What it’s all about
The healthcare sector is in a constant state of flux, driven by regulatory adjustments, technological innovations and changes in patient expectations. For medical practices, these changes are a challenge, but also an opportunity to improve their work and increase efficiency. However, it is not only an advantage, but an indispensable survival strategy for modern medical practices.
The constant change in the health care system
The healthcare sector is undergoing numerous and dynamic changes, including regulatory reforms, rising healthcare costs, shortages of skilled workers and rapid advances in medical research and technology. This requires medical practices to be highly adaptable and able to regularly review and update the status quo of their practice management, from planning, organisation, time management, leadership and patient care to marketing and controlling.
The role of efficiency
There are very different definitions of the term “efficiency” in the medical profession, but in the overall view it tends to be negatively loaded, since many medical professionals associate it with a working principle that is opposed to the individual medical necessities of patient care and that serves orientation variables such as assembly-line care or profit maximisation.
However, a look at everyday life quickly shows that the efficiency concept stands for something completely different: suppose potatoes are to be cooked, then this goal can be achieved by cooking them for 15 to 20 minutes in a normal saucepan or much faster and with less energy consumption in a pressure cooker.
Applied to practice management, this means that efficient work for achieving a goal is organised in such a way that as little time, resources and energy as possible are consumed. Everything should run as smoothly and without problems as possible, leaving free space for the important things, such as more intensive patient care.
Unfortunately, however, this is not the reality of practice work; inefficiency in practice management is often found here, i.e. work performance is achieved at a significantly higher cost than is actually necessary due to misadjustments. Efficient practice management, on the other hand, enables practice owners to make optimal use of their resources while maintaining high quality standards.
Cost savings
Efficiency leads to significant cost savings. The optimisation of processes and the use of technology help to eliminate redundant tasks and make the work of doctors and medical assistants easier.
Quality improvement
An efficient practice can also provide better patient care. By optimising workflow and focusing on patient needs, waiting times are reduced and the quality of medical care is improved.
Best practice standard and KPIs
Measuring efficiency through key performance indicators (KPIs) is therefore an indispensable tool for practice management. These KPIs can be easily determined through practice management benchmarking with the Best Practice Standard. This validated guideline describes all regulations, instruments and behaviours that are essential for smoothly functioning work even under changing requirements. As a benchmark, it provides a comprehensive insight into the potential for improvement in practice enterprises, but also identifies previously unknown weaknesses or risks that can then be eliminated in a targeted manner.
Conclusion
In the face of numerous changes and challenges in the health care system, efficiency is more than a goal; it is a necessary survival strategy for medical practices. By focusing on efficient practice management, practices can not only reduce their costs, but also improve the quality of patient care and gain a competitive advantage.
Further information
How the efficiency of practice work can be increased is described in the publication “Benchmarking practice management for general practitioners and specialists – method, application and benefits”.
R2049 