What if you found a way to improve the efficiency of your practice, reduce your workload, and even grow revenue, as well as increase your satisfaction and improve employee retention? It’s all possible by designing your practice team to work at the top of their license.
What do we mean by “working at the top of your license?” You and your staff should work on the most complex, challenging tasks that each of your licenses, training and abilities allow – rather than spending time on tasks that could be done effectively by someone with less training.
Do you find yourself doing tasks that your medical assistant (MA) or registered nurse (RN) could perform instead? If so, you aren’t alone. In the 2021 Medscape Allergist Compensation Report, allergists reported spending an average of 14.6 hours per week on administrative tasks and paperwork. It is likely some of those tasks could be efficiently performed by someone else, which could free up your time to see more patients, improve provider and staff satisfaction and potentially improve revenue. Importantly, expanding the role medical assistants and nurses play in team-based care can provide them with more fulfilling work and, in turn, decrease turnover. Finally, it could improve your overall work experience and quality of life.
What are some things your MAs and RNs can do to improve efficiency in your office and reduce your administrative workload? Practice Management Committee members and experts at three allergy practices shared some of the ways MAs and RNs take on larger roles in their practices. Tom Derrico of Certified Allergy & Asthma Consultants of Albany, NY; Charles Furr, Jr., MHA, of Carolina Asthma & Allergy Center of Charlotte, NC; and Jean Owen, MBA of Allergy and Asthma Specialists, PSC of Owensboro, KY, share their tips:
- Room patients based on expanded rooming protocols.
- Identify the reason for visit/chief complaint.
- Perform medication reconciliation.
- Perform review of systems.
- Record past medical, family & social history.
- Perform tests based on standing orders.
- FeNO
- Spirometry
- Peak flows for asthmatics prior to getting allergy shots
- Provide immunizations based on standing orders.
- Flu
- Pneumococcal
- Refill prescriptions based on protocols.
- Triage calls based on protocols.
- Educate patients on the following topics:
- Environmental controls
- Immunotherapy
- Use of inhalers/nebulizers
Making these changes involves creating written standing orders and protocols that clearly spell out the rules and policies for conducting patient care in various stipulated clinical situations (rooming a patient, refilling prescriptions, performing tests, etc.). They may also involve providing additional training to staff taking on new responsibilities. The Practice Management Committee suggests creating a taskforce of physicians and staff to work together to create standing orders and protocols as well as identify potential training needs. Try to adopt one or two changes at a time to ensure successful implementation.
One important caveat: make sure the duties assigned to staff are within the scope of licensure for their position. Scope of practice is licensed and regulated at the state level. The American Association of Medical Assistants provides information on MA scope of practice laws by state. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing provides information on nurse practice acts by state.
The AMA has free training modules as part of their Steps Forward program that can help you implement some of these ideas and improve your workflow and processes. Check out their modules on Expanding Rooming and Discharge Protocols, Team Documentation and Medication Management for more information.
