For solo practitioners, balancing the complex and diverse demands of being both a clinician and business operator can be overwhelming. Tasks including managing patient communication, collecting payments, and scheduling appointments are critical, but take up valuable time that could be reserved for treating patients.
It may seem daunting to add another element to the mix, but turning to technology as a solution can help tackle competing priorities and streamline operations. According to Bank of America’s 2023 Small Business Owner Report, 90% of about 1,100 proprietors surveyed said that “digital tools help make their business operations more efficient.” The top three benefits cited were time savings, maintaining organization, and managing cash flow.
In a health care context, practice management and electronic medical record (EMR) systems are purpose-built to help clinic owners and single practitioners manage patient care and run their practices smoothly.
For clinicians short on time and resources, an EMR can automate rote tasks and help alleviate some of the inherent administrative burden that comes with running a private practice.
Documenting Treatments & HIPAA-Compliant Patient Note-Taking
While writing patient notes on paper might be the most familiar method of documenting patient treatment, this manual approach involves re-creating entries from scratch. Within an EMR, practitioners can duplicate chart entries and add detailed notes to show progress from visit to visit.
EMRs commonly provide industry-standard templates that can be modified and tweaked according to preferences. Practitioners can also create and customize intake forms to request the precise patient information they need before a treatment takes place.
When patients fill out an electronic intake form, their responses are securely recorded in a centralized place in their profile. Automated intake form reminders can also ensure that patients are not spending time filling out forms during their allotted treatment time.
Along with reducing manual work, clinic management software creates additional communication touch points. Practitioners can share documents and send reminders with ease via email and SMS.
In all, acupuncturists can capitalize on these efficiencies by more clearly seeing progress visit to visit and focusing more of their time on the delivery of care.
Managing Payments and Enforcing Policies
Many practice management softwares offer integrated payment solutions so practitioners can spend less time (and worry) on how and when they’ll collect fees and manage revenue.
Practitioners can rely on their software to securely collect and record payments and set up email and SMS A/R collection. Additionally, patient credit-card information can be stored, coming in handy to preempt appointment no-shows or collect a fee if they do happen.
Depending upon the type of acupuncture practice and treatments, practitioners can offer auto-recurring memberships and online gift cards for added convenience to their patient base.
Gain a Bird’s-Eye View of Business Metrics
Developing a systematic way to monitor the health of a clinic is difficult using analogue methods or nothing at all. Practice management software can provide key clinic data points such as inventory costs, patient retention rates, and even information such as the source of patient referrals.
A/R and compensation reports can also be generated to get an overview of key financial metrics. Reports provide concrete data that can influence business decisions and illuminate areas to continue to develop or work on.
While a practice management and EMR system requires time to get up and running, it’s a worthwhile investment that frees up a practitioner’s time to enable practitioners to focus on the most important aspect of their role – treating patients and optimizing care.
