The essentials of clinic management

India produces 50,000 doctors every year. Many doctors go on to set-up their own practices, making the already competitive healthcare market, more aggressive. In such a scenario, it is important that doctors learn the skills of efficient clinic management to increase patient footfall, improve the safety and quality of the treatment, and thus boost revenue. For a doctor, who owns a clinic, to flourish in the competitive sector, it is imperative that his clinic has effective processes in place, from clinic management software to electronic health record systems.

Essential features of clinic management

Technology is a must

Technology has revolutionized healthcare like all other fields. Some of the necessary software for better clinic management are:

1. Clinic Management System software

• Managing bills
• Insurance claims
• Handling patient data
• Scheduling appointments
• Generating clinic related reports

The cost of software license in India ranges between Rs. 3100-Rs. 7100, depending on the practice size, complexity of the task, available features, choice of platform, and deployment method.

2. Electronic health record systems

Practice management software systems are connected to electronic health record systems (EHRs) as it is necessary for its implementation. The cost of installing an EHR system may range from Rs. 9- 45 lakhs depending on various factors like the EHR’s functionality, size of the clinic, amount of integration required and mode of operation: on-site or web-based. Such investment could strain or block your practice’s capital and you may lose out on lucrative opportunities. To avoid this, you can consider taking a Business Loans for Doctors which are custom-made financing solutions for doctors who want to grow their practice while keeping their assets risk-free.

3. Patient education through website/ portals

Having a website, can help doctors keep in touch with their patients beyond clinic hours. Physicians can extend their care by educating patients through informative content. Most of the patient portals are synced with EHRs, practice management tools and billing systems which makes information handling easier and thereby simplifies administrative tasks at clinics. A patient portal will approximately cost Rs. 10-15 lakhs including the technology, design and content, and its maintenance.

4. Patient referral software

Patient referrals by primary physician increase the patient influx. There are few software applications and tools available which make the patient referral process easy and help in tracking the referred patient. It costs about Rs. 16,000-30,000 monthly.

Integrating technology into one’s practice, by having these software, systems and processes in place, involves a substantial investment. To cater to such investment needs, medical professionals can opt for a Loan Against Property for Doctors, that offer a loan amount of up to Rs. 5 crore, and acquire funds in a hassle-free way.

Optimal Infrastructure

1. Design and layout

A clinic must be spacious and have enough storage place for equipment, files, etc., as inadequate storage place result in untidiness. Sufficient seating arrangement must be present in waiting areas in order to avoid inconvenience and chaos. Your clinic’s reception that gets noticed by patients, maintaining a well-illuminated one will hence prove to be beneficial. If your clinic has a parking lot, betters the patient experience further.

2. Equipment

All the essential equipment must be present as it impacts the efficiency and efficacy of a clinic. Some important equipment along with the respective cost are listed below

A Flexi Business Loan for Doctors helps to improve your return on investment by implementing clinic management and furthering your clinic expansion plans.

Well-trained human interface of the clinic

1. Soft skills

Soft skills help in communicating and building relationships. Some essential skills for healthcare professionals are good communication skills, empathy, self-confidence, optimism, a polite tone, attention to detail, mental stability, work ethics, etc. These skills are very critical in healthcare in order to develop trust and gain patients’ satisfaction. Soft skills training costs Rs. 10,000-50,000 per day for corporate training or Rs. 2000-9000 per participant.

2. Training

Adequate training is needed for efficient performance. For effective training, it is necessary to determine for whom the training should be conducted, who should conduct the training, what areas are to be covered and the material and methods to be used.