A Fair Trade?
Office financial gurus should be aware of regulations that may affect these collection practices to ensure that their payment plans follow the rule of law and result in prompt payment to the practice.

Are Your Schedulers Wired?
Are your schedulers stressed out from phones that won't stop ringing and appointment books that are impossible to decipher? Do your patients complain of inconvenient appointment times? Have you considered scheduling patients online? With 167.1 million Americans surfing the Internet — and online traffic doubling every two years — scheduling appointments online seems a likely next step for physician offices that are looking for increased efficiency through technology.

Charting the Progress of EMRs
Does your practice have a room full of filing cabinets that are stuffed to overflowing with patients' charts? Or have you gone paperless, converting all of this critical information to electronic medical records (EMRs)? Adopting new technologies takes time, and physicians' offices today seem to be spread across the spectrum — from those with total use of EMRs, to those still researching their options, to those somewhere in between.

Cool the Fire on Your Front Desk Lines
When telephones demand too much staff time or patients can't reach you, the traditional solution is to add new equipment or another receptionist to your practice. But there are some easier — and less expensive — solutions to consider.

From Lab Coat to Suit Coat
Thirty to 50 percent of physicians say they would not choose medicine as a career if they could choose again, reports the Annals of Internal Medicine. Because physicians often choose their career — or have it chosen for them — when they are very young, it's not surprising that some discover new goals and priorities as they mature, and feel the need to change. But how big a change is in order, and how in the world does one make it happen?

Software or Service?
While many offices are still using in-house transcriptionists or sending out dictaphone tapes, there are two technology-based transcription options on the market vying for your business. One is a voice recognition software system and the other is a transcription service with a modern twist. Users of both claim a high accuracy rate and a smooth transition from their former method.

Stop the Insanity!
It's time to stop the crazy cycle of denials — which is detrimental to your staff and to your bottom line. Instead, search out your claims problems and set protocols for better operations.