Practice Transformation Resources From Family Practice Management
Family Practice Management has published numerous practical articles to help family physicians transform their practices. A collection of links to the best articles, many of which include hands-on tools, is presented below.
Access improvement
Answers to Your Questions About Same-Day Scheduling
The concept's founder explains how to do "today's work today" and improve patient access to your practice.
The Outcomes of Open-Access Scheduling: Beyond Patient Satisfaction
Good things happen when patients are seen "today" by their own physicians.
Same-Day Appointments: Exploding the Access Paradigm
To gain control over your schedule, you must do the unthinkable: Offer every patient an appointment for today.
The concept's founder explains how to do "today's work today" and improve patient access to your practice.
The Outcomes of Open-Access Scheduling: Beyond Patient Satisfaction
Good things happen when patients are seen "today" by their own physicians.
Same-Day Appointments: Exploding the Access Paradigm
To gain control over your schedule, you must do the unthinkable: Offer every patient an appointment for today.
Chronic disease care
Asthma Days: An Approach to Planned Asthma Care
Find out how one practice has improved care and outcomes for its asthma patients and increased practice revenue at the same time.
Includes an asthma visit documentation form.
Improving Chronic Illness Care: Lessons Learned in a Private Practice
The chronic care model offers a proactive, organized approach that can improve outcomes and satisfaction, but no paradigm shift comes easy.
Includes a sample patient care report and a physician rankings report.
Using a Simple Patient Registry to Improve Your Chronic Disease Care
Who needs an EHR? Software you already have can help you make sure your patients get the care they need.
Includes a downloadable Excel registry.
Six-article series on diabetes care improvement:
Improving Chronic Disease Care in the Real World: A Step-by-Step Approach
Tag along as we follow a network of physicians on the first leg of a 13-month journey to redesign their diabetes care one step at a time.
Building a Patient Registry From the Ground Up
By identifying your patients by condition, you can be more proactive in getting them the care they need.
Helping Patients Take Charge of Their Chronic Illnesses
The best thing you can do for your patients with chronic diseases is to let them run with the ball.
Includes a patient handout on blood pressure.
Using Flow Sheets to Improve Diabetes Care
Has Mrs. Jones had a recent eye exam? Are her HbA1c levels improving? A diabetes flow sheet will let you know at a glance.
Includes a sample diabetes flow sheet.
Making Diabetes Checkups More Fruitful
"Pre-planning" can turn scattered encounters into efficient, productive visits.
Includes a diabetes visit reminder letter, an annual diabetes questionnaire for patients and a diabetes encounter form.
13 Months of Quality Improvement: Did It Work?
When 45 doctors and their staffs decide to redesign their diabetes care system, success comes one step at a time.
Includes seven QI tips.
Find out how one practice has improved care and outcomes for its asthma patients and increased practice revenue at the same time.
Includes an asthma visit documentation form.
Improving Chronic Illness Care: Lessons Learned in a Private Practice
The chronic care model offers a proactive, organized approach that can improve outcomes and satisfaction, but no paradigm shift comes easy.
Includes a sample patient care report and a physician rankings report.
Using a Simple Patient Registry to Improve Your Chronic Disease Care
Who needs an EHR? Software you already have can help you make sure your patients get the care they need.
Includes a downloadable Excel registry.
Six-article series on diabetes care improvement:
Improving Chronic Disease Care in the Real World: A Step-by-Step Approach
Tag along as we follow a network of physicians on the first leg of a 13-month journey to redesign their diabetes care one step at a time.
Building a Patient Registry From the Ground Up
By identifying your patients by condition, you can be more proactive in getting them the care they need.
Helping Patients Take Charge of Their Chronic Illnesses
The best thing you can do for your patients with chronic diseases is to let them run with the ball.
Includes a patient handout on blood pressure.
Using Flow Sheets to Improve Diabetes Care
Has Mrs. Jones had a recent eye exam? Are her HbA1c levels improving? A diabetes flow sheet will let you know at a glance.
Includes a sample diabetes flow sheet.
Making Diabetes Checkups More Fruitful
"Pre-planning" can turn scattered encounters into efficient, productive visits.
Includes a diabetes visit reminder letter, an annual diabetes questionnaire for patients and a diabetes encounter form.
