In allied health, mismanaging the details of your practice can have significant consequences. Events like an expired registration or posting the wrong thing on social media can threaten the safety and credibility of a practice.
So, for busy healthcare professionals, awareness of common pitfalls is essential.
In this article, we’ll outline six mistakes to avoid and offer guidance on navigating these challenges. Making simple, proactive changes will equip your practice to continue offering the highest standards of professionalism and client care while giving you peace of mind.
Let’s get started…
Mistake #1: Expired Practitioner Registration
While it’s an individual practitioner’s responsibility to ensure they maintain registration, it’s also the responsibility of the practitioner/owner of the practice to ensure it’s verified.
Overlooking a practitioner’s registration renewal carries significant repercussions. This is because operating with an expired registration can compromise client safety, lead to legal issues, and tarnish the reputation of your practice.
Imagine offering care that’s neither legally sanctioned nor insurance-covered; it’s risky for both you and your clients!
The solution? Embed it into your practice policies.
Integrate registration renewal into your practice policies. Make it clear that staying current with registration is a must for everyone. It’s about setting clear expectations and ensuring everyone’s on the same page.
But here’s a personal touch
Set a reminder in your practice calendar in the form of a personal appointment, for a month before the registration expires. This isn’t just a note to yourself – make it visible to your team as well. It acts as a collective reminder and reinforces the importance of this task.
And remember, the key is to follow through. Take a moment to ensure that the renewal has actually been done. A quick check with the practitioner or a glance at the updated documents can save you a lot of trouble down the line.
Mistake #2: Lapsed Insurance Renewal
Would you walk a tightrope without a safety net? Probably not. But that’s what you’re doing if you allow your practice insurance to lapse. Working without up-to-date insurance not only exposes you to financial risks – it puts the practice’s reputation in jeopardy.
In case of unforeseen issues or claims, outdated insurance would leave the practice vulnerable to hefty liabilities.
The fix? Digital oversight.
Incorporate insurance renewal into your practice policies. Make it standard procedure – as routine as locking the doors at night. Clearly outline the importance of keeping insurance up to date and the steps to be taken for its renewal. This isn’t just about ticking a box; it’s about safeguarding the very foundation of your practice.
Calendar reminders will come in handy for insurance renewals, too.
And here’s a little twist to make those reminders even more effective: add a note about why this is important, or link it to a memorable event or date. This small step can make the reminder more impactful and less likely to be overlooked.
Mistake #3: Overlooking Supervision Requirements
Supervision is more than a checkbox in the allied health world. For many professionals, it’s vital to ensure ongoing skills development and best practice standards.
Neglecting supervision requirements can impact service quality, put clients at risk, and may even breach professional regulatory standards.
Interestingly, health practitioners who work for clinics that facilitate supervision and make professional development a priority experience the highest rates of supervision success.
So, how do you best support supervision for your practitioners? Schedule smartly.
Use practice management software that simplifies tracking supervision schedules.
Power Diary personal appointments, for instance, can be used to arrange professional development or other supervision-related sessions, ensuring timely and consistent supervision is part of your schedule.
Mistake #4: Neglecting the Security of the Premises
Running a secure practice means safeguarding confidential client information and ensuring the practice building isn’t vulnerable.
Overlooking things like untracked key access (imagine keys lingering with past team members) opens doors (quite literally) to potential breaches, theft, or even harm to staff and clients.
Our Solution? Tighten Those Security Protocols.
For building security, consider installing signage on doors and windows indicating that neither cash nor drugs are kept on the premises.
But you can also establish formal policies for safety standards.
We know that creating your own building security policy can seem like an overwhelming prospect; you might be wondering where to start!
Power Diary has you covered.
Our Practice Operations Manual feature has a handy security policy template, taking the sweat out of devising a comprehensive system of safety protocols from scratch.
For digital security, avoid common data security mistakes like weak passwords, a lack of staff training, shared accounts, and using outdated software.
You can get a head start by using Power Diary. With its ISO 27001 certification, Power Diary is among the most secure practice management software options available.
Mistake #5: Mishandling Social Media
In our digital age, a tweet or Instagram post can make or break reputations overnight.
And, for health practices, inappropriate or unprofessional social media activity isn’t just about an embarrassing blunder – it can lead to serious reputational damage or even privacy violations.
Consider the ramifications of inadvertently sharing client details or posting something that misrepresents the practice’s values.
Our Solution? Establish Clear Online Boundaries.
Every practice should have a defined social media policy. This ensures the entire team knows the dos and don’ts of online interactions, helping maintain a consistent and professional online presence.
If you’re unsure where to start, our Practice Operations Manual offers a Team Conduct policy, perfect for addressing social media use. Tailor it to your practice’s needs, and you’ll be well-equipped to navigate the online world without risking your practice’s image.
Mistake #6: Overlooking Safety Measures for Practitioners
As you focus your efforts on providing exceptional care, don’t let practitioner safety become an afterthought.
For example, scheduling a first-time appointment when a practitioner is alone poses an additional risk. The last thing any practice owner wants is to compromise their team’s well-being.
Make safety a priority in all areas.
The clinic layout, furniture arrangement, and security measures all play a crucial role in ensuring practitioner safety.
Consider, for instance, positioning furniture in treatment rooms to ensure an unobstructed exit for the practitioner. For those moments when a practitioner is meeting a client alone, remote panic alarms should be available and within reach for the practitioner at all times.
It’s all about being proactive – by creating a layout and security blueprint that makes safety a priority, you cultivate a workspace where practitioners and clients can engage confidently and securely.
From the oversight of practitioner registrations to the nuances of social media management, running an allied health practice comes with unique challenges.
We’ve highlighted six mistakes busy health practitioners make. They include expired practitioner registrations, lapsed insurance renewal, overlooking supervision requirements, neglecting building and data security, mishandling social media, and not taking safety measures for practitioners.
You can manage these potential pitfalls with a proactive approach and the right tools. Best practices in allied health are built on strong policies and procedures; they’re the backbone of productivity, safety, and impeccable client care.
And the good news is that, with efficient practice management software, they don’t need to overwhelm you.
Take the first step.
Start a Free Trial of Power Diary today – see how it can help you streamline and safeguard your practice’s operations!