In her 16 years with Old Harding Pediatric Associates, Jerrianne Allen has witnessed her fair share of change in the continuously evolving field of medical practice management.
Operations manager for the large pediatric practice and current president of the Nashville Medical Group Management Association, Allen knows her experiences mirror those of colleagues throughout the city, state and country who are grappling with transformative change. One of the biggest challenges, she said, is simply keeping up with all the criteria practices have to meet in the highly regulated healthcare industry.
“I think the biggest change I’ve witnessed was from paper to EMR and then the guidelines that come along with EMR,” she said of OHPA’s transition from paper to electronic records, which now includes proof of meaningful use, increased specificity of documentation and transitioning to ICD-10 codes. “The changes that have come affect the front all the way to the back,” she added of the impact on everyone in the practice.
“All the changes that we’re faced with … all the criteria and all the guidelines … affect how we treat and manage patient care,” Allen said. “For us, the challenge is keeping our connection with the patient and continuing to engage with them and not become so distracted by the requirements that we lose our initial focus,” she noted of a universal concern facing practices across the country.
“We can’t stare at a screen to make sure we hit all the requirements and not look up and engage patients and parents. When they walk out of our office, we want them to feel like they were listened to and treated with compassion and had a good experience … and not that we were just focused on our documentation and charting,” she said.
Despite the growing pains while transitioning to an EMR and the lure of focusing on a screen instead of the patient, Allen said the benefits of technology far outweigh the regulatory burdens that come with it. In fact, she added, practices that don’t embrace technology are at real risk of being left behind.
As a pediatric office, Allen noted OHPA’s target audience is young to middle-age parents and their toddlers and teens. “Our patients (including parents) are smart. They know technology … it’s second nature to them,” she said, adding social media provides the practice another tool for enhanced engagement.
The patient portal is central to the practice’s online communications efforts. Through the portal, Allen said parents can ask questions, set appointments and request prescription refills or forms at their convenience … whether that’s 3 o’clock in the afternoon or during a 3 a.m. feeding. It also plays a central role in meeting certain facets of meaningful use.
Allen said one of the biggest advantages of the EMR is the reporting capability that allows the practice to tailor information to meet the needs of specific populations. Whether it’s an email blast to all patients with broad-based reminders or a sorted communiqué to a specific age group with a notice that it’s time for a vaccine, the technology supports the practice’s commitment to well care and prevention.
“Sometimes I’m surprised by practices that don’t have an EMR,” she added of those still reliant on paper records. Allen said at this point everyone should at least be planning to convert to electronic records and budgeting for the change.
The next great challenge for practices, she continued, is conversion to ICD-10 coding. “I think it’s important to still keep moving forward and use the extra time to our advantage,” Allen noted, adding practices should be assessing software and then testing processes to minimize reimbursement disruptions.
In addition to the challenges inherent in running physician offices, Allen said savvy practice managers also must recognize there is increased competition for patients. Noting we live in a ‘fast food world,’ Allen said practices have to demonstrate their value and be accessible to patients since there are now walk-in clinics on just about every corner. It’s important, she said, to help patients understand the benefit and need for continuity of care.
Rather than just being an isolated appointment, Allen said the goal is to use personal knowledge aided by technology to help patients optimize their time and health. “Hey, we see you’re behind on this vaccine. Or you’re in for an ear infection today, but how is your asthma?” she said of ways to maximize the value of each appointment to the patient’s benefit.
“We want them to walk away feeling like they got something they couldn’t get elsewhere,” she concluded.
Tapping into NMGMA
Jerrianne Allen said the Nashville Medical Group Management Association welcomes both practice managers and affiliate members including consultants and vendors. “Our goal is to be a valuable organization for practice managers to gain knowledge and information, but we also provide the resources needed to help them accomplish all their goals,” said Allen, who serves as the 2013/14 NMGMA president.
Upcoming programs include information on communicating with millennials, providing outstanding customer service, addressing fraud and abuse, and exploring the intersection of medicine and technology. Programming, which is held on the second Tuesday of the month at Saint Thomas West Hospital, is open to members and guests.
For more information on NMGMA or to register for an upcoming program, visit nmgma.com.
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