During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, clinics had to find workarounds for routine appointments and check-ins that didn’t necessarily require in-person care. While this did mean some real time procedures like checking blood pressure or doing blood work could not be done, patients could at least have the opportunity to check in with their doctor. Now that the vaccine has had a chance to be administered more widely, offices are able to allow more patients in their offices at a time. This is good for their bottom line but could create a lot of problems if the office isn’t prepared for the influx of appointments.Make it clear what your current procedures are in the office. If you are still limiting capacity, then front staff need to keep that in mind as they’re scheduling appointments. Clients could still be hesitant if their reason for putting off appointments was due to fear of COVID exposure. This will help streamline any issues that may arise due to miscommunication.
Review any necessary scheduling or patient care procedures. The front staff of your office will be the main form of communication for your patients, so you want to make sure they are prepared. A list of all necessary information they need, such as insurance, should be posted for their convenience.
Evaluate your current scheduling software. If you’re having issues with the software—such as it moving slower due to the amount of info it’s not prepared to hold—then it might be time to invest in a customized solution. There are many medical software options out there, and some are specifically built for a specific type of clinic. Additionally, others are more suited to larger or small clinics, which means it can be better customized to what you need.
Stay on top of billing. With more appointments comes more claims, which could result in more revenue or more unpaid claims depending on how your billing is set up. The billing team should be prepared for the influx by knowing all relevant codes, efficiently filling out claims to avoid denied ones, and then having a system set up that tracks payments and whether or not they’ve been paid.
Overall, it’s important for the staff to focus on patient satisfaction and efficient billing. A good experience will maintain your clientele, and then a steady revenue ensures the staff can get paid for their hard work. For additional questions or to start discussing next steps, give Outsource Receivables Inc. a call to see how we can benefit your clinic.