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	<title>SpectraSoft &#187; Blog</title>
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	<link>http://www.spectrasoft.com</link>
	<description>The Practice Revenue Specialists</description>
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		<title>Incorporating EMR into your PT care</title>
		<link>http://www.spectrasoft.com/blog/making-your-emr-part-of-patient-care/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=making-your-emr-part-of-patient-care</link>
		<comments>http://www.spectrasoft.com/blog/making-your-emr-part-of-patient-care/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 21 Sep 2011 22:58:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>SpectraSoft</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.spectrasoft.com/?p=2622</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As we work with PTs across the country, we&#8217;re often asked about the pros and cons of charting while you treat. Those against say it takes away from your focus on the patient. Those in favor point to increased accuracy and time savings. SpectraSoft has always argued in favor of bringing your rehab EMR system into [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div style="margin-right:100px">As we work with PTs across the country, we&#8217;re often asked about the pros and cons of charting while you treat. Those against say it takes away from your focus on the patient. Those in favor point to increased accuracy and time savings. SpectraSoft has always argued <em>in favor</em> of bringing your rehab EMR system into the treatment room. In fact that&#8217;s a key design consideration of our <a href="http://spectrasoft.com/dp">DocuPRO Rehab Documentation System</a>.</p>
<p><span id="more-2622"></span>
<div style="float: right; margin-right: -350px; "><a href="http://spectrasoft.com/dp"><img src="http://www.spectrasoft.com/wp-content/themes/spectrasoft/images/ad-docupro.jpg" border="0px" alt="Web-based physical therapy documentation" /><br />
</a><br />
<a href="http://www.spectrasoft.com/clients/spectrasoft-reviews/spectrasoft-software-40-clinic-pt-study/"><img src="http://www.spectrasoft.com/wp-content/themes/spectrasoft/images/ad-ptstudy.jpg" border="0px" alt="SpectraSoft's closed-loop solution increased bottom-line revenue 19%" /></a></div>
<p>Declining reimbursements make it essential that you save as much time as possible and capture every billable treatment you provide. And the best way to meet those requirements is by incorporating your tablet, laptop or workstation into treatment.</p>
<h3>Gain More Time for Patients</h3>
<p>By completing your documentation as you treat the patient, you finish your paperwork faster and have more time for patient care. This might lead to an extra 30 minutes of billable time each day. It also leads to more referrals in the case of Dean Bessas, PT, Director of <a href="http://natomasphysicaltherapy.com/">Natomas Physical Therapy</a>:</p>
<p><strong>&#8220;We can take the tablet with us during treatment, open the appropriate template and click through the case as we work with a patient. In most cases, the report is faxed to the referring physician as the patient leaves our office. This responsiveness has helped us build a loyal referral network, which is a big reason for our fast growth.&#8221;</strong></p>
<p>When you document as you treat, even if you don&#8217;t fully complete a note as the patient leaves, you&#8217;ve finished the bulk of the work. Then a web-based EMR (or Windows system with syncing feature) allows you to clean up your paperwork any time it&#8217;s most convenient for you. And time-savings isn&#8217;t the only reason to incorporate your EMR into your patient encounter&#8230;</p>
<h3>Enhance Your Care</h3>
<p>A template-based documentation system can facilitate a systemic flow of the exam. So if you start down one path of inquiry, the template will remind you to go down the other paths required for a complete, thorough examination. Every time you come to a special test –- and with an orthopedic presentation there may be 20-30 different such tests &#8212; your EMR can reliably pull up a list of all those tests and speed entry of your findings. Templates also keep you on flow with those afflictions you only see occasionally. (So you don&#8217;t have to wrack your brain trying to recall that course you took on TMJ 10 years ago!)</p>
<h3>Start with the right technology</h3>
<p>If you have balked at charting during treatment up to now, here are two ways to make the switch easier. First, consider the treatment environment when evaluating a new EMR solution. Some interfaces are simply easier to use during the patient encounter. </p>
<p>Speed and performance also become more critical. If your system can&#8217;t keep up with you, you&#8217;re in trouble. Some web-based systems can be very slow, especially during peak usage times. One PT described a web-based EMR (not SpectraSoft) this way: &#8220;Sometimes it takes up to 2 minutes to load an eval, so I usually resort to taking paper notes then putting in the system later, which defeats the purpose for me.&#8221;</p>
<p>Talk to your vendor and find out what they have done to ensure fast performance of your web-based solution.</p>
<h3>Practice your technique</h3>
<div style="float:left; padding-right:20px; padding-bottom:20px" width="280px"><iframe width="280" height="210" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/UBbNt-5L4pU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><strong>Skip to 1:20 for a demonstration of how to<br />
incorporate your EMR during treatment.</strong> </div>
<p>Second, make sure you have a tabletop or other workspace strategically placed in your treatment area. Some PTs install shelves or workstations to streamline the documentation process. </p>
<p>Once you have your workspace configured properly, practice with it. It may be a little frustrating at first, but you will quickly get the hang of it. In fact many PTs find  their iPad is a great conversation-starter to build rapport with the patient.    </p>
<p style="padding-bottom:50px">The video at left shows how Todd Cadby of Rebound Physical Therapy smoothly incorporates his EMR into the eval.</p>
</div>
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		<title>Are Appointment Reminders &#8220;HIPAA-Compliant?&#8221;</title>
		<link>http://www.spectrasoft.com/blog/are-appointment-reminders-hipaa-compliant/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=are-appointment-reminders-hipaa-compliant</link>
