Practice Management

With high deductible health plans on the rise, patients are expected to shoulder more of the cost of healthcare; yet practices are finding it difficult to collect. In part because patients don't understand their plans; but also because staff may be unprepared to collect patient obligations.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) pulls no punches when it warns healthcare providers that meaningful use audits are happening, at random, and consequences for failing the audit are costly. If a provider cannot produce documentation that fully supports its electronic health record (EHR) attestation, the CMS could recoup incentive payments.

There has been a major shift in the financial aspect of patient care and it’s affecting patients and those who provide their care in major ways. Perhaps you’ve noticed certain patients not coming in as often or a rising accounts receivable (A/R) that’s increasing in age and amount. The shift by third-party payers and government entities to have patients shoulder more of the cost of healthcare is creating a huge need for hospitals, clinics and private practices to change how they communicate about and collect patient payments.

One of the biggest challenges facing a medical practice is procuring and developing exceptional staff members. A low turnover rate is usually a good sign and indicative of a happy, healthy, dynamic workplace. Excellent staff anticipates your needs, improves your clinic efficiency, supports your efforts, and makes the workday enjoyable. So how do you attract great employees, and more importantly, what keeps staff eager and motivated to stay?

To fire a problem patient, an expert recommends remaining cordial, and communicating your intent in a letter that details why you're firing them, where else they can seek follow-up treatment and what could happen medically if they don't.

The current market scenario is entirely different from what it used to be a few decades ago when a dermatology practice would grow on the basis of word of mouth publicity alone. However, in the current digital market environment, patients are very willing to comparison-shop for dermatology and aesthetic skin care services the way they would do for any other retail product.

One of my employees recently visited another physician office as a patient and remarked “Oh, Dr. Palm, their office was nothing like ours. I realize how lucky our patients are.” She recounted her experience including an extended wait in the reception area, her lack of pre-visit counseling, a mountain of paperwork, and the brusque and cursory manner of the office staff.

As a medical professional in the field of dermatology and aesthetics your time is valuable and there are only so many hours in a day. So the million-dollar question is: Beyond providing quality care for your patients and relying on voluntary referral sources, how you can maximize the potential of your practice?

Creating your own in-house training can benefit your staff and your practice in many ways, according to Jody Comstock, M.D., an aesthetic dermatologist in private practice in Tucson, Ariz. She walked attendees of the 2014 Vegas Cosmetic Surgery conference through the development of her staff bootcamp.

A relatable, helpful and professional front desk staff is one key to practice success, according to Laurie Mercier, a practice consultant with Allergan Practice Consulting who spoke at the 2014 Vegas Cosmetic Surgery meeting recently.

Whether your practice is purely aesthetic or a mix of medical and aesthetic, you’re operating a business, and it serves you to understand key business principles to stay successful, say panelists at the VCS 2014 meeting.

Despite the initial inconvenience, a well-implemented electronic health record (EHR) system can improve patient care and office workflows, according to an expert.

Patients are online, looking for information about their symptoms and illnesses or tips for living healthier lives. With so much information out there, why would a dermatologist add to the incredible amount of online noise by starting a new blog? Here are nine specific reasons why dermatologists should blog.

For dermatologists, key concerns created by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) and other elements of healthcare reform include patient access and provider payments, says an AAD official. Fortunately, he adds, the varied and largely office-based nature of dermatology could provide unique advantages in the evolving regulatory environment.

Captive insurance companies can help physicians manage financial risks, reduce taxable income by hundreds of thousands of dollars per year, and build a side fund to help manage future changes.

From branding to business basics, the technology startup companies of Silicon Valley offer lessons for entrepreneurs including core aesthetic medicine specialists, an expert says.

Are you a dermatologist using social media to market your practice? Wondering which metrics you should be paying attention to? The answer is a lot easier than you think.

Do you have a Facebook marketing strategy for your dermatology practice? Without a strategy and definitive goals to market your practice, you won’t be able to reach the people that need skincare services.

Not all office politics are inherently bad - the key is how individuals in a group work together to meet common goals, according to an expert.

Are you wondering how your dermatology practice can draw in more patients? Social media is the ideal platform to share your brand’s story, connect directly with target audiences and influence their opinion about your practice.

Dr. Derm has become very successful in his 20 years of practice. He now runs 16 offices with 82 employees - most of them full-time. Among his many coveted employees is his 37-year-old nursing clinical coordinator. She has worked with him for more than 10 years and oversees all of the many nurses and medical assistants in the office. Her role is of enormous importance to Dr. Derm and for this she is paid well.

A medical practice owner should spend some of his/her time working on the practice, not just in the practice. We know this because we have our own practice ourselves. Even if the owner works “on” the practice, however, if they ignore one fundamental legal contract, all of his/her work may be in jeopardy - as a single bad event could wipe out everything they have worked so hard to build.

Leaders in aesthetic medicine gathered last week in Las Vegas to share their pearls of wisdom on cosmetic treatments and best business practices to meet the changing needs of a dynamic patient market. Get the details of the valuable insight they exchanged.

My hospital requires documentation of how I spend my time, tabulated in hours per week, for one representative week every month, an exercise related to CMS funding. The time can be allotted among only three mutually exclusive categories: “Hospital Activities,” “Teaching Activities” and “Patient Care.” My university also quantifies my productivity in RVUs, clinical charges, grants submitted, grants awarded and publications.

Electronic medical record (EMR) systems should be considered the digital foundation of a medical practice, allowing practitioners to streamline everything from marketing to scheduling.

With medspas and new dermatology and cosmetic surgery practices popping up all over the place, standing out in the crowd can prove difficult.

Dermatologists have until Sept. 23 to put into place internal policies and procedures needed to comply with sweeping changes coming to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Making each patient visit unforgettably positive requires looking honestly at oneself and one’s practice, says an expert who spoke at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Getting payments from Medicare and other insurers promptly and accurately - and, for many Medicare physicians, continuing to receive payments - requires a strong detail orientation, says an expert who spoke at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Managing group dynamics requires recognizing and addressing a group’s developmental stage and the roles its members are playing - without judgment, an expert says.