EHR-Enabled Autonomy: Optimization Strategies for Success

The following is a guest article by Devan Griner, MD, is board-certified plastic surgeon at Peak Plastic Surgery, based in Provo, Utah. He uses the all-in-one cloud suite from AdvancedMD.

Before the pandemic, many private practice physicians faced significant pressure to merge or consolidate with large health systems for survival. Many stayed the course and remained independent, and new entrants (like me) joined the private practice world. The arrival of COVID-19—and its resultant effects on the healthcare system—actually provided autonomous physicians with new opportunities to thrive via the application of advanced software solutions.

By optimizing intuitive, integrated, all-in-one EHRs, private practice physicians are achieving unprecedented clinical efficiencies, stronger engagement with patients, and reduced administrative burdens on their staff. As an independent provider who strives to give my plastic surgery patients all the attention they deserve, my EHR has to enable my practice to run as efficiently as possible. Here’s how I’ve grown the practice during challenging times using EHR optimization strategies.

Putting patients first

I’ve faced uphill administrative battles regarding technology applications before, and at Peak Plastic Surgery, I simply didn’t want EHR workarounds, bottlenecks, and user difficulties to take time of my dedicated staff away from our patients. Patients come first and optimizing an integrated system has enabled this principle in practice. For example, in a post-COVID-19 world—and for any practice that attracts patients from far distances—telemedicine capabilities must be directly integrated with the EHR. The EHR then becomes an all-in-one tool that we use as part of all care delivery.

Using the EHR as an all-in-one software solution, I have been able to seamlessly consult remotely with parents of babies born with cleft lips, cleft palates, and craniosynostosis. They appreciate the “face-to-face” visits, and clinically I get a much better understanding of the child’s options. I schedule and consult all in one place, which is incredibly effective from a workflow perspective. With almost no additional overhead, I leverage an inclusive and efficient solution that’s brought in higher volumes, a strong consult-to-conversion rate, and an integration that’s seamless from a practice management perspective.

At Peak we also optimize our EHR capabilities through direct integration with our patient engagement tools. Our patients use our portal at all hours to message the office, request refills, pay bills, and fill out forms ahead of their appointments. We also reach out to them regularly through automatic appointment reminders, text messages soliciting feedback about their visit, and through facilitation of other automated practice management functions. Patients truly appreciate being so connected with us. Plus, since the patient management tools are totally integrated, it’s simple for our staff to maintain this level of availability and support.

Taking care of staff

Through EHR optimization, I’ve found I can facilitate the most important components of my practice without demanding too much of my staff. Digitization and integration make that possible. As I mentioned above to the benefit of our patients, the portal functionality also gives my front-end staff a reprieve. As our patients have become more comfortable with managing their care online, we’ve seen a decrease in the number of calls my office fields daily. When patients do call our office with concerns, my staff is able to use the integrated notes to help navigate their current condition and provide useful support.

Also regarding notes, an EHR that has customizable templates and notes yields a smooth workflow. Since we see both pediatric and adult cases, we tailor our reproducible notes and templates to these specific patient groups. Our various providers, including speech-language pathologists, also appreciate the flexibility with notes. The system also performs auto-filling using acronyms for designated clinical terms, a time-saver for reporting and medical transcriptions.

On the billing side, an integrated, optimized EHR takes away those pesky pain points in the workflow that cause delays and other reimbursement hurdles. When notes are completed, the charts are automatically updated and submitted for billing. Patients likewise appreciate the receipt of timely invoices, as it helps them associate the charges with the services they’ve recently received.

Reaping rewards

As a private practice physician, I appreciate the benefits an all-in-one EHR solution delivers to both my patients and my staff. As our employees continue to realize new efficiencies, we prioritize a high level of responsiveness to our patients, which has won hearts and brought in new referrals alike. As many in healthcare are experiencing tenuous times, we at Peak will continue to proactively leverage our EHR and integrated practice management and billing tools to provide clinical excellence and a positive patient experience for all.

 

   

Categories