		<comments>http://www.spectrasoft.com/blog/are-appointment-reminders-hipaa-compliant/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 16 Sep 2011 16:58:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>SpectraSoft</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.spectrasoft.com/?p=2605</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A great way to reduce costly no-shows in your practice is to remind your patients about their appointment. An automated reminder system can ensure every scheduled patient receives a text message, email, phone call and/or letter. However with all the changes in healthcare, you may wonder if sending these automated messages violates HIPAA rules for [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div style="margin-right: 100px;">
A great way to reduce costly no-shows in your practice is to remind your patients about their appointment. An <a title="You know that every patient gets a reminder -- and you never have to lift a finger!" href="http://www.spectrasoft.com/practice-management-software/reduce-no-shows/" target="_blank"> automated reminder system can ensure every scheduled patient receives a text message, email, phone call and/or letter</a>. However with all the changes in healthcare, you may wonder if sending these automated messages violates HIPAA rules for protecting Patient Health Information (PHI).<span id="more-2605"></span></p>
<div style="float: right; margin-right: -350px;"><a href="http://www.spectrasoft.com/spectrasoft-inc/white-papers/no-shows-white-paper/"><img src="http://www.spectrasoft.com/wp-content/themes/spectrasoft/images/ad-noshow-whitepaper.jpg" border="0px" alt="Ways to reduce patient no-shows" /><br />
</a></br><a href="http://www.spectrasoft.com/practice-management-software/reduce-no-shows/automated-text-message-appointment-reminders/"><img src="http://www.spectrasoft.com/wp-content/themes/spectrasoft/images/ad-text.jpg" border="0px" alt="Automated text messaging reduces no-shows and wait times." /><br />
</a></div>
<h3>The short answer: you&#8217;re OK</h3>
<p>HIPAA considers appointment reminders as a part of treatment; so they can be made without an authorization. Here&#8217;s a link from the HHS.gov site about the acceptability of appointment reminders: <a href="http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/faq/smaller_providers_and_businesses/286.html">http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/faq/smaller_providers_and_businesses/286.html</a></p>
<h3>Respect your patients&#8217; wishes</h3>
<p>However, both HIPAA regulations and common sense dictate that you take certain care in how you remind your patients. HIPAA also states that you should do what you can to accommodate a patient&#8217;s preferred method of communication &#8212; for example sending emails instead of postal mail. (Or not sending reminders at all.) Here&#8217;s an HHS link: <a href="http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/special/healthit/safeguards.pdf">http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/special/healthit/safeguards.pdf</a> (see page 3).</p>
<p>Here at SpectraSoft, we equip our clients to offer reminders by mail, email, text and phone, which is pretty accommodating. Our intake screen includes a section where the patient can select which method(s) of reminders they want. (Or none at all.)</p>
<h3>Use good judgement</h3>
<p>Finally, you need to customize your communications to the situation. For a pediatric practice sending reminders to parents, it may be just fine to include the time, date, location and provider in the appointment reminder. However when privacy concerns are extremely high, such as with an AIDS clinic, your text message might be as vague as, &#8220;You have an appointment coming up.&#8221;</p>
<h3>Keep in mind: &#8220;What is your patient really forgetting?&#8221;</h3>
<p>Beyond meeting your patients&#8217; privacy concerns, you should also work to <em>make sure your reminder messages are effective.</em> Sometimes patients really do forget their appointments; more often they forget WHY THEY NEED TO ATTEND. When conflicts arise, like a child&#8217;s soccer game, or there&#8217;s a fear of pain, patients need to be reminded that keeping that appointment is vital to their health. Make sure to include a brief, appropriate compliance message in your automated appointment reminders.  </p>
<h3>Have a question?</h3>
<p>If you have a question or suggestion about appointment reminders, leave your comment below. We&#8217;d love to hear from you!
</p></div>
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		<title>Manage your practice like Warren Buffett</title>
		<link>http://www.spectrasoft.com/blog/manage-your-practice-like-warren-buffett/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=manage-your-practice-like-warren-buffett</link>
		<comments>http://www.spectrasoft.com/blog/manage-your-practice-like-warren-buffett/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 16 Aug 2011 21:58:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>SpectraSoft</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.spectrasoft.com/?p=2513</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In today&#8217;s harsh healthcare environment, wouldn&#8217;t it be great to get practice management advice from a real expert? Someone who knows how to generate revenue and profits in good times and bad? Billionaire Warren Buffett has compiled a pretty good track record. Based on his public comments and well-studied approach to investing, here is some of [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div style="margin-right: 100px;">
<p>In today&#8217;s harsh healthcare environment, wouldn&#8217;t it be great to get practice management advice from a real expert? Someone who knows how to generate revenue and profits in good times and bad?</p>
<p>Billionaire Warren Buffett has compiled a pretty good track record. Based on his public comments and well-studied approach to investing, here is some of the advice he might give to an owner or manager looking to grow a practice&#8230;<span id="more-2513"></span></p>
<div style="float: right; margin-right: -350px;"><a href="http://www.spectrasoft.com/practice-management-software/medical-scheduling-software/inpatient-scheduling/appointmentseverywhere-inpatient-scheduling/"><img src="http://www.spectrasoft.com/wp-content/themes/spectrasoft/images/ad-ae.jpg" alt="Appointments Everywhere web scheduling" border="0px"  /><br />
</a></div>
<h3>1. Add value instead of cutting costs</h3>
<div style="float:left; padding-right:10px; padding-bottom:10px"><img src="http://www.spectrasoft.com/wp-content/themes/spectrasoft/images/icon-warrenbuffet.jpg" alt="Warren Buffett" width="150" height="150" style="border:1px black solid" /></div>
