THE IMPORTANCE OF A FLEXIBLE MEDICAL PRACTICE

COVID-19 has steered the entire world into unchartered territory. What we once thought was normal is now a thing of the past.

People across the globe have started adapting to their versions of the new normal. Uncertainty is looming, leaving industries and governments choosing one of two options: to innovate or to terminate. No product nor service is exempt - not even the healthcare industry.

Lockdown measures as a result of the current pandemic have impacted both patients and clinics. Patients were afraid to attend for fear of catching the infection. Low attendances significantly impacted practices' revenue and, more importantly, the patients' overall wellbeing.

In Kuala Lumpur, for example, following the country's movement control order, patient presentations at GP clinics have dropped over a staggering 50%. This report is supported by the statement of Dr. Maharajah, president of the Medical Practitioners Coalition Association of Malaysia (MPCAM), noting clinics in Malaysia are only seeing zero to five patients throughout the day, forcing some to close temporarily.

This statistic coincides with Klinify's advanced data analytics revealing that practices which typically saw between 30 to 40 patients a day are now seeing just over 10 – a significant drop of over 50%.

The good news is, not all practices crumbled to coronavirus. Those who resorted to telehealth managed to thrive. Healthcare Finance reports that due to the significant impact of COVID-19 on clinic operations, healthcare providers have since employed flexible practice measures to increase clinic revenue as well as maintain and improve patient outcomes. 

Patients also seem to be adapting to this new trend in medicine. Healthcare Asia reports that almost half of the patients in the Asian region will be utilizing telehealth over the next five years. This data comes from a survey by Bain & Company, which also noted that 70% of patients surveyed prefer a single touchpoint for their health management.

What is a flexible medical practice?

A flexible medical practice utilizes technological innovations to take patient consultations beyond the four walls of your clinic. If the patient can't come to you, technology will allow them to consult with you from the comfort of wherever they are: be it at the workplace or home, via virtual consultations, also known as teleconsultation. In the same manner, you will have the ability to consult with your patients despite being away from your clinic – both parties just need a mobile phone or a computer and a decent internet connection.

In a flexible medical practice, you don't lose patients because the physical clinics are closed. Instead, you engage with them through a different care model. This innovation means their care is not compromised, and because you keep that contact with them, you are more likely to achieve improved patient outcomes. That is the beauty of a flexible medical practice. It withstands the test of unusual or uncertain circumstances, allowing your clinic to thrive by providing alternative means of patient care, resulting in maintained and perhaps even increased clinic revenue

How Do I Get My Flexible Medical Practice Started?

Identify Your Needs

The first step in adopting a flexible medical practice is to understand what your practice needs. There are different services available in terms of flexible systems. One of which is the capture, storage, and monitoring of clinic data, including patient information and information related to day-to-day operations. To address this need, you will need to look for a cloud-based for managing your clinic. Klinify, a digital medical assistant app, is one of the cloud-based clinic management systems in Malaysia that offers all the above solutions, and more.

Another service in the flexible practice model is real-time consultation with patients, through teleconsultation, as discussed earlier. This part is where it gets tricky. Some teleconsult business models position themselves as middlemen. What does that mean? Simply put, they take primary control of the patient-provider relationship. They do this by requiring you and your patients to download their app or log on to their website before you can contact your patient and vice versa. Of note, their app or website may not be the same as your clinical management system. You can tell just by reading those last two sentences how complicated this business model can be, right? 

It doesn't end there. This model can also be detrimental to your practice. How, you ask? Look at it this way, they're third-party providers, meaning they also cater to other medical clinics. The goal of these middlemen is to connect patients to a healthcare provider – as long as they make that connection, whether it is with you or not, their job is done. Who’s to say they won’t connect your patient to other providers in cases where you are not available? You get the drift.

Choose Your Vendor Wisely

That brings us to step number two: choose your vendor wisely. You want one that saves you and your patients from the unnecessary inconvenience of having to download different platforms. You also one that protects your relationship with your patient. You want an efficient clinic, so select a vendor that offers the entire package, without the need to go through third parties.

Klinify, for example, is an all-inclusive digital medical assistant app. Apart from having a cloud-based clinic management system in place, our app also includes a teleconsult feature. You can contact your patient with just a click of the button on your Klinify app. No additional downloads. No middlemen. You are in control of that vital patient-provider relationship, which is key to achieving improved patient outcomes.

Let Klinify help you transition a flexible medical practice:

Our digital medical assistant and integrated teleconsult feature are just the tips of the iceberg. Plus, Klinify is currently offering promotional pricing to help GPs adapt to the changes brought about by the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Get in touch via this form for more details about this limited-time offer and discover what else we can do to future-proof your practice.

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