You can find potential partners by asking other physicians whom they use. Also try an Internet search, your professional society (many have a screening program for vendors, such as FP Assist, sponsored by the American Academy of Family Physicians), or firms that you encounter as exhibitors at professional meetings. Often medical supply, pharmaceutical, or banking representatives, your attorney or accountant could be excellent resources for recommendations.

Some services require knowledge of your specialty; others are generic to medical practices. A billing company should have a list of practices in your specialty that have used their service; management firms can be more general but should have experience with practices of your size and understand your budgetary constraints.

Keep in mind that the decision to outsource aspects of practice operations is not final. Evaluate vendor performance, and if you're convinced that you could do better, you can always elect to bring the services back in-house. Be sure, however, that you have had a frank discussion with your vendor about your concerns before terminating a relationship. Frequently, problems are a result of incomplete information. You're busy, and once you outsource tasks, you may pay less attention to operational details —  but in the long run, it is still your practice.

Greg Mertz can be reached at editor@physicianspractice.com.

This article originally appeared in the November/December 2003 issue of Physicians Practice.