Scheduling

Keeping your staff in harmony and on the same beat requires stage-setting and a listening ear

Are your docs overstressed? Join the club. But there are things you can do to help prevent your physicians from becoming jaded.

Here are six ways you can maximize your time and improve practice performance.

It used to be that you examined the patient. But from your credentials to your use of technology, patients are increasingly examining you. Here's how to deal with this new generation of engaged, informed, and demanding patients.

Even if your practice has a knack for hiring the best doctors, putting the focus on how well they fit is the best retention strategy.

The one thing that can never be replaced by sophisticated equipment is the level of courtesy that is extended to patients, colleagues, and staff.

Tight staffing and lower reimbursement have made patient volume - and effective patient flow - an imperative. You'll need to be innovative to squeeze more patients into your doctors' day.

Whatever area of your practice needs improvement, consider lean thinking as a way to get the most out of your time - your patients, staff, and practice will be glad you did.

It isn't easy for practices to become accredited as a patient centered medical home. To help you assess your readiness and make the transition, here are a few guidelines to get you started.

Medical practices have been slow to embrace the "customer comes first" mentality that defines corporate America - an operational oversight they can no longer ignore.

You love your nonphysician providers and want your patients to love them, too. But patients may be uneasy about not getting to see their doctor each time they visit. Managing expectations and carefully introducing other providers is the key.

Don't make unnecessary work for your office, think ahead.

Patient-physician phone tag driving you nuts? Here’s how to make secure e-mail messaging work for your practice.

Today's practice managers must plan proactively for the new year - finding new ways to cut costs and improve efficiencies.

A little preparation and communication can go a long way toward a smooth-running practice

When it comes to creating happier patients, skip the perks in the waiting room and instead focus on boosting the morale of your staff. Here’s how.

Patient portals can offer better customer service and care, but only if you can get your patients to use it. We examine the pros and cons of jumping on the portal bandwagon.

Like most administrators, your education and experience have given you all the tools you need to help your practice succeed - Not that you’ll get the chance to prove it. When you find that your tasks are overwhelming your projects, that’s when it’s time to hire an assistant.

Make sure you know everything you need to know.

You can’t make the medical home model work on a practical basis without technology. But how to know what widgets are essential? Here’s your guide to the must-have technologies for your medical home practice.

If your practice is cash strapped and you are thinking about cutting staff, consider other options first. Check out our relatively painless suggestions for lowering your practice overhead.

Do you feel tied down and beaten up by your schedule? Well, there are things you can do to schedule smarter and end the tyranny of double booking.

After many months and much debate, healthcare reform in America is now a reality.

How much time should you spend with your patients? This is an important question, but difficult to answer.

In the wake of a “reformed” healthcare system, here’s how to take steps now to get your practice ready for an influx of newly insured Americans.

Does your medical practice have a Web site? If so, you are on your way to building a patient portal.

A lingering recession and declining reimbursement make for stormy weather for practices. Check out our suggestions for how to stay dry - and in the black.

Want to know how to boost your scores on those seemingly arbitrary online physician-rating sites? The sites aren’t going away, so you’ll need to know how to make the best of them.

Some people find auto-dialing machines annoying, but they’re more efficient than having your staff call each of your next-day’s appointments to deliver a simple reminder. And they work just as well.

What are physicians like you doing when it comes to purchasing new office technologies? Our Fifth Annual Technology Survey cuts through the hype and gives it to you straight.