Optimizing Clinic Flow: We Need Margins

The Effects of Stress 

We are stressed as individual physicians and individual staff members. Our patients are under multiple stressors too. Virtually every practice faces some grim realities. If we don’t gain control we will slowly be driven out of business, into early retirement, or face the consequences of true burnout. Every aspect of medicine is under tremendous strain.

We are literally under attack on multiple fronts. Some of the pressures arose from well-meaning but poorly conceived bureaucratic directives. Others began as reasonable programs but evolved into intrusive behemoths. Insurance directives, preauthorizations, precertifications, and requirements for credentialing affect every aspect of the practice.

State and federal regulations pertaining to everything from parking to bathrooms to signage–not to mention the actual care of patients place additional strains on the practice. In most cases, the intent of these laws and rules is quite laudable. In others, well. . . someone may be benefitting, but it doesn’t seem to be physicians, medical practices, or patients.

Optimize Flow to Minimize Stress

Each component of the clinic, the practice, and management plan must be optimized. Everything could stand some improvement. Even small improvements can create some margin for that area. But this will trickle into other components of the clinic. As some margin is introduced into one area, the entire system and everyone in it seems a bit of breathing room.

The pressure cooker of modern medicine forces us to see more patients, follow more rules, document more things, comply with more directives, jump through more and tighter hoops, all while trying to improve care and educate patients. This comes with lower reimbursement and ever-increasing threats. It sounds horrible, and it is; however, with a little effort, a little guidance, and some clever technology, we can comply with all of these rules and directives in an efficient manner. With carefully laid plans, we will gain some of our margin back. That combined with efforts to reclaims some control of medicine itself is the real path to decreased burnout. Anti-burnout programs do not hold the answer. We must help each other climb out of this pit.

If Optimizing A Single Aspect Is Good, Why Not Do More?

Addressing a single component of your practice can yield significant improvements. So why settle for just one? Let’s build the whole system anew. Many of us have revamped programs, purchased software or services, or brought in a consulting group. Don’t believe you have completed the optimization process based just on that. Things may have improved but that does not mean they have been optimized. If things are going great in an aspect of the practice, move on to the next. If the status is only good, you can make it Great–don’t hesitate to retool even if you just spent money on something. We have the power to make a system that works for us, our staff, and our patients!

See our checklist on clinic flow!

Another useful resource is: Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives by Richard A. Swenson, MD

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