As a physician, you can only get so much done with your own two hands.
You’re only one person, and you can only be at work for so many hours in a day.
Thus, finding ways to increase efficiency (without necessarily spending any more hours at work) is really the key to success.
But how do you do it?
If this seems like an impossible task, don’t worry—you’re not alone.
Entire libraries of self-help, self-development, and personal process books have been written to address this exact question.
And to help you out, we’ve taken the main points and distilled them down to the basics.
Here’s what you need to know.
1. Automate More Tasks
Technology can help to automate many of the tasks that physicians and their staff do on a daily basis. This can free up time for more important work.
For example, electronic health records (EHRs) can automate the process of entering patient information, and scheduling software can automatically send reminders to patients and staff.
All of this takes valuable stuff off of your plate, allowing you to focus more on the stuff that technology can’t do (like old-fashioned doctor stuff).
2. Use More Communication Tools
Communication tools (like email, video conferencing, and instant messaging) can help physicians and their staff to stay in touch with each other and with patients, even when they’re not in the same place.
This can help to improve efficiency by reducing the amount of time that’s wasted on phone calls and face-to-face meetings that don’t necessarily need to happen.
3. Create More Efficient Workflows
By taking the time to map out the workflows in your practice, you and your staff can identify areas where time is being wasted and make changes to improve efficiency.
For example, you may be able to streamline the process of ordering and receiving lab tests, or you may be able to create a more efficient way for patients to schedule appointments.
It all really just comes down to prioritizing the creation of these workflows, and then working to implement them so that everyone can benefit from them.
4. Delegate More
Not all tasks that need to be done in a medical practice need to be done by a physician.
And this can free up a lot of extra time.
By delegating tasks to qualified staff members, you can free up your time for more important work that only you can do.
For example, you may be able to delegate the task of scheduling appointments to a medical assistant, or you may be able to delegate the task of ordering lab tests to a nurse practitioner.
All of this delegating can help the practice to run more smoothly—and will just make everything more efficient at the same time.
5. Take Advantage Of More Modern Technology
There are all kinds of modern technologies that can help to make the medical practice run more smoothly. You can use AI technology, or you can even use computer systems, scheduling systems, or other automation systems to help you bridge the gap to do stuff that humans don’t necessarily need to do.
6. Take Care Of Yourself
At the end of the day, taking care of yourself as a physician is also important.
You’ll always end up being more efficient if you take care of yourself at the front end of the process.
This means:
- Getting plenty of sleep
- Eating healthy foods
- Making sure that you stay hydrated
- Getting plenty of exercise
- Continuing to invest in your friends, family, loved ones, and social circles
- Making sure to take plenty of time off to stay refreshed and rejuvenated
This could mean protecting yourself with a disability insurance policy, or even a hand insurance policy (in case something happens to your ability to work).
When you take good care of yourself and get ahead of any potential health problems, you set yourself up for the possibility of being able to work harder and faster for longer—and this will empower you to become maximally efficient on your own as a physician.
It all matters! So take the time (and have the discipline) to do it right.
Conclusion
There you have it.
6 of the best ways to increase physician efficiency in the workplace.
Now you know everything you need to know to get out there and become the most efficient physician in the business.
Efficiency means getting more done, helping more patients, and making more money. So it really matters.
You’ve got this!