13 Months of Quality Improvement: Did It Work?
When 45 doctors and their staffs decide to redesign their diabetes care system, success comes one step at a time.
Includes seven QI tips.
E-visits
Virtual Office Visits: A Reachable and Reimbursable Innovation
They’re convenient, they’re efficient, and for a growing number of physicians, they pay.
They’re convenient, they’re efficient, and for a growing number of physicians, they pay.
Financial management
Making Your Balance Sheet Work for You
Once you know how to read it, your balance sheet will tell you volumes about the financial health of your practice.
Monitoring Your Practice's Financial Data: 10 Vital Signs
Knowing your collection rate and overhead percentage isn't enough anymore. Here are 10 questions you need to be able to answer.
Panning for Gold: How to Find Money in Your Practice
Here are some tips for cutting your expenses and increasing your revenue -- without losing staff.
Ten Ways Family Practices Lose Money
Learn how to plug the leaks that deplete your practice's income.
Three Steps to an Effective Practice Budget
By tracking your expenses and comparing them to benchmarks, you can create a practice budget that's useful and easy to maintain.
Includes a chart to track standard expense categories.
Once you know how to read it, your balance sheet will tell you volumes about the financial health of your practice.
Monitoring Your Practice's Financial Data: 10 Vital Signs
Knowing your collection rate and overhead percentage isn't enough anymore. Here are 10 questions you need to be able to answer.
Panning for Gold: How to Find Money in Your Practice
Here are some tips for cutting your expenses and increasing your revenue -- without losing staff.
Ten Ways Family Practices Lose Money
Learn how to plug the leaks that deplete your practice's income.
Three Steps to an Effective Practice Budget
By tracking your expenses and comparing them to benchmarks, you can create a practice budget that's useful and easy to maintain.
Includes a chart to track standard expense categories.
Group visits
Group Visits 101
Group visits can improve patient care and relieve you from the treadmill of office practice. Here's how to get started.
Includes a group visit invitation.
Group Visits for Chronic Illness Care: Models, Benefits and Challenges
With proper planning, group visits can expand your options for managing the care of chronically ill patients.
Group Visits Hit the Road
By taking group visits to his elderly patients, this physician found a way to meet their needs and those of his practice -- and have fun at the same time.
Includes a group-visit documentation form and a sample agenda.
Planning Group Visits for High-Risk Patients
You'll not only have more satisfied patients and better compliance, but you'll also be compensated for your services.
Includes a type-2 diabetes progress note for group visits.
Group visits can improve patient care and relieve you from the treadmill of office practice. Here's how to get started.
Includes a group visit invitation.
Group Visits for Chronic Illness Care: Models, Benefits and Challenges
With proper planning, group visits can expand your options for managing the care of chronically ill patients.
Group Visits Hit the Road
By taking group visits to his elderly patients, this physician found a way to meet their needs and those of his practice -- and have fun at the same time.
Includes a group-visit documentation form and a sample agenda.
Planning Group Visits for High-Risk Patients
You'll not only have more satisfied patients and better compliance, but you'll also be compensated for your services.
Includes a type-2 diabetes progress note for group visits.
Innovation and change
Implementing Change: From Ideas to Reality
How do you get your group to defy the status quo and act on good ideas? It starts with vision, teamwork and some fire in the belly.
Innovation in Practice: Six Ways to Harness the Power of Your Ideas
With a clear aim, some basic innovation tools and a willingness to experiment, your team can produce some remarkable ideas.
Includes eight tips for innovation.
Why Did That Idea Flop?
Three common mistakes will ensure your good ideas never fly.
How do you get your group to defy the status quo and act on good ideas? It starts with vision, teamwork and some fire in the belly.
Innovation in Practice: Six Ways to Harness the Power of Your Ideas
With a clear aim, some basic innovation tools and a willingness to experiment, your team can produce some remarkable ideas.
Includes eight tips for innovation.
Why Did That Idea Flop?
Three common mistakes will ensure your good ideas never fly.
Measurement
The FPM Practice Self-Test
Here's an easy way to gauge how well your practice is doing in everything from quality of care to quality of claims.
Includes a link to FPM’s free online practice assessment.
Putting Measurement Into Practice With a Clinical Instrument Panel
A few key measures can help you gauge whether your practice is headed in the right direction.