<p style="text-align: left;">Mr. Buffett is known as a classic &#8216;value investor&#8217; &#8211; &#8221;Buy a business, not its stock,&#8221; he often says. For a practice faced with shrinking reimbursements, the answer isn&#8217;t to cut care and resources. It&#8217;s to find cost-effective ways to add value. You may not have the funds to buy a fancy new piece of equipment, but for most practices, the opportunities to add value are everywhere.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Shorten wait times. Give more eye contact. Create less paperwork. Deliver better outcomes. Create no surprises. Offer plenty of personal, one-on-one time.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">The way to create that added value is to lock in best practices throughout your office. For example, your front desk staff knows they should follow up with missed appointments, but do they every time? Your clinicians should get their documentation done within 24 hours, but how often does your A/R get held up?</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Find the tracking and flagging features in your practice management system that lock in these best practices&#8230;AND USE THEM. (And if your system doesn&#8217;t have those features, <a title="You don't even have to call -- just send us a short note!" href="http://www.spectrasoft.com/contact-us/" target="_blank">give us a call</a>.)</p>
<h3>2. Choose substance over style</h3>
<div style="float: right; width: 200px; margin-right: -270px;"><a href="http://www.spectrasoft.com/dp/"><img src="http://www.spectrasoft.com/wp-content/themes/spectrasoft/images/ad-docupro.jpg" border="0px" alt="Rehab documentation made faster with branching logic technology" /><br />
</a></div>
<p style="text-align: left;">Mr. Buffett is famous for driving cheap, used cars. He&#8217;s never moved his headquarters from folksy Omaha, Nebraska. ‘‘The farther one gets from Wall Street, the more skepticism one will find as to the pretensions of stock-market forecasting,&#8221; he once said. Substance over style is a hallmark of his success. The same can work for you.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">When other practices add fancy furniture and artwork to their waiting rooms, you can cut wait times with simple tools like an <a title="Patients can see their schedule, fil out paperwork and request appointments from home!" href="http://www.spectrasoft.com/practice-management-software/reduce-no-shows/patient-portal-patient-communications/" target="_blank">online patient portal</a>. Instead of spending a fortune on letterhead and postage to remind patients about appointments, you can add a highly effective <a title="No one ignores a text!" href="http://www.spectrasoft.com/practice-management-software/reduce-no-shows/automated-text-message-appointment-reminders/" target="_blank">text messaging system</a>. Remember that you&#8217;re not the only one worried about rising costs &#8212; your patients are paying higher premiums, deductibles and copays than ever. They are sure to appreciate a focus on simple efficiency.</p>
<h3>3. Worry only about what you can control</h3>
<p>Even a billionaire has his limits. Mr. Buffett can&#8217;t control the overall condition of the economy&#8230;so he doesn&#8217;t worry about it. ‘‘As far as I am concerned, the stock market doesn’t exist. It is there only as a reference to see if anybody is offering to do anything foolish.’’</p>
<p>In the same way, practice owners have little control over <a title="The AMA reports that it keeps getting worse." href="http://www.spectrasoft.com/blog/ama-report-card-getting-paid-just-got-harder/" target="_blank">the horrific state of claim reimbursements</a>.  Yet they continue to fret over a situation that is out of their control. They switch from one billing system to the next, looking for a magic solution to denials and underpayments that simply doesn&#8217;t exist.</p>
<p>After all, even the best billing system can only generate claims for the work you&#8217;ve done. Real revenue comes from building a solid referral network&#8230;optimizing the value of every referral by eliminating no-shows and early discharges&#8230;and working more productively. Focus on the tools that can help you leverage the realities within your control &#8211; like a <a title="AppointmentsEverywhere web-based scheduling" href="http://spectrasoft.com/ae" target="_blank">solid scheduling solution</a> and <a title="DocuPRO physical therapy documentation software" href="http://spectrasoft.com/dp" target="_blank">EMR system</a>.</p>
<h3>4. Understand your practice</h3>
<p style="text-align: left;">One key to Mr. Buffet&#8217;s success is the due diligence he puts into every investment decision he makes. ‘‘The market, like the Lord, helps those who help themselves,&#8221; he once said. &#8220;But unlike the Lord, the market does not forgive those who know not what they do.’’</p>
<p>In the heat of daily practice ownership, it&#8217;s easy to lose sight of the landmarks that should be guiding your most basic practice decisions: reimbursement rates by referrer, payor or procedure; no-show rates and the reasons behind them; wait times; outcomes; resource utilization. It&#8217;s understandable that practice owners don&#8217;t always have these numbers;  it&#8217;s unforgivable when they don&#8217;t go out and get them.</p>
<p>Every patient that walks through your door offers you two incredible opportunities: the chance to enhance a person&#8217;s health and to get paid doing it. To the degree that you fail on either of those counts, you&#8217;ve missed out on an opportunity. Understanding when that happens &#8212; and why &#8212; makes your practice a better place for you, your patients and your staff.</p>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>Mr. Buffett is always careful to point out that what he has accomplished is not because of any unique skill other than the discipline to act rationally. &#8220;What we do is not beyond anybody else’s competence. It is just not necessary to do extraordinary things to get extraordinary results.’’</p>
<p>Amen to that!</p>
</div>
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		<title>AMA Report Card: Payors Aren&#8217;t Paying</title>
		<link>http://www.spectrasoft.com/blog/ama-report-card-getting-paid-just-got-harder/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=ama-report-card-getting-paid-just-got-harder</link>
		<comments>http://www.spectrasoft.com/blog/ama-report-card-getting-paid-just-got-harder/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 20 Jul 2011 19:04:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>SpectraSoft</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://spectrasoft.com/?p=2481</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As we first talked about in 2009, insurance companies have found that the best way to pad profits is simple: they just don&#8217;t pay. In fact the latest Report Card from the American Medical Association finds that the problem has actually gotten worse in the last year. Most payors only reimbursed 85% &#8211; 88% of their contracted [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.ahcpublications.com/files/podcasts/SpectraSoft_Webcast/">As we first talked about in 2009</a>, insurance companies have found that the best way to pad profits is simple: they just don&#8217;t pay. In fact the latest <a title="AMA Report Card" href="http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/news/news/ama-health-insurer-report-card.page">Report Card</a> from the American Medical Association finds that the problem has actually gotten worse in the last year. Most payors only reimbursed 85% &#8211; 88% of their contracted fee schedules. One insurer paid just 61%!</p>
