Is your staff struggling to get their tasks done every day? Whether it’s because they can’t do the work or they won’t do the work, productivity is becoming a growing concern in private practices. Chances are this lack of efficiency is hurting your wallet.

Today, we’re going to explore a few reasons why productivity is down and simple solutions to address these problems.

1.  No Formal Written Processes

If an employee consistently asks the same question, such as, “I know I keep asking you, but how do I get the benefit information for this BCBS patient?”, indicates they are not being trained correctly. Remember, there is a difference between training someone and showing them what to do. You can show someone what to do but if they don’t know why they are doing it or what the outcome has to be they will not learn. This is what begins the downward spiral of things not getting completed and not getting paid for the services provided.

Every process from the daily opening and closing to treating patients must have a written process that everyone follows. Instead of doing a task the way they think it should be done, they can rely on specific instructions you’ve laid out for them.

2.  Lack of Communication

Communication is key. You’ve probably heard this a million times, but it bears repeating. If your biller isn’t communicating with the front desk, rejected/denied claims will most likely not get turned around quickly and probably not at all. If your front desk isn’t communicating with the therapist, the schedule may not run efficiently, and patients may not be scheduled as they should be. All these examples hurt productivity.

Having regular company meetings where everyone gets a chance to talk about what is or isn’t working efficiently can help tremendously. This is a venue where everyone should be able to offer ideas and solutions to issues that are affecting productivity and reaching the ultimate goal of getting paid for the services you provide.

3.  Fear of Change

“That’s the way we’ve always done it.” This statement is the innovation killer and innovation often inspires productivity. You cannot be afraid of change; you need to embrace it. Technology is always changing to provide better ways of streamlining every function of running a rehab therapy practice. Instead of worrying about how change will have a negative impact on your practice’s day-to-day, consider the positives such as saved time, effort, and money.

Never ignore your staff when they bring up processes or products that could help them do their job better. Ignoring their ideas because “it’s the way you’ve always done it” will lead to burnout, low morale, and productivity will always stay at the status quo.

4.  You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know

There are many tasks that your staff does every single day that takes up a bunch of their time. Many of these could be done faster or eliminated altogether. For example, most front desk staff do not know the extent of what their computer system can provide. Exploring ways to maximize your software can save staff effort, time, and money. Talk with your staff and try to identify areas of weakness and commit to solving these problems.

How can you get started? Find help from experts. Call and discuss your challenges with a consultant and plan a strategy for improving productivity at all levels. If you have billing, credentialing, or administrative questions, give us a call at 508-422-0233.