Three elements of effective practice management
Attention to soft skills and key processes are essential.
Build a thriving dermatology practice and keep the momentum going. That was the inspiration behind the March 11 session, F124 – Practice Management: Vision, Execution, and Optimization.
Alexandra Flamm, MD, FAAD, associate professor of dermatology and residency program director at NYU Langone Health in New York, led the session, which explored essential skills for starting and maintaining a successful practice. Panelists presented on topics such as incorporating teledermatology into a practice, creating and promoting a diverse practice, and establishing a positive practice culture. Office culture is critical, she said.
Involve your team
“Start by soliciting feedback from staff both in open forums and anonymous formats to gain insights on what works well and what doesn’t within your practice. This is a great first step to identify gaps within your practice culture and how to best enact change,” Dr. Flamm said. “Another option to consider is conducting a more formal cultural needs assessment to analyze both implicit and explicit beliefs within your practice and how to modify practice culture.”
Having a positive culture in place makes improving your practice's telemedicine and documentation processes easier, Dr. Flamm said. The session explored the use of new and tested tools and methods to integrate telemedicine into practice, particularly in a post-COVID-19 era.
Keeping up with change
“There are new telemedicine platforms physicians can utilize, as well as novel ways to integrate telemedicine into practice patterns,” Dr. Flamm said. “Additionally, federal and state regulations and coding requirements have changed that physicians should be aware of.”
Panelists also discussed what they consider essential components necessary for effective documentation in a successful dermatology practice.
Getting it right
“Documentation is the foundation of a strong practice and effective patient care. Robust documentation is needed to support coding and reimbursement, avoid audit concerns, and ensure seamless communication with referring physicians,” Dr. Flamm said. “Your documentation should be clear in supporting your medical decision-making as well as communicating treatments given and procedures performed. This includes all risks, benefits, and alternatives.”
A focus on these three elements of practice management, Dr. Flamm said, will allow a practice to grow and thrive.
In addition to Dr. Flamm, other speakers included Robert T. Brodell, MD, FAAD, Cultivating and Maintaining Positive Workplace Culture; Ryan Walter Hick, MD, FAAD, Effective Coding and Documentation; and Jules Lipoff, MD, FAAD, Incorporating Teledermatology into Practice.