<p><span id="more-2481"></span></p>
<div style="float: right; padding-left: 50px; padding-bottom: 100px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ptrevenue.com"><img src="http://www.ptscheduling.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/revenue-whitepaper-246x300.png" alt="The 5 Revenue Drivers of Your Physical Therapy Practice" width="246" height="300" /><br />
Download your Free Guide to<br />
increase PT practice revenue.</a>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">&nbsp;</p>
</div>
<p>Other lowlights from the report:</p>
<ul>
<li>Commercial health insurers have an average claims-processing <strong>error rate of 19.3 percent</strong> (nearly 1 in 5!);</li>
<li>Claim payment errors cost providers <strong>$17 billion;</strong></li>
<li>Physicians received <strong>no payment at all </strong>from commercial health insurers on nearly 23% of claims they submitted.</li>
</ul>
<p>Applying some common sense to these numbers only makes them more alarming: if MDs are experiencing these denial rates, what is happening in less politically-leveraged disciplines like physical therapy and behavioral health?</p>
<p>Surely the problem is even worse for these providers. The Report Card proves once again that &#8220;coding claims better&#8221; can only do so much to increase practice revenue.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Real gains in revenue come from building a solid referral network, optimizing the authorized care you provide to every patient and increasing your billable time with more efficient scheduling, documentation and management tools.  Find out how by downloading our Free Product Guide, <strong><a href="http://ptrevenue.com">&#8220;The 5 Revenue Drivers of Your Physical Therapy Practice.&#8221;</a></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong><br />
</strong></p>
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		<title>7 Tools for High-Volume Scheduling</title>
		<link>http://www.spectrasoft.com/blog/7-secrets-of-high-volume-scheduling/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=7-secrets-of-high-volume-scheduling</link>
		<comments>http://www.spectrasoft.com/blog/7-secrets-of-high-volume-scheduling/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 19 May 2011 00:21:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>SpectraSoft</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://spectrasoft.com/?p=2276</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If you are in a medical specialty that sees patients for just a few minutes, you know how frantic the schedule can get. We frequently observe clinicians that schedule three or four patients at a time in a given time slot! This hectic level of scheduling can lead to problems if not managed carefully&#8230; No-show [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div style="margin-right:100px">If you are in a medical specialty that sees patients for just a few minutes, you know how frantic the schedule can get. We frequently observe clinicians that schedule three or four patients at a time in a given time slot! This hectic level of scheduling can lead to problems if not managed carefully&#8230;</div>
<p><span id="more-2276"></span></p>
<div style="margin-right:100px">
<ul style="padding-right:35px; padding-left:35px">
<li><strong>No-show patients fall through the cracks and never get rescheduled;</strong></li>
<li><strong>Patients who need to come back in six months also fall through the cracks;</strong></li>
<li><strong>It&#8217;s difficult to find open time slots that fit a patient&#8217;s schedule;</strong></li>
<li><strong>Patients arrive without following requirements (i.e. wearing cosmetics to a dermatology appointment or forgetting insurance information);</strong></li>
<li><strong>The number of front desk staff required to handle duties shoots though the roof;</strong></li>
<li><strong>Other vital front desk responsibilities are affected because the scheduling is so time-consuming.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p>If your practice faces problems like these, here are seven scheduling principles that can increase practice revenue and enhance your patient care and service.</p>
<h3>1. Reduce billing errors with multi-column scheduling</h3>
<div style="float: right; width: 300px; padding-left: 25px;"><a title="Click to expand" href="http://spectrasoft.com/wp-content/uploads/ae-multi-column.png" target="_blank"><img src="http://spectrasoft.com/wp-content/uploads/ae-multi-column-300x139.png" alt="Multi-column medical scheduling" width="300" height="139" /></a></p>
<p style="font-size:11px; color:#000000"><strong>Multi-column resource scheduling allows you to schedule multiple patients in the same time slot with the same clinician. <a href="http://spectrasoft.com/wp-content/uploads/ae-multi-column.png" target="blank">Expand.</a></strong></p>
</div>
<div style="width: 250px;">If you schedule several patients in the same time slot, odds are you do it by creating several scheduling columns for the same clinician. This makes it difficult to generate accurate reports on productivity and billing. It also may defeat the compliance-checking features of your EMR or billing system.</p>
<p>A better solution is to schedule with a system that supports multi-column scheduling. All of the appointments are scheduled with the same resource, to simplify reporting and billing. For example, <a href="http://spectrasoft.com/ae">SpectraSoft&#8217;s AppointmentsEverywhere online scheduling</a> features columns that retract and expand as necessary for easy viewing of the entire schedule grid.</div>
<h3>2. Find open time slots in a busy schedule with PC logic</h3>
<p>A busy practice may be booked out for a month or more, with very few open time slots even after that date. Locating an appropriate opening on a traditional grid is very time consuming in these cases. A faster approach is &#8216;Find Appointment&#8217; logic:  you simply input the parameters of the appointment and let the system pull up the best available options. This is particularly valuable when booking recurring appointments, or visits involving multiple clinicians.</p>
<h3>3. Eliminate human error from the check-in process</h3>
<div style="float: right; width: 300px; padding-left: 25px;"><a title="Click to expand" href="http://spectrasoft.com/wp-content/uploads/ae-checkin.png" target="_blank"><img style="border: 1px solid black;" src="http://spectrasoft.com/wp-content/uploads/ae-checkin-300x192.png" border="1" alt="Check-in screen" width="300" height="192" /></a></p>
