Dos and don'ts for practice efficiency: Document systems for repeatability

Practice systems are the steps team members follow to perform specific tasks in the office, such as constructing the daily schedule, presenting financing options, interacting with first-time callers, etc. Used properly by the team, the right systems will hit specific performance targets consistently and repeatedly. Doing so requires that they be documented step by step.

Go through the process, writing down every step. Imagine an inexperienced staff member who must use a system for the first time. Write down careful instructions for this person to follow, thinking the entire process through to a successful conclusion. This is the basic documentation. Use it to create a written checklist team members can use to brush up on the operation, as well as scripting to train staff and guide interactions with patients. Assemble the documentation into an all-systems manual for the practice and update it whenever needed.

Don't be put off by the initial work this requires -- it gets easier. After documenting systems, keeping the documentation up-to-date is easy. Most important, the rewards for the practice -- in efficiency, repeatability, growth, and profitability -- are well worth the initial effort.