As we covered in a previous blog, patient demand for better online and digital payment options has long been on the rise. In a world where everyone is connected online, physical “check in the mail” payments are quickly becoming an antiquated practice. Online payments are no longer seen as an alternative means of payment but have become very much the standard for today’s consumers.

The healthcare industry is predicted to experience an unprecedented level of cyberattacks in 2021. That’s a pretty crazy thing to claim, considering healthcare has already been one of the most heavily targeted industries for decades. However, while healthcare providers and staff have become savvier on how to avoid such tricks over the years, cybercriminals have changed tactics time and time again, finding new ways to compromise data. In response to these ongoing threats, research also predicts the healthcare sector will spend upwards of $125 billion on cybersecurity from 2020-2025.

Healthcare has seen several drastic changes over the past few years. A need for more contactless office procedures. A sharp rise in the use of telemedicine. A surge in digital payments. A crackdown on Information Blocking violations. One change that has not received nearly as much attention is increased financial responsibility for patients. And this economic trend highlights the benefits of patient portals for specialty healthcare practices.

Welcome to the second installment of our two-part blog series on building a high performing team. In Part 1, we took a look at the impact psychological safety has on your team and covered methods for building it within your practice. However, creating an environment that fosters psychological safety is only the beginning. In this blog, we will conclude by following up with a discussion of how understanding the values of your practice and setting the right level of expectations can help you create a more effective team.

There is far more to successfully running a practice than just EHR and Practice Management solutions. While there are many management and leadership studies out there, far too few of them actually deal with the nuances that leaders deal with at practices day to day. Your practice is also a business, and like a business it needs an effective team.

As many of our readers are already aware, Nextech is going virtual with its Seventh Annual User Conference, EDGE 2021 (registration is now closed). After much preparation, this year's meeting will feature over fifty sessions focused on improving the performance of your specialty practice in an immersive virtual environment. Our experts will discuss ways to improve operational efficiency, increase profitability and grow your business in addition to covering the latest regulatory changes and industry trends.

According to a recent study, the number of in-person outpatient visits declined by nearly 60 percent in 2020. While there has been a small rebound in the first quarter of 2021, some practices are still struggling to get their patient volumes back to pre-pandemic levels. Telehealth has been able to help fill some of the gaps, but it is simply not enough to consider things as being back to “business as usual.” As vaccines roll out, however, now is a golden opportunity to begin new efforts to invite patients to return to in-person care as well as to invite new patients to your practice.

Even the most well-established practice can struggle to find ways to grow their business and acquire more patients. Oftentimes, this is due to budgetary constraints, especially in a market where profit margins can be thin and even more so for practices that are already overextended with new investments. However, there are plenty of ways to grow your practice without breaking the bank. In this blog, we will go over a number of cost-effective measures that you can employ to help grow your business.