Here's an easy way to gauge how well your practice is doing in everything from quality of care to quality of claims.
Includes a link to FPM’s free online practice assessment.
Putting Measurement Into Practice With a Clinical Instrument Panel
A few key measures can help you gauge whether your practice is headed in the right direction.
Office redesign and efficiency
Five Strategies for a More Vital Practice
Frustrated with the status quo? Here's how to take your practice from so-so to stellar.
Includes a quick practice assessment.
Huddles: Improve Office Efficiency in Mere Minutes
Daily gatherings of your care team can help you meet daily challenges.
Includes a suggested huddle agenda.
Improving Office Practice: Working Smarter, Not Harder
Seemingly simple strategies can transform your practice.
Includes a pre-appointment questionnaire for patients, a post-appointment order sheet and sample dictation templates.
Making Every Minute Count: Tools to Improve Office Efficiency
Using proven techniques borrowed from the business world, you can eliminate bottlenecks and waste in your practice.
Includes 10 rules for an efficient process, a sample flow map, a cycle time measurement sheet and a sample cause-and-effect diagram.
Quick Ways to Maximize Your Office Space
Try these strategies today that have worked for TransforMED practices.
Seven Strategies for Creating a More Efficient Practice
Simple, low-cost technologies and strategic outsourcing have helped this solo physician practice efficiently, even without any staff.
Strategies for Better Patient Flow and Cycle Time
These tried-and-true techniques will increase revenue, reduce expenses and improve satisfaction with your practice.
Thirteen Ways to Be More Efficient
The key isn't always to work harder. Sometimes working smarter really can make a difference.
Frustrated with the status quo? Here's how to take your practice from so-so to stellar.
Includes a quick practice assessment.
Huddles: Improve Office Efficiency in Mere Minutes
Daily gatherings of your care team can help you meet daily challenges.
Includes a suggested huddle agenda.
Improving Office Practice: Working Smarter, Not Harder
Seemingly simple strategies can transform your practice.
Includes a pre-appointment questionnaire for patients, a post-appointment order sheet and sample dictation templates.
Making Every Minute Count: Tools to Improve Office Efficiency
Using proven techniques borrowed from the business world, you can eliminate bottlenecks and waste in your practice.
Includes 10 rules for an efficient process, a sample flow map, a cycle time measurement sheet and a sample cause-and-effect diagram.
Quick Ways to Maximize Your Office Space
Try these strategies today that have worked for TransforMED practices.
Seven Strategies for Creating a More Efficient Practice
Simple, low-cost technologies and strategic outsourcing have helped this solo physician practice efficiently, even without any staff.
Strategies for Better Patient Flow and Cycle Time
These tried-and-true techniques will increase revenue, reduce expenses and improve satisfaction with your practice.
Thirteen Ways to Be More Efficient
The key isn't always to work harder. Sometimes working smarter really can make a difference.
Patient-centered care and service
Building a Mind-Set of Service Excellence
Here's how to assess and improve the level of service your practice is currently providing.
Includes a “moment-of-truth” worksheet and a model for improvement worksheet.
Helping Patients Take Charge of Their Chronic Illnesses
The best thing you can do for your patients with chronic diseases is to let them run with the ball.
Includes a patient handout on blood pressure.
Improving Service and Increasing Patient Satisfaction
What keeps patients coming back to the same practice? The author's answer may surprise you.
Includes 10 service standards.
Patient-Centered Care for Better Patient Adherence
Help your patients become medical decision makers who take an active role in their own care.
Here's how to assess and improve the level of service your practice is currently providing.
Includes a “moment-of-truth” worksheet and a model for improvement worksheet.
Helping Patients Take Charge of Their Chronic Illnesses
The best thing you can do for your patients with chronic diseases is to let them run with the ball.
Includes a patient handout on blood pressure.
Improving Service and Increasing Patient Satisfaction
What keeps patients coming back to the same practice? The author's answer may surprise you.
Includes 10 service standards.
Patient-Centered Care for Better Patient Adherence
Help your patients become medical decision makers who take an active role in their own care.
Quality improvement
The KISS Principle in Family Practice: Keep It Simple and Systematic
A clear, deliberate, consistent approach will beat the alternative every time.
