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You are seeking ways to enhance office efficiency, promote consistency, and improve patient satisfaction. Improved chiropractic staff training achieves these goals and also contributes to employee retention, staff morale, and potentially increased practice profitability. What does this look like? How can you incorporate it into your chiropractic office management procedures today?
1. Standardize Chiropractic Front Desk Staff Training With Clear Standards of Operations (SOPs)
The features of our phone system for teams include scalable artificial intelligence (AI) tools that handle everything from taking calls to booking appointments. It turns communication into a competitive advantage for your clinic while also changing the role of the front desk staff. Previously, front desk clerks answered calls, took messages, and booked appointments. Now, they can focus on patient intake, billing, and in-office workflows. In this context, chiropractic staff training must concentrate on SOPs so that everyone in this role follows the same steps. Moreover, it enables technology to become the primary tool for most clinic operations, thereby reducing human error.
2. Invest in Ongoing Education for all Staff Members
Whether they are the face of your clinic or handle the accounts payable in the back office, every employee contributes to (or detracts from) your clinic's success. Moreover, the changing landscape of Certified Chiropractic Clinical Assistant (CCCA) certification requirements and state board training requirements for CAs, along with evolving HIPAA rules, proves that just because you are at the top of your game today does not mean you will still be there in a week. Keep staff members confident and up to date with continuing education for chiropractic assistants and updated front desk scripts for chiropractors and assistants. If your employees already feel confident, the training will serve as a refresher.
3. Role-Playing is a Good Option for Chiropractic Office Workflow Training
A course schedule for chiropractic assistants will have a different emphasis than one specializing in HIPAA and billing training for chiropractic office clerks. That said, some operations are well-suited for role-playing. Examples include patient-facing positions and back-office tasks. The goal is to develop mastery in the roles each employee plays daily. Generic training sessions for all types of office settings are, therefore, a waste of time and money. For example, the role of the employee handling urgent notifications will differ (and will require specific training modules) from that of the employee in charge of HIPAA-compliant faxing. Role-playing helps each staff member feel confident that they have the necessary skills to perform their jobs effectively.
4. Make Time for Hands-On Shadowing
An integral part of chiropractic team management is hands-on shadowing, in which new employees are paired with experienced team members for guidance and mentorship. The newcomer observes how the staff handles real-world patient interactions, the actual office workflow, and the necessary problem-solving techniques that are typically not outlined in the employee manual. For many new employees, the advanced phone technology you incorporate in the day-to-day running of your chiropractic office can seem overwhelming at first – until they see how quick and easy it is to use by shadowing another staff member.
5. Take Advantage of Paid and Free Online Tools
To achieve success through staff training, one weekly staff huddle for chiropractic clinics is not enough. (They work well for employees to touch base once a week.) The good news is that many topics – from training for a chiropractic assistant certification to multi-location chiropractic team training involving compliance or scheduling – can be handled online. A good-quality online chiropractic assistant course meets the state board training requirements for CAs. Lessons on chiropractic compliance training are likely covered in a separate course. Additionally, there are training videos, practice management software tutorials, and a range of other digital tools that not only onboard new staff but also retrain existing workers to be more efficient and consistently compliant with state regulations.
6. Train Employees for the Patient Experience You Want to Create
You will waste the payment for any staff training program if you do not focus on the patient experience. Yes, the nuts and bolts of working with desktop VoIP phones, softphone apps, and desktop softphone software are critical. However, competence goes further. Employees must understand patient concerns and be able to anticipate questions, having answers ready. Additionally, they need to be adept at conflict management and effective communication. Remember that a happy patient is more likely to return and bring others with them. An unhappy patient will not.
7. Measure Success With Goal Achievement Rubrics
How do you know that the training you put together for chiropractic case managers is working? You need to set measurable goals and include staff feedback. For your assistants, meeting the CCCA certification requirements is a clear indication that their training has been effective. Happy patients and a growing patient base are evidence that training of patient-facing employees is effective. If you have not already done so, schedule periodic employee evaluations to identify gaps and keep your team engaged and motivated. Additionally, continue to explore ways to enhance operations through training. Your staff members can provide you with valuable input!
Beyond the Improvement of Your Staff Training
Chiropractic staff training equips employees with the experience and expertise to excel in their roles. That said, do you give your staff the tools they need to meet your patients' expectations? With mobile and desktop softphones, smart call routing, and similar tools, your employees can meet the needs of patients and the management team. Of course, if you are still using outdated phone technology and similar communication tools, even the best training cannot improve the patient experience.
For many chiropractic office managers and owners, there is a distinct need to train themselves on the latest technology that helps patients and staff connect. The PrimeVox team welcomes the opportunity to provide an overview of what you are missing and to share pricing details for multi-location offices or standalone clinics. Please don't put it off; talk to the team today!
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