<p style="font-size:11px; color:#000000"><strong>A robust check-in screen helps a busy front desk ensure that nothing falls through the cracks: you see all the co-pays to be collected, the no-shows that need to be rescheduled, and you can easily track arrived and seen times. <a href="http://spectrasoft.com/wp-content/uploads/ae-checkin.png" target="blank">Expand.</a></strong></p>
</div>
<div style="width: 250px;">When a patient arrives, your front desk often has several responsibilities:</p>
<ul>
<li>Mark the patient &#8220;arrived&#8221;</li>
<li>Check insurance information</li>
<li>Collect any co-pays</li>
<li>Confirm important details (i.e. ate no food before lab test)</li>
</ul>
<p>Multiply all these requirement by dozens of patients per day (often arriving simultaneously) and you can see the potential for error and compromised care.</p>
<p>A unique check-in screen streamlines this process. All of the front desk&#8217;s responsibilities are summarized on this screen. In addition, you can track both &#8216;arrived&#8217; and &#8216;seen&#8217; times, allowing you to monitor average wait times and other aspects of patient care.</p></div>
<h3>4. Increase patient retention with a Recall List</h3>
<p>In many instances from melanoma patients to botox clients, you want to see the patient again at an appointed time in the future. Relying on the patient to remember the need to reschedule is not a best practice. An automated Recall List in your scheduling system locks in the process of reminding patients when they are due to schedule an appointment. This removes a large burden from your front desk and ensures these patients will indeed be rescheuled.</p>
<h3>5. Free your front desk to work smarter with an Appointment History</h3>
<div style="float: right; width: 300px; padding-left: 25px;"><a title="Click to expand" href="http://spectrasoft.com/wp-content/uploads/ae-appthistory.png" target="_blank"><img style="border: 1px solid black;" src="http://spectrasoft.com/wp-content/uploads/ae-appthistory-300x144.png" alt="Appointment history" width="300" height="144" /></a></p>
<p style="font-size:11px; color:#000000"><strong>The Appointment History instantly displays all past and future appointments. This is a great view to use when a patient needs to schedule a series of recurring appointments. <a href="http://spectrasoft.com/wp-content/uploads/ae-appthistory" target="blank">Expand.</a></strong></p>
</div>
<div style="width: 250px;">Your front desk is already swamped. The last thing they need is a phone call from a patient wondering, &#8220;When is my next appointment?&#8221; Again, this can be a frustrating, time-consuming search in many standard scheduling systems.</p>
<p>It pays to ensure you can instantly retrieve all of a patient&#8217;s past and future appointments with an Appointment History window. In seconds, your front desk  can answer the caller&#8217;s question and refocus on tasks at hand.</p></div>
<h3>6. Enhance patient service with online self-scheduling</h3>
<p>For returning patients who want to schedule regularly occurring  procedures like adjustments or dermabrasions, a patient portal not only reduces the workload on your staff, it also strengthens the relationship with the patient. Typically, you access the portal via  link from your website. A patient can see upcoming appointments, read announcements from the practice and request or even set their own appointments.</p>
<p>The practice holds specific times in the scheduling system for these appointments, and only these times are made available to the patient. Confirmations pop automatically for both the front desk and the patient when an appointment is made or requested.</p>
<h3>7. Reduce no-shows with automated text reminders</h3>
<p>In a high-traffic practice, your front desk simply won&#8217;t be able to call every scheduled patient every day. Even if they could, the odds of reaching most people during the work day are slim. An <a href="http://spectrasoft.com/practice-management-software/reduce-no-shows/automated-text-message-appointment-reminders/complete-text-reminder-system/">automated text reminder system</a> scans the schedule each day and sends texts to scheduled patients who have requested them. Texting has already proven to cut through the clutter better than the phone &#8212; even among much of the senior population.</div>
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		<title>Have payors turned your practice management upside down?</title>
		<link>http://www.spectrasoft.com/blog/have-payors-turned-your-practice-upside-down/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=have-payors-turned-your-practice-upside-down</link>
		<comments>http://www.spectrasoft.com/blog/have-payors-turned-your-practice-upside-down/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 18 Mar 2011 00:03:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>SpectraSoft</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://spectrasoft.com/?p=2188</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Insurance companies pummel you every month with meritless denials and underpayments. These hostile tactics add up to a fortune in write-offs — but the real cost to your practice is even higher! As you devote more of your time, resources and manpower to a billing solution that you hope can recapture those nickels and dimes, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Insurance companies pummel you every month with meritless denials and underpayments. These hostile tactics add up to a fortune in write-offs — but the real cost to your practice is even higher!</p>
<p>As you devote more of your time, resources and manpower to a billing solution that you hope can recapture those nickels and dimes, you have less to spend on what can truly grow your practice. The solution is simple: don’t take on those big-money payors at their own game&#8230;</p>
<p><span id="more-2188"></span></p>
<div class="main-box" style="float: right; width: 250px; padding-left: 15px;">
<div><img style="border: 1px solid black;" src="http://spectrasoft.com/wp-content/themes/spectrasoft/images/blogimage-ae.jpg" alt="See the future of web scheduling" width="220" height="105" /></div>
<h3 style="color:#000000">8 ways to build real revenue &#8212; by starting at the front desk</h3>
<p class="caption">The latest release of <a href="http://info.spectrasoft.com/AE-newrelease.html">SpectraSoft web-based scheduling</a> does more to streamline scheduling, reduce no-shows and increase revenue than ever before. Collect all the copays you&#8217;re owed&#8230;eliminate unauthorized visits&#8230;work faster&#8230;and protect yourself from costly compliance errors. <a href="http://info.spectrasoft.com/AE-newrelease.html">See 8 ways to put more money in your pocket&#8230;</a></p>
</div>
<div style="margin-right:15px">
<h3>Know the difference between billing and <em>revenue</em></h3>
