Smart ways practice managers can reduce staff stress
Every year, the health industry is being asked to do more with less, and larger workloads, increased admin and patient demands means staff in medical practices are more stressed than ever before.
High stress for health staff has drastic consequences for team morale, productivity and overall patient experience. So what can practice managers do to alleviate workplace stress and ensure a more streamlined, productive and happier practice environment?
Identify the stressors
Firstly, take the time to identify the key workplace stressors. Some common workplace conditions that lead to a high-stress practice environment include:
- Tasking staff with responsibilities with little or no training
- Lack of team collaboration, communication and participation
- Lack of team support or direction
- Inefficient or outdated practice management workflow systems
- Slow/outdated operating systems or practice management software
- Job insecurity or lack of opportunity for career growth
- Inadequate resources
Be proactive in managing stress
Even if certain pressures are out of a practice manager’s control, it is still imperative to to proactively identify, mitigate and manage stress as much as possible and do all that can be done to help.
Some simple ways to curb workload stress include:
- Automating mundane tasks, to enable practice staff to tend to more complex matters
- Integrate EFTPOS transactions for fuss-free billing
- Using the latest clinical and practice management software to streamline workflow
- Updating all practice management software so it is running quickly and efficiently
- Regularly training staff on data security and mitigating risks
Turn around a time-poor practice with tech
Fax, paper and outdated workflow systems are a major frustration for both GPs and practice managers, and with fax still one of the main methods of communication between all healthcare professionals, the status quo simply won’t keep up with the rapid pace of technology. A practice manager that implements the right practice management software not only frees up valuable time to focus on more complex matters, but helps open up more time for GPs to offer better, patient-centric care.
The ideal practice management system makes life easier for doctors, practice managers and support staff. A solution like Pracsoft by MedicalDirector for instance, is an intuitive practice management system that can take any practice to the next level of efficiency and professionalism. You can manage patient flows easily using customisable appointment books for flexibility in managing practitioners and appointments, plus leverage a waiting room view to help manage and inform waiting patients and practitioners.
“We really like how MedicalDirector’s software and Tyro integrate seamlessly. They work well together and are both very stable, fast and easy to use. Features like online reporting, the ease of setup and ongoing support also make our clinics more efficient as we continue to grow. We’ve even had patients comment on how streamlined our payment and patient experience is for them.” Jennifer Surie, Operations Manager, at Family Doctor, said.
For more information about Pracsoft by MedicalDirector, visit www.medicaldirector.com/pracsoft
