Automate these tasks to improve staff efficiency.
When we ask veterinary practices to name their top practice management challenges, staff management/efficiency ranks number one, closely followed by increasing patient visits and compliance. Certainly, the more efficient you are, the more you can get done in a day, and the more time you have to devote to income-generating activities (like increasing patient visits and compliance) rather than administrative tasks. Better efficiency is also linked to lower costs.

Time-waster #5: Manually requesting laboratory tests and entering results.
A few years ago, there was nothing wrong with faxing lab requisitions and manually entering results into the patient record. That was the way it was done. But now, bi-directional integrations between your software and a host of reference labs and in-house laboratory equipment make this a big time waster for veterinary practices.

You can simply enter your test request into the patient electronic medical record, and your software will do the rest:

1. Automatically send the requisition to the proper reference lab or in-house test equipment.
2. Automatically receive test results back and enter them into the electronic medical record.
3. Capture the appropriate charge and add it to the client invoice.

In addition to freeing up staff time, this also eliminates missed charges and minimizes errors in entering test results. Check with your software vendor to see what types of bi-directional integrations are available.

Time-waster #4: Postcard reminders and appointment confirmations (done manually).
Certainly, reminders are the lifeblood of veterinary practices and a critical component of well-run clinics. But manually printing and sending postcards and calling clients to remind them of next-day appointments have become enormous time wasters. Technology can do it more efficiently.

Many of the leading software products, including AVImark, have ways to streamline the reminder process. The most efficient reminders are sent via email, text message, and automated voice calls for clients who prefer to be contacted via those methods rather than snail mail. Once you collect email addresses and mobile phone numbers from clients and set up the automated reminder system in your software, you’ll enjoy a very efficient reminder process that actually generates better results than reminders done the old way.

There will always be a place for postcard reminders, as some clients still prefer them. But you can speed up and automate the process by exporting your reminder list and sending it to a vendor to mail these out for you rather than doing it yourself. Many of the leading software systems integrate with third-party vendors that make this process very smooth for veterinary practices. Again, this frees up your staff to do more important things each day.

Time-waster #3: Manually tracking patient status throughout the day.
How many times has this happened in your practice? Mrs. Smith calls in and wants to check the status of Fluffy after surgery. She is placed on hold while staff members try to reach the doctor to determine Fluffy’s status and whereabouts. Five minutes are spent handling the client request, making other clients wait to be checked in.

The whiteboard feature in your software can track all patient activity throughout the day, from check-in to checkout. Whiteboards allow all staff members to see the status and location of all patients at any point during the day, from any computer screen. Notes can be placed under Fluffy’s status on the whiteboard showing the time surgery was completed, her current location, and surgery results. Now, staff members can handle status requests in 30 seconds rather than five minutes.

Time-waster #2: Pulling paper files
If your practice is still relying on paper files, try this at your next staff meeting. Ask each staff member to estimate how much time he or she spends each day pulling and re-filing client files. When you add that up, you may find that as much as a few hours each day is spent dealing with files rather than clients and patients. Paper files don’t generate income, but appointments do.

Electronic medical records (EMR) have come a long way since their debut in the veterinary industry. Today’s EMRs have lots of room to store treatment histories, radiograph images, patient photos, notes and assessments, and more. Virtually any information that you can store in a paper file can be better stored electronically in an EMR.

Many veterinarians find that electronic medical records do a much better job of recording complete, reliable patient information, in a readable form, accessible by anyone in the practice from any computer terminal, with just a few mouse clicks. The time previously spent searching for, updating, and re-filing paper files can now be devoted to seeing more patients each day.

Time-waster #1: Manual inventory management.
Managing inventory is a very important job, as it represents income potential for a practice. Effective inventory management systems are vital to a practice’s growth and profitability. But the opportunity for human error is great, leading to inaccurate inventory counts, poor tracking, incorrect reporting, and more.

While you will still need some staff members involved with inventory, your software can automate many time-consuming inventory processes and minimize the chance for human error. Think of all the time you can save if you allow your software to:

1. Accurately track the costs, discounts, and sale prices of each inventory item. (Once inventory management is set up, some practices discover that they were selling inventory items for less than their actual costs!)
2. Automatically reorder products when they reach their pre- determined low point.
3. Automatically add inventory charges to client invoices when they purchase products, minimizing missed charges.

Does tackling these time-wasters seem appealing but overwhelming? Try addressing one at a time. Pick the one you feel is affecting your productivity most, set up your software to handle it for you, and then move on to the next one. By the time you eliminate all five time-wasters, your productivity will reach new heights.

About the Author Robin Brown is director of training at Avimark. she can be reached at [email protected].