<p>The natural reaction to payor denials is to focus on finding the &#8220;perfect&#8221; billing solution. Soon the billing system becomes the hub of your practice. Yet the denials keep coming&#8230;the appeal calls and letters still need to go out&#8230;and the more effort you put into billing, the less of a return you get back. All because payors keep on generating thousands of new claim rules every month.</p>
<p>Of course billing is important; and there are many great billing solutions to choose from. Yet even the best billing system can only submit claims for the work you have done. Real revenue comes from building a solid referral network. Retaining patients. Curbing no-shows. Boosting staff productivity. None of these revenue sources come from your billing system.</p>
<h3>Billing is important &#8212; but don&#8217;t let it &#8216;wag the dog&#8217;</h3>
<p>When you shift your focus from billing to revenue, you create new opportunities to grow your practice.</p>
<ul>
<li>Instead of settling for the scheduling module that comes with your billing system, look for the one that can do the most to reduce no-shows and enhance co-pay collection.</li>
<li>Instead of burdening your clinicians with an EMR that works with your billing, empower them with a system that makes them more productive and captures charges for 100% of the treatment they provide.</li>
<li>Instead of limiting your practice management to the reports in your billing system, find a solution that gives you a clear view of the factors affecting your practice growth.</li>
</ul>
<p>To repeat: of course billing is important; but if you try to beat payors at their own game, you will lose.  Put your focus on revenue, and you will be amazed at how the billing will take care of itself.</p></div>
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		<title>The &#8217;5-Minute&#8217; Practice Management Method</title>
		<link>http://www.spectrasoft.com/blog/5-minute-practice-management/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=5-minute-practice-management</link>
		<comments>http://www.spectrasoft.com/blog/5-minute-practice-management/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 10 Mar 2011 22:38:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>SpectraSoft</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://spectrasoft.com/?p=2134</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Most practice owners are too busy to look up all the statistics they wish they could. If you are looking to gain greater visibility of your practice and do more to help your people excel, consider this  &#8221;5-Minute Management&#8221; approach. It works on a number of different levels to help you &#8212; and your people &#8212; gain [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div style="margin-right:100px">
<p>Most practice owners are too busy to look up all the statistics they wish they could. If you are looking to gain greater visibility of your practice and do more to help your people excel, consider this  &#8221;5-Minute Management&#8221; approach. It works on a number of different levels to help you &#8212; and your people &#8212; gain greater control over the task of growing the practice.</p>
<p><strong><span id="more-2134"></span></strong></p>
<div class="main-box" style="float: right; width: 250px; margin-left:15px">
<div align="center"> <img src="http://spectrasoft.com/wp-content/themes/spectrasoft/images/image-ae-monitor.png" alt="Schedule a web demo" /></div>
<p class="caption">SpectraSoft <a href="http://www.spectrasoft.com/practice-management-software/medical-scheduling-software/patient-scheduling/saas-web-based-appointments/">web-based scheduling</a> instantly generates the reports you need for 5-Minute Management. It also streamlines your front desk with time-saving features like drag-and-drop scheduling, detailed authorization tracking and fast scheduling of complex recurring appointments. <a href="http://www.spectrasoft.com/spectrasoft-inc/web-demo/">See a web demo&#8230;</a></p>
</div>
<h3><strong>All it takes is three steps</strong></h3>
<p>Like the name implies, 5-Minute Management is designed to be simple:</p>
<p><strong>Step 1: Schedule 5-minute weekly meetings with each employee.</strong> &#8220;Schedule&#8221; means that you literally <em>put each meeting  in your practice scheduling system,</em> so that both of you will be free of conflicts.</p>
<p><strong> Step 2: Establish three to five performance goals for the employee</strong>. For your clinicians, these could be stats like percent utilization (how much of the day is actually spent with patients)&#8230;or early discharges (a good indicator of clinician-patient rapport). For your front desk, you may want to track the collection rate on co-pays or the number of unauthorized visits the practice has seen. Again these performance goals will vary by practice.</p>
<p><strong>Step 3: Require YOUR EMPLOYEE  to print the appropriate statistics for the meeting.</strong> This way, it’s not YOUR job to find these numbers, plus you&#8217;re giving your people a sense of ownership over their job responsibilities. </p>
<p>Then simply meet with the employee as scheduled, review the numbers and offer any appropriate feedback. Usually, that feedback is just basic common sense, but if you run into serious concerns, or workflow issues involving multiple staff, schedule a separate time to hash out a solution.</p>
<h3>Requirements</h3>
<p>Five-minute management requires two simple tools:</p>
<p><strong>(1) A practice management system that tracks these activities across your practice.</strong> You need consistent, objective numbers that don&#8217;t vary week-to-week or employee-to-employee.</p>
<p><strong>(2) Secure access that allows your people to run their reports themselves.</strong> If you expect people to compile these reports by hand, you are doomed to failure. In the same way, don&#8217;t expect your billing department to run all these reports for all your people week after week. This means your practice management system has to be accessible to everyone, yet include  security profiles that allow employees to access relevant data without seeing colleagues’ information.</p>
<h3>Benefits</h3>
<p><strong> </strong>Within a couple of weeks after implementing the 5-Minute Management System, you will know exactly how your practice is performing – without ever running a report yourself. You will also provide the accountability and availability most employees need to excel at their job.</p>
<p>This approach also helps reinforce the concept that every employee has a role to play in revenue. Your employees will find it’s actually very empowering when they are given the chance to prove their performance.</p>
