Practice Management Alert

Organize information resources so they’re accessible to staff, regardless of their location.

With many employees and potential employees banking on more work/life flexibility, remote and hybrid work is becoming more common for jobs where responsibilities allow being outside the office. If you want to keep everyone updated on the kind of information and resources they need to do their jobs well, you need to prioritize organization and accessibility.

“A shared drive is a resource available for anyone who needs it, regardless of location. It can be updated in real time, so no one is ever using outdated resources,” says Christine Speroni, CPC, administrative office manager at NHPP Gynecologic Oncology in Ronkonkoma, New York.

What’s a Shared Drive?

A shared drive is an organization and storage system where folders and files are stored in a central network that allows access by team members on different devices. Depending on the permission settings configured for each file, team members are able to view, edit, and collaboratively work on files. The person who creates the system can designate an individual as a manager, and that person can organize files into folders, make sure the appropriate team members have the access they need (or don’t need), and add or delete information, as necessary.

Large companies offer different shared drive options; you may have heard of Google Drive, Sharepoint, OneDrive, and Dropbox. There are also smaller companies that offer more niche products (and more hands-on tech support).

Some shared drive systems are compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), so make sure you research your preferred option, if this feature is important to the information you need to store and share on a shared drive. Regardless of whether the information you need to manage is protected health information (PHI), make sure you make cybersecurity a priority in setting up and facilitating any shared drive.

Remember, if you need a shared drive that is HIPAA-compliant, you probably also need the hosting service to sign a business associate agreement (BAA) contract.

How is a Shared Drive Useful?

A shared drive can be the perfect way to connect team members and keep them up to date with the information they need without overwhelming them with email. If you work with remote coders, think of a shared drive as an ideal place to keep cheat sheets, tips, or notes that you want people to have while working.

It’s also a great place to keep a document of most-used codes and targeted updated codes. Make sure to keep any document with changing information labeled with the date it was last updated so team members know they’re working with the latest, most accurate resources and information.

If your team members are involved in any external-facing writing, consider adding a “house style” document to your shared drive so everyone knows which persnickety grammar or punctuation or formatting guidelines to keep consistent across the team. You can also add preferred office email signatures, practice-logo video meeting backgrounds, and other resources that help maintain a sense of consistent professionalism, regardless of whether a team member is physically in the office.

Don’t forget a folder for educational materials. If your practice uses continuing education, you may have electronic resources hosted on specialized websites or platforms or through professional associations, but “back to basics” kind of stuff may be well-suited to an always accessible folder on a shared drive.

Some Team Education May be Necessary

There are a few potential drawbacks to a shared drive, but all are manageable with a little education and preparation. Depending on how your shared drive is set up, files, folders, or the information within a file may be subject to the vagaries of an errant typo or deletion.