Everywhere you turn, it seems like all you hear about is how bad this year’s flu season is. While many organizations experience their employees out for illness, healthcare practices have a unique challenge. A provider shortage means overbooked appointment lists of acutely ill patients, as well as the burden of completing the administrative paperwork and documentation required for flu shots, testing, and the like. While medical practices are in the business of keeping patients well, they likely are also dealing with the challenges of their own employees out due to illness – the flu does not discriminate!
With one of the worst flu seasons on record, practices everywhere are feeling the strain of overworked staff, highlighting how stretched today’s healthcare staff are. Even if a widespread illness doesn’t take down your staff, it certainly will create increased demand for appointments, questions for nursing staff, and return triage phone calls. When there is an increased need to pay attention to immediate patient needs, something has to give and other administrative tasks required for a well-functioning office suffer.
If you are sick and tired of feeling like your healthcare practice takes a toll with the latest illness trend, read our own Melissa Mitchell’s take on how healthcare organizations can adapt to the unique challenges they face when the next epidemic rolls around. Don’t let a record-breaking flu season break your practice!