<p>Along the way, you will also begin to lock in best practices. Your front desk will have to check in patients promptly and record co-pays accurately. Your therapists will need to complete documentation on time and note patient conditions that may negatively affect outcomes.</p>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>SpectraSoft is uniquely focused on enhancing your revenue with practice management tools you can&#8217;t find anywhere else &#8212; such as a detailed reporting system that makes key performance indicators available to everyone across your practice &#8212; not just the back office.  Let us know how &#8220;5-Minute-Management&#8221; works for you. <a href="mailto:editor@spectrasoft.com?subject=Re: 5-Minute Management">Send us an email</a> or <a href="http://spectrasoft.com/contact-us/">share your thoughts online.</a>
</div>
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		<title>3 simple ways to reduce no-shows</title>
		<link>http://www.spectrasoft.com/blog/reduce-no-shows-with-better-scheduling/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=reduce-no-shows-with-better-scheduling</link>
		<comments>http://www.spectrasoft.com/blog/reduce-no-shows-with-better-scheduling/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Feb 2011 21:13:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>SpectraSoft</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://spectrasoft.com/?p=2071</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[No-shows are one of the biggest revenue-killers affecting your practice. One way to protect that revenue is to enhance your scheduling process. Studies conducted at the University of Missouri and the University of Nebraska uncovered some fascinating insights about why patients miss appointments. Here are three simple changes you can make at the front desk [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>No-shows are one of the biggest revenue-killers affecting your practice. One way to protect that revenue is to enhance your scheduling process. Studies conducted at the University of Missouri and the University of Nebraska uncovered some fascinating insights about why patients miss appointments. Here are three simple changes you can make at the front desk to quickly increase your practice revenue&#8230;<br />
<span id="more-2071"></span></p>
<h3>1. Let the Patient Suggest the Appointment Time.</h3>
<p>According to a <a href="http://www.acpinternist.org/archives/2009/02/no-shows.htm">University of Missouri survey that looked at 11,000 scheduled patient visits</a>, when patients suggest the appointment time, the probability of a no-show drops dramatically. In fact the maker of the appointment controlled as much as one-third of the probability of whether the patient would show up! </p>
<div class="main-box" style="float: left; width: 185px; margin-right: 15px;"><a href="http://www.spectrasoft.com/practice-management-software/medical-scheduling-software/patient-scheduling/saas-web-based-appointments/"><img src="http://spectrasoft.com/wp-content/themes/spectrasoft/images/sidebar-ae.jpg" alt="Web-based medical scheduling" border="1" style="border:medium; border-color:#000000" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.spectrasoft.com/practice-management-software/medical-scheduling-software/patient-scheduling/saas-web-based-appointments/">Read about the advantages of web-based scheduling&#8230;</a>
</p>
</div>
<p>Schedulers with higher proportions of no-shows would schedule the first patient for Monday at 8 a.m., the second for Monday at 8:30, etc. The more successful schedulers started the conversation by asking patients, “When would you like to come in?”</p>
<p>Giving the patient more control can be a burden for your front desk if they don&#8217;t have adequate scheduling tools. That why SpectraSoft&#8217;s <a href="http://spectrasoft.com/ae">web scheduling system</a> offers unique features like drag-and-drop appointment-setting and a &#8216;Find Appointment&#8217; feature that eliminates tedious hunt-and-peck scheduling for a series of recurring visits.</p>
<h3>2. Check your wait times.</h3>
<p><a href="http://www.annfammed.org/cgi/content/full/2/6/541">A study by the University of Nebraska</a> found that a perceived lack of respect made patients more likely to miss appointments. A key reason for this perceived lack of respect: long wait times in the clinic. Encourage your front desk to use your <a href="http://www.spectrasoft.com/practice-management-software/medical-scheduling-software/">medical scheduling system</a> to properly mark patients as arrived and seen. This will allow you to generate accurate reports that help you monitor wait times and limit them to reasonable levels.</p>
<h3>3. Give special attention to high-risk appointments.</h3>
<p>The Missouri study also found that no-shows vary by type of appointment (first visit, check-up, follow-up, etc.) and by diagnosis. Use the reporting tools in your scheduling system to look for common causes of missed appointments. You may see higher no-show rates among patients with a particularly painful condition&#8230;a clinician who may not have the best rapport&#8230;or a commonly reported reason that can be addressed.</p>
<p><span style="background:#ffff66">For more ways to reduce no-shows, download our free white paper, <a href="http://www.spectrasoft.com/spectrasoft-inc/white-papers/no-shows-white-paper/">&#8220;8 Steps to Reduce No-Shows.&#8221;</a></span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		<title>Free White Paper: The Revenue Driven Physical Therapy Practice</title>
		<link>http://www.spectrasoft.com/blog/free-white-paper-the-revenue-driven-physical-therapy-practice/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=free-white-paper-the-revenue-driven-physical-therapy-practice</link>
		<comments>http://www.spectrasoft.com/blog/free-white-paper-the-revenue-driven-physical-therapy-practice/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 Feb 2011 16:10:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>SpectraSoft</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://spectrasoft.com/?p=2032</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[You may not have opened a physical therapy practice for the money, but you simply can&#8217;t achieve your practice goals without revenue. If you want to manage a successful practice, it takes revenue to&#8230; Deliver great care with the best resources Put the needs of patients ahead of payors Go home on time Reward staff [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>You may not have opened a physical therapy practice for the money, but you simply can&#8217;t achieve your practice goals without revenue. If you want to manage a successful practice, it takes revenue to&#8230;</p>
<ul class=bullet>
<strong>
<li>Deliver great care with the best resources</li>
<li>Put the needs of  patients ahead of payors</li>
<li>Go home on time</li>
<li>Reward staff and retain great clinicians</li>
<li>Take a vacation once in a while</li>
<p></strong>
</ul>
