As a former medical office manager, I’ve witnessed the relentless challenges medical office assistants (MOAs) face daily and the toll it takes on both their time and their ability to assist doctors properly. These unsung heroes of healthcare are often burdened with administrative tasks that take time away from focusing on more critical work.
That’s why I wanted to share my updated MOA digital toolkit where administrative tasks no longer stand in the way of quality patient care. In this article, we’ll explore some of the tools that MOAs can utilize to address the urgent problem of the doctor burnout crisis and play an active role in improving doctor’s well-being.
Online Booking
Ever since the pandemic, I’ve noticed the gradual adoption of online booking system in medical clinics, which has helped transform and improve MOAs’ daily workflow. MOAs working at medical clinics that use online booking are no longer tied up on the phone with patients.
Through online booking, patients have the flexibility to schedule appointments at their convenience, leading to less inbound phone calls, reducing administrative work for MOAs, and freeing up their time so they can assist doctors on more complex clinical tasks.
Instant Patient Messaging
Cortico’s instant messenger empowers healthcare providers to communicate with patients directly from the clinic’s EMR. From the feedback I’ve received from clinics, I know for a fact that this tool is a game-changer for both doctors and MOAs by improving patient communication and satisfaction, managing patient’s expectations, and helping doctors with managing tasks.
The instant messenger plays a pivotal role in streamlining clinical operations for MOAs. Some of the common ways I’ve seen MOAs use the instant messenger includes informing patients if their doctor is running ahead of their appointment, or if a patient loses their e-form, an MOA can assist doctors by quickly sending patients e-forms from their e-chart.
Automate Health Card Validation
Based on my discussion with MOAs, it’s become evident that the eligibility checker has revolutionized their mornings, saving time and allowing them to get a head start to their day. This tool automates health card validation by reviewing the provider’s schedule, examining each appointment to verify the validity of patients’ health cards, and flagging those with invalid ones.
This simplifies the follow-up process and significantly lightens the workload for MOAs, allowing them to focus their attention on assisting doctors effectively. When the eligibility checker is running, MOAs are able to get other tasks completed for doctors, which makes a difference to the doctor’s workload and the overall efficiency of the clinic.
Best of all, this tool is free for all medical clinics, all you have to do is download Cortico’s Plug-In.
Kiosks
Kiosks are a valuable tool in streamlining the check-in process for MOAs. This tool not only enables MOAs to manage their time more effectively, but also reduces chaos in the waiting room, which ultimately improves patient’s experience at the medical clinic.
From the conversations I’ve had with MOAs who have implemented kiosk systems, I’ve found that placing the kiosk at the front desk is highly effective at getting patients to use the kiosk. MOAs are usually at the front desk and patients will subconsciously walk towards them, but instead of checking in with the MOA, patients will check-in through the kiosk, which simplifies the check-in process and allows MOAs to focus on the critical work that supports doctor’s workflows directly.
Interested in learning more about how to leverage digital tools to help alleviate the doctor burnout crisis?
Using these digital tools isn’t just about automating your clinic to increase productivity; it’s also about equipping medical staff with the right tools so they can properly assist doctors with their workload and alleviate the burnout and exhaustion they’re experiencing.
By observing many medical staffs’ journey from struggling to keep up with their work to automating their tedious administrative tasks and assisting doctors so they can all get home on time for dinner, I decided to host a webinar with the goal of sharing my 10 years of experience so medical staff can leverage their position at the clinic and play a key part in alleviating doctor burnout.
During the webinar, From Chaos to Calm: Medical Staff’s Role in Alleviating the Doctor Burnout Crisis we covered pressing issues of the doctor burnout crisis and the pivotal role that medical staff play in fostering a healthier, more sustainable work environment for healthcare professionals.
If you’re interested in learning how to streamline your clinic, watch the webinar here!
