Why Fine Isn’t Good Enough

When was the last time you gave a second thought to the technology that runs your practice each day? How is it working? If you answered “fine” you aren’t alone. We’ve noticed that quite a few practices have a set it and forget it mindset when it comes to technology at work. If you’re able to function each day, then, well, everything is fine.

You see this each day while working with patients. A lot of people go through life feeling fine. But, there’s another option, instead of feeling fine, why not feel great? Patients can take steps to thrive, such as going in for their annual checkup, taking recommendations on diet, and following a care plan. These steps help patients ensure their bodies will not only be fine but healthy for years to come.

Just as patients can take steps to take control of their health, we can take control of the health of our technology. Imagine that your technology actively works for you. It allows your providers and staff to see more patients and have health information at their fingertips. While technology affects your day-to-day, it also allows practices to exceed business goals. Wouldn’t that be incredible? Today, we’re recommending three action items that will take your technology from fine to exceptional.

Optimize Your Technology

You may be asking what technology needs to function well. To perform at optimal levels, technology should be managed. This requires annual checkups and regular updates – think of these as preventative healthcare – like taking your vitamins and eating well. Sometimes, technology gives us a few too many error messages and then we know it’s time to call in the professionals, see the “doctor”, and diagnose the issue. Staying on top of these small action items can have a big impact on how technology functions each day.

Create a Strategic Technology Plan

Not only does technology need to be managed, but it also benefits from having a strategic plan. Just like other business decisions, having a plan in place means that there won’t be any huge surprises (like your server running out of storage without any notice… eek!). Creating a strategy means understanding how to best leverage technology for your business goals.

Managing this process means you’ll spend less time putting out IT fires and more time caring for patients. When technology works to your benefit, it becomes a profit center instead of a time suck. Efficiencies will allow your practice to streamline clinical workflow and increase revenue. This happens when you manage and plan your technology needs.

Invite IT to the Table

Once your team begins actively managing technology and instituting a strategic tech plan, it’s time to give IT a seat at the table. Allowing an IT professional to take part in your practice’s strategy shines a new light on future decisions. They’ll often know of a way to use technology to achieve goals and overcome obstacles that other decision makers may not consider. This amount of collaboration is where your practice will reap the highest reward.

While your technology may be working fine today, think about the possibilities. Your practice can achieve so much more with optimized technology, strategic planning, and IT influenced solutions. Over the next few weeks we’ll continue to dive into how technology impacts your practice. We’ll chat about what you need to know and how to create a technology solution that works for you.

Becca Wood, Client Success Specialist

Becca comes to Systeem after earning her M.A. and M.B.A from Southern Methodist University. She has a passion for writing and sharing ways practices can find peace with technology.