<p>SpectraSoft has specialized in enhancing the revenue from physical therapy practice management since 1993. <a href="http://www.spectrasoft.com/spectrasoft-inc/white-papers/unleashing-the-revenue-driven-practice/">Our latest white paper</a> explores ways to increase new patient volume&#8230;optimize the value of authorized care&#8230;achieve full reimbursement for your work&#8230;and reduce costly patient no-shows. Please download this free white paper and feel free to contact us if you have questions or comments.</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.spectrasoft.com/spectrasoft-inc/white-papers/unleashing-the-revenue-driven-practice/">FREE Download:  &#8221;Unleashing the Revenue-Driven Practice&#8221;</a><br />
</strong>
<ul>
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		<title>The Co-Pay Crisis</title>
		<link>http://www.spectrasoft.com/blog/the-co-pay-crisis/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=the-co-pay-crisis</link>
		<comments>http://www.spectrasoft.com/blog/the-co-pay-crisis/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 30 Nov 2010 23:41:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>SpectraSoft</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://spectrasoft.com/?p=1867</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Many providers are losing a fortune as skyrocketing insurance co-pays cut even deeper into revenue. One PT estimates that 20% of his referrals never convert into patients &#8212; due to financial concerns. It&#8217;s no wonder when some Medicare replacement policies require a $50 co-pay per visit and other payors cover as little as $30 per [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Many providers are losing a fortune as skyrocketing insurance co-pays cut even deeper into revenue. One PT estimates that 20% of his referrals never convert into patients &#8212; due to financial concerns.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s no wonder when <a href="http://blog.myphysicaltherapyspace.com/2011/02/excessively-hi-copays-in-physicaltherapy-how-you-can-help.html">some Medicare replacement policies require a $50 co-pay per visit</a> and other payors cover as little as $30 per appointment, leaving the rest to the patient. The result: many patients opt out of care completely while others schedule a series of visits, but cancel half of them. Here are five steps you can take to survive this Co-Pay Crisis.<span id="more-1867"></span></p>
<h3>1. Convert Referrals Into Patients</h3>
<p>When you receive a physician referral, do everything you can to lock in that first face-to-face visit. Once a patient experiences actual care for their ailment and concern for their pain, the perceived value of continued treatment rises greatly. When referred patients balk at coming in, consider a &#8220;first visit free&#8221; offer (within the limits of your payor agreement and patient demographics), free literature regarding their condition, or some  other incentive to get them through the door that first time.</p>
<h3>2. Sell Your Care Plan</h3>
<p>You may think S-E-L-L is a four-letter word, but when financial concerns cause a patient to opt out of vital treatment, those fears threaten their health just as much as a shattered knee cap. Their quality of life <em>depends </em>on your ability to convince them that good health is a great investment.</p>
<p>Start by reviewing your care plan and the benefits the patient can expect: you will be able to walk pain-free&#8230;play with your grandchildren&#8230;live life without pain-killing drugs.  Make sure your patient fully fully understands the benefits of care and the ramifications of declining treatment.</p>
<p>After you have reviewed the benefits of care, you need to discuss the costs. The subject of money has always been &#8220;taboo&#8221;  &#8211; both for patients and providers &#8212; but you simply must overcome this reluctance for the best interest of the patient.</p>
<p>You or an experienced staff member should review the expected costs and resources available to the patient, and ways to address a lack of funds. Ultimately, you need the patient to believe that &#8220;Yes, my health is worth this cost.&#8221;</p>
<h3>3. Make Paying Easier</h3>
<p>When patients see the need for care but voice concerns about the ability to pay, strive to ease this burden. For example:</p>
<ul class="bullets" style="font-family:verdana; font-weight:bold">
<li>Equip your practice to accept credit cards;</li>
<li>Sign up for a patient care financing program like <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.carecredit.com/" target="_blank">CareCredit</a>;</li>
<li>Perhaps you are able and would be willing to collect the patient&#8217;s share of the expense over an extended period of time.</li>
</ul>
<p>You also need to consider how you can alter your care plan. For instance, physical therapists can add  tools like <a href="http://spectrasoft.com/practice-management-software/reduce-no-shows/physical-therapy-home-exercise-videos/" target="_blank">web-based home exercise videos</a> that enhance outcomes while reducing some of the cost for the patient.</p>
<h3>4. Schedule Best Practices</h3>
<p>Use your <a href="http://spectrasoft.com/practice-management-software/medical-scheduling-software/" target="_blank">appointment scheduling software</a> to its fullest advantage by scheduling more than care. Book intake and outtake times with each patient before and after every visit.  Use the intake to verify insurance and collect co-pays.</p>
<p>After treatment, make sure that the provider or a staff member spends just a minute to confirm that their health is progressing on schedule, answer any questions and motivate them to continue with their care plan.</p>
<p>When you put these items on the schedule, you can mark the patient as &#8220;seen&#8221; after each and know that these tasks were indeed completed.</p>
<h3>5.  Always Affirm</h3>
<p>Everyone in your practice that comes in contact with your patients has a role to play in affirming and motivating their commitment to health. The same is true of your patient communications. As we mentioned last time: <a href="http://spectrasoft.com/blog/no-shows-do-patients-really-forget-appointments/" target="_blank">Patients don&#8217;t forget that they have appointments, <em>they forget why they need to show up.</em> </a></p>
<p>Make sure your appointment reminder messages don&#8217;t just state the day and time of the next visit, but also the importance of attending in order to achieve the best outcome. <a name="sound"></a></p>
<h3><strong>6. Help us make this post better &#8212; share your thoughts and questions </strong></h3>
<p>Let your colleagues know how you are combatting the co-pay crisis &#8212; provide your comments, ideas and questions below, or share this post on your favorite social media site or forum&#8230;</p>
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