Three-part series on QI:
Quality Improvement: First Steps
QI can bring about substantial, lasting, positive change in your practice. It all begins with identifying the opportunities.
A Team Approach to Quality Improvement
To realize change, rely on the knowledge and experience of a team such as the authors', which improved the care of patients with diabetes.
Holding the Gains in Quality Improvement
In QI, enacting a positive change within your practice isn't the end. You must continue moving forward.
A clear, deliberate, consistent approach will beat the alternative every time.
Three-part series on QI:
Quality Improvement: First Steps
QI can bring about substantial, lasting, positive change in your practice. It all begins with identifying the opportunities.
A Team Approach to Quality Improvement
To realize change, rely on the knowledge and experience of a team such as the authors', which improved the care of patients with diabetes.
Holding the Gains in Quality Improvement
In QI, enacting a positive change within your practice isn't the end. You must continue moving forward.
Safety
Four Principles for Better Test-Result Tracking
Lost or misfiled test results can delay needed care. Here's how to prevent this common error in office-based practice.
The Power of Two: Improving Patient Safety Through Better Physician-Patient Communication
Helping patients become more informed and involved in their care could be your best strategy for reducing medical errors.
Includes a patient handout on preventing medical errors.
Prescription Writing to Maximize Patient Safety
These tips can help you avoid two important causes of prescription error.
Reducing Risks for Patients Receiving Warfarin
These practices built safety into their systems for managing oral anticoagulation therapy.
Reliability Science: Reducing the Error Rate in Your Practice
These seven principles can help ensure that your patients receive the right care at the right time every time.
Lost or misfiled test results can delay needed care. Here's how to prevent this common error in office-based practice.
The Power of Two: Improving Patient Safety Through Better Physician-Patient Communication
Helping patients become more informed and involved in their care could be your best strategy for reducing medical errors.
Includes a patient handout on preventing medical errors.
Prescription Writing to Maximize Patient Safety
These tips can help you avoid two important causes of prescription error.
Reducing Risks for Patients Receiving Warfarin
These practices built safety into their systems for managing oral anticoagulation therapy.
Reliability Science: Reducing the Error Rate in Your Practice
These seven principles can help ensure that your patients receive the right care at the right time every time.
Teamwork and staff management
Creating a High-Performing Clinical Team
Delivering top-notch care requires more than individual skill and motivation.
Five Ways to Retain Good Staff
The most effective strategies won't cost you a dime.
How to Make Your Meetings More Productive
By gathering the right people, using your time wisely and focusing on action, you'll conduct meetings everyone will want to attend.
Ideas for Optimizing Your Nursing Staff
Wise utilization of your nursing staff will improve efficiency, patient care and your bottom line.
Job Satisfaction: Putting Theory Into Practice
Yes, it is possible for you and your employees to be happy on the job. The key is in how you handle two factors: motivation and 'hygiene.'
Includes a tool to assess your practice in key areas that affect job satisfaction.
Seven Characteristics of Successful Work Relationships
Your clinical and financial success may depend on work relationships within your practice.
Includes a work relationship assessment form.
Delivering top-notch care requires more than individual skill and motivation.
Five Ways to Retain Good Staff
The most effective strategies won't cost you a dime.
How to Make Your Meetings More Productive
By gathering the right people, using your time wisely and focusing on action, you'll conduct meetings everyone will want to attend.
Ideas for Optimizing Your Nursing Staff
Wise utilization of your nursing staff will improve efficiency, patient care and your bottom line.
Job Satisfaction: Putting Theory Into Practice
Yes, it is possible for you and your employees to be happy on the job. The key is in how you handle two factors: motivation and 'hygiene.'
Includes a tool to assess your practice in key areas that affect job satisfaction.
Seven Characteristics of Successful Work Relationships
Your clinical and financial success may depend on work relationships within your practice.
Includes a work relationship assessment form.
Technology and EHRs
An EHR User-Satisfaction Survey: Advice From 408 Family Physicians
Contemplating the purchase of an EHR? Results of our informal survey may help.
EHRs in the Exam Room: Tips on Patient-Centered Care
With a thoughtful approach, you can maintain your focus on the patient.
EHRs Fix Everything - and Nine Other Myths
Realistic expectations can help your conversion to electronic health records succeed.
