How practice managers can become transformational leaders
Digital innovation, regulatory changes and dynamic shifts in the way practitioners engage with patients means the traditional role of the practice manager is changing fast. In this article, we take a look at how practice management is now becoming more about transformational leadership, and what this means to improving practice efficiency and ultimately, optimising better health outcomes.
The shift towards transformational leadership
A recent report by the Australian Association of Practice Managers (AAPM), revealed how today’s practice manager is no longer viewed as ‘the administrator’, but heralded as the ‘transformational leader.’
According to the report, good people leadership in practice management is about applying an innovative and strategic vision, to positively influence the lives of individuals within the practice – and the community in which it operates.
However the report stressed people leadership is not necessarily about adding further work to the already demanding role of a practice manager. Instead it is about reshaping the role to empower practice managers to be the driver of change and innovation, and apply a strategic view to managing day-to-day challenges – while working towards better outcomes for staff and patients.
Benefits of good practice management leadership
The report revealed a number of significant benefits to great people leadership in practice management, including:
- Better communication and collaboration within the practice
- Greater transparency around practice goals, mission, vision and values
- Enhanced HR management, staff satisfaction and reduced turnover
- More staff-led innovation
- Better ability for the practice to innovate and respond to situations quickly
- Smoother, more agile operations and administration
- Reduced risk in meeting regulatory liability
Ultimately, all these benefits all trickle down to a more agile, collaborative and efficient practice that offers more personalised, patient care.
How technology can help
The digital age is quickly revolutionising healthcare, and there are numerous innovations a practice manager can leverage to help drive transformational leadership within a practice.
One way a practice manager who is focused on people leadership and transformation can leverage technology to help drive innovation, efficiency and better patient care is through automation. Automation can be a powerful way to let technology do all the mundane tasks, leaving practice staff and medical professionals time to focus on patient experience and quality of care. From generating reports, processing invoices, billing and managing appointments, automating can be a real game changer for busy, time-poor practice managers.
Other ways technology can help support transformational leadership in practice management include:
- Use an integrated solution that includes EFTPOS transactions for fuss-free billing
- Go paperless with insurance medical information requests for faster processing turnaround
- Updating all practice management software so it is running quickly and efficiently
- Regularly training staff on data security and mitigating risks
- Implement practice management software that is easy to set up and train new staff.
Ultimately, streamlining workflow for practitioners and staff in the digital age needs a flexible, collaborative solution. The ideal practice management system makes life easier for doctors, practice managers and support staff. A cloud-based solution like Helix by MedicalDirector for instance, is available anywhere and on any device, which gives both practice managers and healthcare professionals far greater flexibility to manage their daily workflow, as well as collaborate in real-time.
