decisionhealth Newsletters, Part B News - 2017 Issue 5 (May)
Check chance of financial success, ability to staff before adding practice hours
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Article Overview
This practice management article explains how medical offices can evaluate whether extending hours is likely to be sustainable before making the change. It covers broad business, staffing, compliance, lease, insurance, security, and marketing considerations for practices considering evening or weekend availability. The piece is aimed at practice administrators, physicians, and billing or operations leaders who need to assess readiness and avoid avoidable disruption.
Why This Topic Matters
Extending office hours can affect profitability, staffing, compliance, contracts, and patient communication. The article helps readers think through whether the operational and financial conditions are in place before launching a new schedule.
Article Sections
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Assessing demand and financial viability
Introduces the business rationale for extending office hours and discusses how practices can gauge patient demand and overall feasibility. It addresses market fit, schedule volume, and whether the new hours are likely to attract enough visits to justify the change.
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Identifying necessary resources
Reviews staffing, labor, billing, and operational capacity considerations that may affect extended hours. It includes broad discussion of overtime, compliance, departmental readiness, and basic cost-benefit planning.
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Check 'silent partners'
Explores outside parties and agreements that can affect a schedule change, including lease terms, insurance concerns, local rules, and coordination with ancillary service providers. The section focuses on nonclinical business dependencies that may influence implementation.
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It pays to advertise
Covers the need to communicate new hours clearly and consistently to patients and the public. It emphasizes updating practice communication channels and maintaining a stable schedule once the change is launched.
What You Will Learn
- How practices can assess whether extended office hours are likely to be sustainable
- What operational areas should be reviewed before changing a clinic schedule
- Which outside business and compliance issues may affect after-hours availability
- Why patient communication and marketing matter when introducing new hours
Who Should Read This
- Physicians
- Practice administrators
- Office managers
- Billing and coding managers
- Healthcare consultants
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