Doctors spend many years acquiring skills and getting certification to practice medicine. But what is often missing from their education is how to run a business effectively. For health professionals who start a practice after their education, knowing how to grow a company does not always come naturally. It requires careful study, research, and often a lot of experimentation. Here are five tried-and-true principles to running a medical practice.
Leave No Room for Doubts
With “quack” doctors becoming a feature of the medical industry, many patients are cautious about going to a new healthcare facility. That’s why you should make sure there are no lingering doubts about your business.
Medical credentialing proves that your business is certified and licensed to operate in the location you are considering. Be sure to keep these credentials up-to-date and registered properly.
People will trust a facility when they know that the people working there are well trained and in good standing with the regulatory bodies. In light of that fact, display your credentials and those of your employees clearly on your website.
Embrace Innovation
The dreaded COVID-19 pandemic upended the world in ways we could not have imagined. Remote work became the new norm as companies encouraged workers to stay at home. This trend also affected the healthcare sector. Most facilities, especially at the height of lockdowns and shutdowns, advised patients not to come to hospitals, except for emergencies.
This development took telemedicine to a new level. Now, patients can consult with doctors from the comfort of their homes, receive a diagnosis, and even have medication shipped to them. That’s the kind of innovation that medical practices have to embrace if they want to be competitive in this digital age. This Entrepreneur article outlines many other recent medical innovations, including nano-medicine, robot-assisted surgery, and medical-chain.
Build Strong Relationships
There is a growing body of evidence that shows that patient-doctor relationships have a direct bearing on health outcomes. Patients do not only want health professionals who are experts in their field, but they want professionals who are likable and genuinely care about their patients. As the old saying goes, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”
Go beyond mere pleasantries and take an interest in the welfare of your patients. Train your employees to be patient, caring, and thoughtful in dealing with patients as well. Additionally, emphasize on patient aftercare. A call to check on your patient after visiting your practice will do wonders. When people know that you genuinely care, they will refer their friends and family to your practice without thinking twice.
In the same vein, build strong relationships with your workers. Never treat them as subordinates; instead, make them feel important. Ask for their input and suggestions when you want to make changes. Have award schemes in place that reward the best employees and encourage a company culture that allows peer-to-peer support.
Hire the Right People
Your business will only be as good as the team you put together. You may be a top-notch medical professional, but if your team members are not qualified, well trained and experienced, you will encounter many challenges.
Hire people who believe in your vision and want to contribute to making that vision a reality. If there are areas where you lack expertise, bring in a consulate professional in that space. For instance, marketing may not be your forte, so consider hiring a marketer who can create innovative campaigns to drive traffic to your business.
Don’t be afraid to let people go if they are not doing their job well. Of course, you can give them the benefit of the doubt at first, but if they continue to underperform or do not want to improve, it may be time to move on.
Organize regular training sessions to train (and retrain) your team. Bring in experts who can offer sound advice and insights to help keep your team on their toes. Additionally, give your workers opportunities to upgrade and continue their education. Sign them up for conferences and seminars that will sharpen their skills.
Be Honest
While medical practices require hard skills, soft skills are also invaluable in the growth of your practice. Regardless of how smart you are, you can’t be successful if you don’t learn honesty and integrity.
There are many healthcare facilities that have failed because of lies, deceit, and cover-ups. Never forge receipts or pretend to render services you are not qualified to give. Always be upfront with your patients. If a condition is beyond your ability to diagnose or treat, refer them to a higher facility. “Honesty,” as it is often said, “is always the best policy.”
Never Stop Learning
To run a medical practice successfully, you need to be quick to adapt to changing circumstances. Always keep learning and find innovative ways to grow your business. That way, your healthcare business will always be one step ahead of the others.