HCCIntelligence™ Webinar Recording: Improving Workflows: Front Office, Back Office and What It Means For Staffing

Webinar Q and A

Pdf Summary

The webinar focuses on strategies to improve workflows in medical practices, particularly the dynamics between front office, back office, and staffing implications. Key points include:<br /><br />1. Pros and Cons of Medical Assistants (MA) Travelling with Providers:<br />   - **Pros**: Efficiency, increased patient safety, assistance with patient care tasks, paperwork, and education. An MA also serves as a witness in case of allegations and provides extra security when traveling to risky areas.<br />   - **Cons**: Increased costs, staffing logistics, potential need for MAs in the back office, reduced provider flexibility, and vehicle liability issues.<br /><br />2. Advice for Small Practices:<br />   - **Marketing & Relationships**: Develop relationships from day one to build a patient panel gradually.<br />   - **Cost Management**: Avoid overspending on office space; consider home offices.<br />   - **Maximize Reimbursement**: Proper documentation, coding, and leveraging opportunities like Chronic Care Management.<br />   - **Hiring**: Recruit dedicated and passionate staff suited for home-based primary care.<br /><br />3. Patient Visit Productivity:<br />   - With an MA, providers can see 8-10 patients daily in home settings. This number varies based on geographic coverage, type of visit (e.g., new or post-discharge), and if serving Assisted Living Facilities (ALFs), where more patients can be seen.<br /><br />4. Utilization of Registered Nurses (RNs):<br />   - RNs triage care, place orders, manage referrals, provide medical advice, and can also be care managers for specific patient populations. They can assist with Chronic and Transitional Care Management.<br /><br />5. Scheduling and Routing:<br />   - Develop scheduling guides and provider zones to group service areas. Utilize technologies like Carelink, Road Warrior, Maptive, Bing, or Google Maps for efficient route planning.<br /><br />6. Lab Work:<br />   - Practices may draw blood during visits or partner with local mobile phlebotomy services to increase efficiency.<br /><br />7. New Patient Paperwork:<br />   - Front office staff typically handle new patient intakes and registration forms, with MA assistance during visits if necessary.<br /><br />Overall, strategic staffing and workflow optimizations are essential for increasing productivity and efficiency in medical practice settings.

Keywords

medical workflows

front office

back office

staffing

medical assistants

small practices

patient productivity

registered nurses

scheduling

lab work