Practice Management Alert

Question: The paperwork never ends! We’re a small practice with only two physicians, and I’m worried they’re facing burnout. They see a lot of patients, but staying late every night to keep up with the paperwork is really dragging them — and everyone else in the office — down. Do I have any options, short of ordering up a few more hours in the day?

Idaho Subscriber

Answer: Many providers and staff feel overwhelmed by the increasing administrative burden — and the risks if all the i’s aren’t dotted just so. Figuring out which tasks the physicians can delegate to others is a good first step.

While one option is to provide more training and education for current staff so they can help shoulder some of the work that isn’t related to the delivery of care, current employees may feel like they already have too much on their plates, too. If your office can find the budget to hire some dedicated administrative support staff, even to work part-time, you may be able to boost morale all around. Just make sure you take local, state, and federal laws into account when determining an hourly rate or salary, or when hiring a specialized vendor to complete some services on your behalf.