The pandemic has made changes to many normal daily functions in many clinics in the healthcare industry. The protocols for COVID-19 are something new, and they must be strictly followed. However, it isn’t an easy task to do. Many hospitals in the USA are filled to the brim by patients without the virus. Some of these patients are being transferred to smaller clinics for treatment, which means some healthcare clinics are getting overloaded.
Efficiency is vital during the pandemic, and it can determine the survival of your clinic. If you’re one of the clinics struggling to handle the patient load during the pandemic, consider applying these into your daily functions.
Use Technology
Automation is a necessary tool for every clinic. It is the easiest way to streamline many clinical processes. This can give you more time to concentrate on your patients and treating with whatever ills them. Ideally, every secretary should have access to laptops or computers. Old logs should be discarded for computerized spreadsheets, and documents and appointments should be made online.
Having a website with an automated chatbot can help streamline scheduling appointments and answer frequently asked questions. Chatbots are great for your clinic because they don’t even need to eat, sleep, or rest. They are a great addition to the team you have in your clinic as they can do the less complicated work that your secretaries do.
When monitoring your patients, having a wireless blood pressure cuff can send information directly to your tablet instead of checking it manually. A smart notebook can also help you schedule and pace yourself with ongoing appointments. And dictation software can help you write down reminders that you might otherwise forget to write.
All of these gadgets can help you work faster and more efficiently in your clinic. Considering the number of patients you will be getting every day in your clinic due to the pandemic. You’re going to need all the help you can get.
Clearing the Backlog
It should be your priority to clear the backlog of patients you have first. This can help you maximize your time with current appointments without concerning yourself with the past. However, it isn’t easy to clear your backlog. You might have missed simple cases such as a patient preparing for an MRI scan, a patient wanting to get their bones checked, or a simple patient inquiry. These tasks can all pile up if you don’t attend to them immediately. It can also cloud the current schedule you have for the day. Moreover, they can turn to be much stressful to handle later down the line.
To handle the backlog, it might be time to ask for help from your team and colleagues. Confer to them about incentives that you might be willing to give out for handling backlogs and create an action plan for them to follow. The action plan should dictate when the backlogs should be handled and the perceived date when it should end. This can be a timeline for your team and colleagues to work on as much backlog as possible.
If you still can’t handle all the backlog despite help from your team and colleagues, it’s time to reschedule non-urgent appointments. The CDC considers urgent appointments for patients who might have the virus. Be open and transparent with explaining the reason as to why you’re rescheduling a patient’s appointment and always be ready to refer them to other clinics nearby.
Educate Patients
One of the best things you can do in your clinic is to educate your patients regarding the virus. This is a preventive measure that can help with reducing the workload in the future.
After treating a patient with or without a virus, it’s essential to tell them about the growing pandemic and how they can handle it. This includes the symptoms of the virus, its nature, and what they can do if they have the symptoms or witness someone who might have it.
Awareness is critical for reducing possible infections in the future. You are not only helping your clinic but also your community by doing it.
The pandemic is still lingering in every state in the US. Many experts are still struggling to contain the virus, and hospitals are being filled to the brim by patients. Your clinic is in the frontlines because of this, and working on becoming an efficient and effective clinic during the pandemic can determine your community’s future.