Boosting Efficiency in Healthcare: Practical Strategies That Work

Improve Workflow Design Before You Automate Anything

Automation sounds great until you realize you’re automating a broken process. Before throwing tools or software at the problem, take time to determine how work actually flows through your practice. Start by identifying your bottlenecks. Are patients piling up because intake forms take too long? Do physicians get buried in medical records updates during patient hours? Mapping out each step, from patient scheduling to check-out, gives you a clear picture of where time gets lost. Bring your team into the conversation, too. The front desk staff, nurses, and physicians each see different friction points. They also often have ideas for quick fixes, like reordering lab work in the EHR or delegating non-clinical tasks that improve daily operations without adding overhead. Only after the system makes sense should you think about digital tools. There are plenty of strategic solutions for healthcare professionals designed to streamline tasks, but they only work when plugged into a process that’s already efficient on paper.

Rethink How You Handle Medical Records

Medical records are very important, but they’re also one of the biggest drains on time and focus. For many providers, documentation bleeds into evenings and weekends. It’s not sustainable. To fix it, take a hard look at how your team interacts with records during the day. Start by separating tasks that require clinical judgment from those that don’t. Note templates, medication refill notes, and forms can often be pre-filled or handled by trained support staff. This alone reduces the load for physicians and frees up time for patient care. Next, look at your EHR configuration. Are you using all available tools? Many systems offer shortcut phrases, voice-to-text, or quick-order sets, but they go underused. A few hours spent customizing these features can cut your documentation time in half. If your current system doesn’t support efficient workflows, it may be time to consider an upgrade. Reconsider your end-of-day routine as well. Instead of catching up on documentation after hours, build in protected time during the workday. Even 30-minute blocks between patient sessions can reduce backlog.

Make Communication Clearer

Healthcare communication is usually too slow or too scattered. There are too many platforms, too many messages, and too few clear decisions. You can’t afford to let messages linger or rely on verbal handoffs that never get documented. Who checks the shared inbox? How often? What types of messages get escalated and when? Spelling this out helps your team move faster and keeps issues from falling through the cracks. Consider also shifting some intra-office communication to structured formats. For example, daily or weekly huddles can replace endless back-and-forth messages about routine updates. Clinical team members can bring quick questions to the group instead of clogging inboxes. And be honest about what patients need to hear and what they don’t. Not every update requires a call. Some EHRs allow you to push updates through secure messaging. If patients are trained to expect responses in a certain window, and staff follow through, trust increases without eating away at clinical time.

Invest in Training That Solves Problems

Training too often ends up as a checkbox. A new system rolls out, and the staff gets a one-time walkthrough before being left to figure things out on their own. Or, training focuses on compliance metrics that don’t connect with the day-to-day challenges your team faces. The result is low adoption, high frustration, and wasted money. Instead, prioritize practical, skills-based training that meets staff where they are. Focus on areas that directly impact performance, like using the EHR effectively, managing time during patient visits, or handling difficult patient interactions. Give people time to practice new skills in a low-pressure environment. Shadowing, role-play, and short refresher sessions all work better than long lectures. Make it normal for staff to ask questions, request support, and revisit material as needed. When you frame training as a tool for making life easier, not a burden or obligation, engagement goes up.

Are You Ready to See What These Ideas Could Look Like in Your Practice?

Efficiency should serve the provider and the patient. Physicians Educate People focuses on delivering practical strategies that reduce friction, support staff well-being, and protect the quality of care. Contact us today. We’re the team healthcare professionals trust to deliver strategic solutions that work.