With government mandates, financial incentives, and the looming realities of ICD-10 and accountable care (ACOs), there is increasing pressure on clinical practices to achieve Meaningful Use of electronic records (EHRs). Although some have made the transition relatively smoothly, many have struggled with implementation delays, productivity slowdowns, unexpected costs, and marginal outcomes. Clearly there’s a big difference between simply...

Whether your primary objective is to achieve Meaningful Use and qualify for government incentive payments — or your goal is to use EHR technology to improve productivity, efficiency and clinical outcomes in your practice or healthcare facility, one thing is certain, without full buy-in from everyone on your staff, you are not likely to realize the benefits you want from your EHR investment. Study after study has shown that when an EHR...

In your quest to achieve higher performance and productivity from your healthcare team, you might want to add this item to your management toolkit – simple appreciation. While many healthcare leaders continue to view financial rewards as the ultimate motivators, tighter budgets are forcing them to explore other alternatives — and just as well. While cash bonuses will always be welcome, a simple “thank you” packs a much...

It goes without saying that if you want a high performing practice, you need to have a high performing staff. And while hiring the right people to begin with is a big part of the equation, there’s a lot you can do right now to bring out the best in your people – regardless who they are, and regardless how they have performed in the past. A great example of the power of management to motivate employees comes from Toyota. In the early...