Physicians: How to Start the New Year Right

Happy New Year! You’re back from some well-deserved time off for the holidays.  Medical offices were closed, elective surgeries were put on hold, and most people tried to get some rest and energize themselves for a new year.  

What are some smart tips to help you get started again this January so you can be the best and most efficient physician that you can? Read on to learn more.

First, look at your office situation with fresh eyes. How can you maximize your efficiency? How can you work smarter, not harder?

Start with your desk. Can’t see a flat surface? Declutter now. Put all the stray papers, CDs of imaging tests, textbooks, and empty coffee cups elsewhere. You can deal with what to toss and what needs to be saved later, when you have a few spare minutes in between patients. The clean desk surface will put you in a better frame of mind and will help you stay focused and work more efficiently.

Start your appointments on time, so you’re not running late with the first patient.  Granted, the first patient may throw you off schedule with a complex medical issue or may just be lonely and won’t let you get a word in edgewise, but at least you’ve done what you can do to run on time. Closely related to this is the idea of arriving at work an hour early, before the staff shows up, so you have some quiet and uninterrupted time to finish up tasks that are still incomplete.

Make your staff work for you. Delegate tasks that don’t require your hands-on attention. Make your staff be your gatekeeper; train them to get as much information as possible when patients call in with questions or requests to save you time and energy. Have the staff contact the patients with answers to their questions or have them book follow-up appointments so you can talk to them in person.

As your day goes on, make it a habit to chart each visit immediately, either during the visit itself or right afterwards, while the information is fresh in your mind. If you are able, have a medical scribe do the charting for you to cut down the energy you expend in navigating the EMR.

While it might be tempting to take a break and socialize with staff or your colleagues while in between patients, make sure to stay on task and keep moving through your clinic day to prevent wasted time.  

A huge time saver in the office is to get into the habit of prepping your charts ahead of time. This means looking at your clinic schedule at least 2 days prior and going through each patient’s chart in advance. Review the patient’s current medical issue that was addressed at the prior visit. Remind yourself of what tests were ordered or what is the reason for the follow up visit. You can chart the test results and interpretations in the patient’s chart and formulate what the plan will be, based on the results. In the process of doing this, you may find that the test results are not available and need to be tracked down or that the patient did not even do the testing and the visit needs to be cancelled or rescheduled. This is what your medical assistants should be doing on their own to help your clinic run smoothly but may not be doing until gently reminded. If you prepare in advance at home, you will save yourself time and energy in the office. You won’t have to be reading the chart as you’re running behind and trying to catch up. The patient will feel that you remember him and his medical issues, and it will instill further confidence in you as his physician.

The ideas listed above should be helpful in ensuring a smooth clinic day. But how can you stay on top of your game after hours?  With the burnout rate among medical professionals running at approximately 63%, according to the American Medical Association, make sure you devote time to taking care of your own health. This means actually doing the things that you tell your patients to do: schedule routine physical exams with a doctor, allow for adequate sleep time, maintain a consistent aerobic exercise program, and eat a well-balanced diet. 

Try to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Find activities you enjoy, helping you decompress from the stress of work. Avoid toxic office politics, if possible. Surround yourself with trusted mentors and colleagues who can serve as sounding boards for tough patient cases or other medical related issues.       

The start of the new year provides a great opportunity to try to incorporate some of these ideas into your lifestyle. While it may be difficult at first, small changes in your daily habits can result in a more efficient and fulfilling career!