Thanks to all we’ve learned from last year, more and more companies are taking a proactive approach to slash anxiety.
If your healthcare practice is seeking to make this year less stressful and emerge with a new sense of work-life balance, it is entirely possible.
The best part is, we can learn how to reduce anxiety, both professionally and personally.
As healthcare providers, we know how important it is to have a practical plan of action. Let’s see how this works for reducing anxiety at work.
1. Getting The Best Plan
If there’s one thing that can make your hair stand on edge, it’s finding the best way to understand what each payer proposal implies for your organization. Many health professionals struggle when it comes time to negotiate insurance contracts.
In the past, this has been a nightmare looming on the calendar.
However, these days, you don’t have to do this alone. Sure, you can crunch the numbers and get better results. But that’s not the only thing to keep in mind.
When you’re looking at slashing anxiety in dealing with payer proposals, it helps to be prepared. Make a plan of action and get professional support. Taking time to prepare, plan, and get help can slash anxiety—and even improve the quality of sleep.
2. Examining Your Financial Goals
Whether you are a tiny organization or a big provider, it helps to know your financial goals.
Financial planning helps you put options in perspective. Suddenly, it’s not just one big number that you’re looking at. At the end of the day, knowing what’s going in and what’s going out will guide your decisions.
With a clear annual plan, it’s easier to have peace of mind. You can feel the anxiety fade as you develop a quarterly, monthly, and weekly outlook.
3. Understanding Your Operational Goals
Clear operational goals are essential for slashing stress. This is where you can analyze the nuts and bolts. This is the ‘how’ part of the equation and the blueprint for how your organization will be successful in 2021.
This is the place to look at key indicators such as denial rate and the associated cost. You’ll examine how long billings spend on accounts receivable. You’ll investigate what debts are unpaid and how this rate is changing over time.
As you and your team get familiar with these numbers, you’ll feel the stress wash away. You will gain confidence that you can achieve your operational goals.
4. Defining Your Strategic Goals
Healthcare practices get the biggest boost by focusing on core strategic goals. There may be distinct moves to expand your geographic advantage. You can explore strategic pricing initiatives that completely change the playing field.
Perhaps a key initiative is to create a preferred relationship for your organization.
By defining strategic goals, your organization will have a competitive advantage that puts you on the map.
5. Expanding The Use of Technology
As technology use in health care continues to evolve, medical professionals can access patient information more efficiently. This enables healthcare staff to have more time to spend on essential tasks, patient care, and building trusting relationships.
Patients also can access their medical records and gain insights into their care plan. This helps patients have a more comprehensive understanding of their health and improves efficient workflow within a medical facility. You can just feel the stress levels dropping.
6. Increasing Shared Decision Making
Shared Decision Making, also known as SDM, is predicted to play an increasing role in 2021. This is a powerful way to lower anxiety, engage patients, and involve them in their care decisions.
In one study, SDM was shown to reduce preventable hospital readmissions of cardiac patients by 19%. It can also help to decrease patient anxiety.
With advances in SDM, patients, families, and a care team build trust. It is a proven method to sort through the complex ecosystem of treatment options and find a way to move forward. SDM helps people adhere to customized treatment plans.
Sum Up
Technology is helping to reduce anxiety and improve efficiencies in every part of healthcare. By clarifying your financial, operational, and strategic goals, you’ll support operational excellence. With direct access to medical records and shared decision-making, healthcare providers can lower their patients’ anxiety regarding treatment plans.