How to Select an Electronic Health Record System
These 12 steps will help make the selection process easier and lead you to the EHR that's right for your practice.
Includes a request for proposal outline, an EHR rating form, questions to ask EHR references and a vendor rating tool.
How to Successfully Navigate Your EHR Implementation
These clues can help you avoid the pitfalls you'll encounter on your EHR journey.
Improving Care With an Automated Patient History
The best way to fill your EHR with patient data might be to let your patients do it themselves.
Purchasing an Affordable Electronic Health Record
An economy model may provide all the functionality your practice needs.
Using a Simple Patient Registry to Improve Your Chronic Disease Care
Who needs an EHR? Software you already have can help you make sure your patients get the care they need.
Includes a downloadable Excel registry.
Why I Love My EMR
Two years after he took his practice digital, the author addresses the concerns of others who contemplate leaving paper records behind.
Includes a table to determine how much you can save by switching from paper records to an electronic medical record system.
Why It's Time to Purchase an Electronic Health Record System
The old reasons for holding off may have lost their validity.
Includes an EHR cost/benefit worksheet.
Contemplating the purchase of an EHR? Results of our informal survey may help.
EHRs in the Exam Room: Tips on Patient-Centered Care
With a thoughtful approach, you can maintain your focus on the patient.
EHRs Fix Everything - and Nine Other Myths
Realistic expectations can help your conversion to electronic health records succeed.
How to Select an Electronic Health Record System
These 12 steps will help make the selection process easier and lead you to the EHR that's right for your practice.
Includes a request for proposal outline, an EHR rating form, questions to ask EHR references and a vendor rating tool.
How to Successfully Navigate Your EHR Implementation
These clues can help you avoid the pitfalls you'll encounter on your EHR journey.
Improving Care With an Automated Patient History
The best way to fill your EHR with patient data might be to let your patients do it themselves.
Purchasing an Affordable Electronic Health Record
An economy model may provide all the functionality your practice needs.
Using a Simple Patient Registry to Improve Your Chronic Disease Care
Who needs an EHR? Software you already have can help you make sure your patients get the care they need.
Includes a downloadable Excel registry.
Why I Love My EMR
Two years after he took his practice digital, the author addresses the concerns of others who contemplate leaving paper records behind.
Includes a table to determine how much you can save by switching from paper records to an electronic medical record system.
Why It's Time to Purchase an Electronic Health Record System
The old reasons for holding off may have lost their validity.
Includes an EHR cost/benefit worksheet.
Transformation initiatives
The Medical Home: An Idea Whose Time Has Come ... Again
Physicians, employers, legislators and payers think medical homes may be the key to health system reform.
The New Model of Family Medicine: What's In It for You
Team-based, proactive care supported by effective office systems, technology and a culture of improvement will help your patients and your bottom line.
Starting a Revolution in Office-Based Care
A nationwide experiment (the Idealized Design of Clinical Office Practice) is asking practices to forget the way they've always done it and pursue the ideal in patient care.
TransforMED Tries to Rebuild Family Medicine
The national demonstration project nears the halfway mark with many hard lessons already learned.
Two-part series on the Micro Practice Model:
Going Solo: Making the Leap
Why one family physician left the security of salaried practice to pursue ideal patient care completely on his own.
Going Solo: One Doc, One Room, One Year Later
This unorthodox practice, built on four "ideal" principles, is steadily proving itself a success.
Physicians, employers, legislators and payers think medical homes may be the key to health system reform.
The New Model of Family Medicine: What's In It for You
Team-based, proactive care supported by effective office systems, technology and a culture of improvement will help your patients and your bottom line.
Starting a Revolution in Office-Based Care
A nationwide experiment (the Idealized Design of Clinical Office Practice) is asking practices to forget the way they've always done it and pursue the ideal in patient care.
TransforMED Tries to Rebuild Family Medicine
The national demonstration project nears the halfway mark with many hard lessons already learned.
Two-part series on the Micro Practice Model:
Going Solo: Making the Leap
Why one family physician left the security of salaried practice to pursue ideal patient care completely on his own.
Going Solo: One Doc, One Room, One Year Later
This unorthodox practice, built on four "ideal" principles, is steadily proving itself a success.
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