9 books to help medical practice managers give the business a boost
As a medical practice manager, you wear many hats and fill many roles. You’re operations manager, customer service extraordinaire, health information technology expert, reimbursement guru, and so much more. To fill all these roles effectively, you need a diverse skillset that includes but certainly isn’t limited to leadership, communication, change management, project management, time management, and revenue cycle management. It’s a tall order, but the good news is that there’s a plethora of books available to help you succeed, and your local library probably even has them on the shelves. Note that although most of these books are not specific to the healthcare industry, they do provide valuable insights you can easily translate to your medical practice.
Healthcare productivity
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
Author: David Allen
Why you should read it: If you’re looking for advice on how to do more with less, this is it. Consider it a must-read if you’re facing healthcare revenue cycle management staff recruitment and retention challenges. It’s packed with practical advice on how to organize your work and medical billing and RCM teams to be more productive.
Healthcare payer contract negotiations
Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on It
Author: Chris Voss
Why you should read it: Every medical practice manager knows how daunting it is to negotiate payer contracts. This book and its general advice on negotiations can help. Written by a former international hostage negotiator for the FBI, you’ll learn how to be more persuasive and successful.
Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In
Author: Roger Fisher and William Ury
Why you should read it: Here’s another resource to help you with negotiations of any kind. For example, medical practice managers may find the information in this book useful for payer contract negotiations, salary negotiations, healthcare mergers and acquisitions, and more.
Healthcare operational management
Financial Intelligence: A Manager’s Guide to Knowing What the Numbers Really Mean
Author: Karen Berman and Joe Knight
Why you should read it: This book is great for those who want to understand the basics of finance and how to use financial data to drive the business. It’s a must-read for practice managers looking for ways to leverage revenue cycle management key performance indicators and other metrics to increase medical practice profitability.
Healthcare change management
Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change
Author: William Bridges and Susan Bridges
Why you should read it: In the ever-evolving industry of healthcare, any book on change management is helpful for today’s practice managers; however, this one has been in print for more than 25 years and has sold hundreds of thousands of copies. Whether you’re implementing a new electronic health record, onboarding new health information technology vendors, or navigating any other type of major change, this book is for you.
Healthcare leadership
Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action
Author: Simon Sinek
Why you should read it: If you’re looking for a book to inspire teamwork and grow the healthcare business, this should be on your list. This book will help you articulate your mission and purpose. By focusing on the ‘why,’ you’ll attract and retain patients and staff more easily and inspire everyone to succeed.
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable
Author: Patrick Lencioni
Why you should read it: Every healthcare team has its challenges, and failing to address these challenges could derail the entire business. Use this book to help you think about how to identify and overcome dysfunctions within the medical practice to get everyone on the same page. For example, you might be able to apply some of the ideas in this book to your denial management strategy to take a more proactive approach or open the lines of communication between physicians and medical coders.
Patient/customer experience
Reimagining Customer Service in Healthcare: Boost Loyalty, Profits, and Outcomes
Author: Jennifer Lubaczewski FitzPatrick
Why you should read it: These days, the patient experience is everything. If you’re looking for a book that helps you improve patient engagement and patient satisfaction, this is it. Through anecdotes and thoughtful insights, the author provides practical advice on how to improve the customer service experience. The best part? It’s actually tailored to the healthcare industry.
The Effortless Experience: Conquering the New Battleground for Customer Loyalty
Author: Matthew Dixon, Nick Toman, and Rick DeLisi
Why you should read it: This book drives an important point home: Customers/patients don’t necessarily want bells and whistles, they want services that make life easier. Healthcare translation? Think: Patient portals, check-in kiosks, online bill pay, automated appointment reminders, and more. This book will help you think outside the box to improve the patient experience.
Conclusion
Each of these books can help you take your medical practice to the next level. Pick one, start reading, and implement some of the lessons you learn. Then keep going. You’ll start to see positive changes that will inspire you to keep moving forward. While you’re at it, be sure to partner with edgeMED to take advantage of RCM services and technology that can also help supercharge your medical practice.
