Five ways to streamline clinical practice operations

As healthcare demands continue to rise, so does the workload on physicians and their teams. In some provinces, like Ontario, physicians spend an average of 19 hours per week on administrative tasks.

The College of Family Physicians of Canada considers investing in administrative support a crucial part of enhancing access to care. This investment must address administrative burden, enabling physicians and medical office assistants (MOAs) to focus on what matters most: supporting patients.

Here are five ways to better support the operational side of running a clinical practice.

1. Engage with patients through a patient portal

One of the best ways to alleviate the burden of administrative duties is by offering a comprehensive patient portal. This allows patients to access their health information, book appointments, ask questions, and submit paperwork without requiring the assistance of administrative staff.

Self-scheduling can also help ensure patients cancel appointments rather than miss them, reducing the need for staff to check in with missing patients or collect no-show fees.

While there are scenarios where physicians may prefer to address medical questions at the clinic, staff can rely on a patient portal to easily digitize many aspects of communication.

2. Embrace virtual care

Virtual care allows physicians to see more patients, providing them with quicker access to care. Some of the key benefits, as outlined in our 2023 Virtual Care Industry Report, include:

• Streamlined appointments: Routine tasks like prescription refills, follow-ups, and general health questions can be handled remotely. This can reduce operational duties associated with in-person appointments, such as preparing consultation rooms for the next patient.
• Reduced wait times: With some appointments occurring online, fewer patients need to physically visit a clinic, resulting in shorter wait times and increased appointment availability.
• Patient satisfaction: Many patients must overcome obstacles to attend in-person consultations. They may face long transit times, challenges taking time away from work or childcare, or symptoms that make it uncomfortable to visit the clinic. The option to attend appointments from the comfort of their home, or without having to leave work, can improve their healthcare experience. 

3. Automate appointment reminders

Busy patient and physician schedules can make negotiating appointments on the phone a lengthy process, requiring an average of eight minutes per call. While reminders and confirmations reduce no-shows, these short phone calls become a significant time drain in practices with hundreds or thousands of patients.

Automated appointment reminders in text and email reduce time spent playing phone tag and following up. They also empower patients to confirm appointments at their convenience. This functionality can be integrated into a comprehensive patient portal, offering a one-stop-shop for care management.

4. Digitize intake forms

Waiting room delays caused by intake forms are a known pain point for medical offices: they lead to patient dissatisfaction and disrupt the workflow of healthcare providers and administrative staff. One study found that over 80 per cent of patients prefer to fill out forms online and before their appointment.

Electronic intake forms can support staff in keeping the office running on schedule. As well, digital patient intakes can facilitate streamlined digital prescription workflows, which are preferred by 83 per cent of Canadians. With e-prescription fields auto-populated by digital forms, physicians can spend less time on paperwork.

5. Onboard a comprehensive practice management technology

In certain areas across Canada, a staggering 30 to 40 per cent of a physician’s budget goes toward running their business. Learning how to efficiently operate a user-friendly practice management technology can, in some instances, make it easier to navigate scheduling, billing, and other essential tasks—reducing the resources needed for operations.

Streamline your clinical practice operations with TELUS Health

TELUS Health Collaborative Health Record (CHR) is a secure and user-friendly platform offering a variety of features to support the business side of running a clinical practice.

For example, with CHR Connect, clinics can enable online booking, allowing patients to self-schedule by requesting an appointment online. Or, staff can book virtual visits, which includes the automated delivery of a virtual visit invitation to the patient before their appointment. Selecting different visit types or presenting concerns can automatically send pre-visit questionnaires for patients to fill in digitally. These self-service and automation functions can reduce the manual administrative tasks burdening clinical staff and empower patients to engage with their health journey—supporting care providers and care recipients alike.

TELUS Health is committed to providing better healthcare options for everyone. Learn more about how collaborative care models are transforming healthcare delivery.