Being a doctor and running a private practice is not an excuse to skip the fun. You even need a lot since you are in a highly demanding, competitive, pressure-cooker field.
However, you should manage your business like a well-oiled machine. If you’re a healthcare professional who wants to travel and unwind, these tips will help you:
1. Get Someone to Do the Billing
While some patients prefer to pay out of pocket, most do through their health insurance. To earn, you need to submit the billing documents to these providers. It’s not the most pleasant experience for many reasons:
- Insurance providers process hundreds of billing documents every day.
- Mistakes in billing codes can set you back to square one. Don’t expect the insurers to pay you either.
- The process is lengthy.
- Billing is routine, but it takes significant time you can dedicate to improving your skills and taking care of patients.
Fortunately, you now have options. Companies like Physicians Management Network Inc. can provide you with platforms you can access anytime, anywhere. Even if you’re a small practice, you can have a reliable medical coding and billing team to help you.
2. Offer Teleconsult
The popularity of telehealth continues to soar. According to the American Hospital Association (AHA), its use in hospitals increased to 76% in 2017 from not over 40% in 2010. Meanwhile, 61% of these healthcare facilities are using technology to monitor their patients remotely.
You can also use the same concept to bring your business anywhere you go. One area you can focus on is teleconsult, where you provide medical advice through the following phone or video call and email.
Tools, such as Skype and Facetime, allow you to do that at almost no extra cost on your end. You can pass on the savings to your patients or use it to your competitive advantage. For example, offer x free consultations to those who need regular monitoring.
3. Share Your Practice with Someone Else
Somewhere is a person who dreams of being just like you—independent, strong-willed, and entrepreneurial. The problem is they lack the opportunity to show what they can offer. You can pave the way for them by sharing your private practice.
How will this work? On days when you are taking a break, you let another doctor take over the clinic or work. Both can oversee the same patients (because two heads are still better than one) or maintain your respective list—it all depends on your agreement. Either way, you have one less thing to worry about when you enjoy your vacation.
Know Your Limits
Fact: you are not immune to anxiety, depression, and stress. When the going gets tough, consider the following to help you manage your mental health and stress:
- Honor your working hours unless you’re dealing with an emergency.
- Find a time to take a break, whether it’s a Sunday day-off or weeklong trip overseas.
- Exercise. Workouts like HIIT show you can get excellent results for less than 30 minutes.
You also cannot take care of others if you cannot do the same thing for yourself. With these ideas, you can embrace the fun, run your private practice properly, and not feel guilty for taking a break.
