Management Styles in Healthcare Practices

5 Management Styles in Healthcare Practices

Effective management styles facilitate the smooth operation of a healthcare facility. They also encourage quality patient care and help maintain a positive work environment for healthcare professionals. Integrating general EHR software, or specialized software like orthopedic EHR, into a healthcare practice helps management streamline tasks and reduce errors within the facility. Here are five management styles in healthcare practices and how they can incorporate EHR software:

1. Collaborative Management

The collaborative management style emphasizes collaboration and teamwork among healthcare professionals and staff members. When implementing electronic health record (EHR) software, a collaborative management approach involves informing key stakeholders, patients, surgeons, nurses, medical assistants, and administrative staff. Collaborative management encourages open communication, active participation, and shared responsibility within the facility. This can contribute to the successful adoption and effective use of general EHR or specific software like orthopedic EHR systems. Open communication and active participation help confirm that the EHR platform is customized to meet the healthcare practice’s particular needs and aligns with established clinical workflows.

EHR software integrates with image archiving and communication systems to store and manage medical images like X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans. This allows providers to share and discuss imaging findings, annotate images, and exchange comments or recommendations easily within the EHR platform. When using an integrated system, healthcare providers can securely share patient records while adhering to privacy regulations. Knowing that patient data is protected promotes trust and enables collaboration among providers. This creates a healthcare practice environment aligned with the collaborative management style.

2. Transformational Management

Transformational management focuses on inspiring and motivating employees to achieve higher performance levels. A transformational manager can encourage employees by providing training on EHR software’s advanced features and functionalities. This can enhance staff efficiency, patient care, and overall facility and patient outcomes. EHR software provides reliable reporting and analytics capabilities, allowing practices to analyze clinical and operational data. By identifying areas for improvement through data analysis, healthcare practices can implement targeted interventions. They can also monitor the impact of these changes on quality metrics.

The software also offers patient portals or mobile applications that allow patients to access their health information, schedule appointments, and request prescription refills from their care team. These tools generate valuable data on patient engagement, preferences, and utilization patterns. Healthcare providers can use these insights to understand patient needs and behaviors better. By analyzing this information, staff can adapt and transform their practices, personalize patient interactions, and tailor care plans to enhance patient outcomes.

3. Coaching Management

Coaching management refers to providing employees guidance, support, and mentorship. This management style focuses on developing the skills and abilities of employees, offering feedback, and helping them reach their full potential. During the implementation of EHR software within a healthcare care practice, coach-style managers can provide comprehensive training and ongoing support to healthcare professionals and staff.

EHR training can include practicing filling out and storing templates and specialty-specific documents in the platform. Many electronic health records solutions offer pre-built templates and specialized documentation tools customized for specific healthcare workflows. The templates act as a form of coaching by guiding providers and administrative staff through the documentation process. Templates allow information to be captured consistently and accurately, boosting thorough documentation and minimizing the risk of missing details.

4. Quality Improvement Management

The quality improvement management style focuses on setting attainable goals and creating a culture of continuous improvement. Effective management of EHR systems emphasizes quality improvement and optimizing patient care outcomes. Quality improvement managers encourage healthcare staff to utilize available software features. These features include clinical decision support, evidence-based protocols, and data analytics for performance monitoring and improvement.

The quality improvement management style emphasizes adherence to established guidelines and standards of care. Clinical decision support tools provide evidence-based guidelines, alerts, reminders, and recommendations related to healthcare. By integrating these tools into the workflow, providers are prompted to follow recommended protocols. They are also prompted to perform necessary screenings or assessments and prescribe appropriate treatments, improving patient safety.

5. Laissez-faire Management

This style features a hands-off approach, where the manager delegates authority and responsibility to the staff members. With laissez-faire management, employees have a high degree of autonomy and decision-making power. EHR software can promote this employee autonomy. Skilled staff can independently navigate specialized healthcare billing and coding functionalities for proper reimbursement.

Experienced staff can also use order management features to create and manage orders for diagnostic tests, such as imaging studies or laboratory tests. With e-prescribing, healthcare providers can generate prescriptions electronically within the EHR system, reducing prescription errors. These features streamline workflow, allowing staff to work independently, manage their workload effectively, and prioritize patient-care tasks.

Get Orthopedic EHR Software

Different management styles in healthcare practices can work well with EHR software. You can choose EHR software relevant to your healthcare specialty, like orthopedic EHR. With the right EHR features, you can enhance your management style and facilitate the management of patient information, clinical workflows, and administrative tasks in your practice. Invest in a secure EHR platform that’s easy to use and matches your healthcare practice needs and management style.