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Practice Management News is a free newsletter for SpectraSoft customers and friends, offering insightful articles, handy user tips and troubleshooting advice to help you get more done with SpectraSoft software.

3 Money-Losing Habits of a Struggling Practice – And How to Avoid Them

The limits you face from insurance companies make it tough enough to give patients the best care possible; but when you don't provide all the care that's authorized, it makes a bad situation worse. Here are three problems that SpectraSoft Practice Management Consultants see crop up as we work with health professionals from across the country…

Bad Habit #1: Patients quit.

Often one patient no-show can snowball into many – especially if the patient finds the treatment painful, time-consuming or doesn't see results quickly. That's why it's so important to prevent that first no-show from happening. Here are three action steps that can keep that first no-show from occurring:

A well-written full-page reminder letter given to the patient at the end of the first visit is a powerful tool. It should include: (1) a list of all scheduled appointments; (2) a brief motivational message describing the patient's consistent effort in the recovery process; (3) a friendly reminder that you are running a business and that you have reserved the time of trained professionals for each appointment. In order to print these letters consistently, you will need automate the process with a system like AppointmentsPRO or AppointmentsEverywhere.

Automated appointment reminders sent via text, phone or email can virtually eliminate missed visits in many cases and keep your patients on track. You'll find complete articles about reducing no-shows here, here and here. Or read our in-depth white paper on reducing no-shows.

An online patient portal can keep you and the patient in contact. The patient can see a list of upcoming appointments, reschedule when necessary, and read motivational messages from your practice.

Bad Habit #2: Additional treatment could have been authorized, but wasn't.

There are at least two reasons why your patients don't get the authorization they need for additional care.

First, you can't get a follow-up authorization if you don't ask. Unfortunately, many practices struggle to keep track of the authorized visits a patient has remaining. We see practices use every method under the sun to track authorized visits, from sticky notes to detailed log books. The problem with any manual method is that it's tough to get both the front desk and the therapist 'on the same page.'

That's why a front-office practice management system – with an automated authorization tracking system combined with a workflow manager -- is the best way to ensure that everyone knows the number of authorized visits a patient has remaining, and when additional care is appropriate and should be requested.

Second, a follow-up authorization requires timely, thorough documentation backing the request. Many PTs still prefer dictation or manual notes over electronic documentation – but the hidden cost of those methods is high when too much time elapses between treatment and report, or the report is not sufficiently detailed.

Template-based electronic documentation provides a built-in checklist to ensure key points are covered, while still giving you the freedom to document the case the best way you see fit. Reports are generated in seconds and can be faxed or printed to PDF for email.

Bad Habit #3: Patients "slip through the cracks."

Those of us immersed in the health care industry on a daily basis forget how daunting the system can be for patients who are dealing with a serious condition for the first time. For example, when an elderly patient misses an appointment for therapy, she may not realize she should call to reschedule.

That's why it's important to keep tabs on every open case in your practice with an integrated scheduling-billing-documentation system. This ensures that every scheduled patient is seen or rescheduled, every visit is documented and every insurance claim matches the documentation. Advanced scheduling tools such as a recall list or automated or waiting list help your front desk follow up systematically on every patient.

When you eliminate these three money-losing habits from your practice, you enhance patient care and practice revenue at the same time.

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