living only in the present and not having a long-term outlook. Setting some goals to achieve in small, manageable steps is a wonderful exercise for this. Plan out some objectives for each of the upcoming three months. By then, what do you hope to have accomplished? What objectives can you establish to help your patients prioritise the flu season, which is quickly approaching? You should make goals for both your personal and professional lives. Your career will benefit from actions like going to bed earlier and running every morning.
- Keep your team involved as well
To manage your time effectively and keep your clinic or medical practice running smoothly, you must have the assistance of your clinic employees. Better use of the doctor’s and patient time is made possible by doing small things like reminding patients to keep their appointments, confirming follow-up clinic visits, and rescheduling appointments as needed. Scheduling medical procedures or streamlining billing can assist schedule consultations and avoid unneeded delays. Online appointment scheduling, electronic invoicing, and e-prescriptions, which make it simpler for your staff to plan and handle clinic appointments, are excellent ways to achieve this. To help you accomplish this faster you can register on a reliable Telemedicine Platform like THS.
- Ask your organisation to use electronic record systems
Request that your employer converts to using electronic health records if they haven’t already. Electronic records reduce paperwork while making it simpler to locate important patient data. Everyone will gain more if you can access and update patient records more quickly.
- Use a good mobile app or technology to improve efficiency
The benefit of using clinic management software is that it gives healthcare professionals the freedom to run their medical practice from any location. Traditional clinic management systems may be constrictive due to their accessibility restrictions. However, choosing to use mobile technology now can save you valuable time and allow you to see more patients per day. Forget about sophisticated scheduling systems, emails, and SMS. Use a mobile app that is connected to the software at your clinic. You would be able to manage your appointments and revenue reports in addition to having access to your patient information.
- Try to engage with patients remotely when possible
Patients with chronic illnesses benefit the most from remote engagement. You can review their health remotely using home care plans rather than having them come to your office to see reports or lab test results. This lessens the frequency with which patients requiring chronic care must attend hospitals and frees up time in your schedule to see new patients or walk-ins.
- Complete your tasks first before promising help to your colleagues
Take into account how much work you already have to do for the day before you start saying “yes” to every coworker who requests your assistance. Many employees believe that refusing to extend a helping hand to their coworkers is a sign that they are either too busy or too selfish to do so. It’s crucial to let people know when you can’t assist even though you should always offer assistance when you can.