time management for doctors
TRANSCRIPT
Where does your time go ?• Do you make your patients wait because
you are always running late ?• Do you find it impossible to pursue a hobby
because you are too busy ?• Are you getting fat because you cannot find
time to exercise ?• Have you missed your daughter's school
play ?
Answers ?
Time management for doctors• Problems have become worse• Smartphone - expected to be on call 24/7• Our time is not our own - doctors live
chaotic lives• Daily wage earners• No work life balance• Burnout !
The time paradox•You are the most valuable resource in your clinic•You are the bottle neck in your clinic
Improving your time management skills
• How do you currently spend your day. Are you being effective ? Or incompetent ? Use an app to track your time, so you can see where it goes !• Are you a lark ? Or an owl ?
5 Principles• Set priorities• Delegate responsibility• Say NO !• Organise your work area• Don’t waste time !
Classify priorities in 4 time categories
•Do it now•Do it soon•Put off until later•Doesn't need to be done
4 Ds of handling Email• Delete: half of the emails you get can probably
be deleted immediately. • Do: if the email is urgent or can be completed
quickly. • Delegate: if the email can be better dealt with
by someone else. • Defer: set aside time at a later date to spend
on emails that require longer action.
Delegate !• You are the bottle neck in your clinic – and
the most highly paid resource• What can you get someone else to do ?• Create clear SOPs with a due date• Remember there is a learning curve – be
patient and follow up • Don’t dump your work on an assistant!
Medical SOPs –http://www.freeprintablemedicalforms.com
Learn to say No !
• If you don't think you would benefit or enjoy something, say no• Chances are, someone else will
appreciate the opportunity to get involved• Guard your time – it’s too precious to
fritter away on pointless meetings
Is your desk like this ?
Simplify !
• Get rid of clutter• Throw away stuff you haven’t
used in the last year• Give away useful items that you
no longer need to someone who will make good use of them.
Personal productivity tools to help you manage your time better
• Time trackers for analysis . When are you most productive ?• Apps to improve your focus• To do lists to track your tasks and
goals• Tools to help you find everything you
need instantly !
Evernote – never forget anything !
To – do lists• List your tasks , so you can organise your
day• You feel good when you strike them off the
list ! • 2 tips–Budget for unforeseen delays– Block private time for yourself
(meditation)
Any.do = Task list
Do It Tomorrow = Task list
CamCard – Business card scanner
App to help you stop wasting time on your smartphone !
Work smarter, not harder• Time management is about behaviour, not
time. We all have only 24 hours in a day• Match your behaviour with your
priorities and goals• Like any skill,
it takes time to master.
The 3 buckets in which your time goes
• Doctoring time = doing valuable clinical work. When you are in flow = in the Operation Theater• Delegate-able time• Downtime = wasted time. Causes
frustration
Make use of your down time = hidden time
• Time lost while waiting for meetings; patients; and while commuting. • Reclaim this time !• Read medical journals on your smartphone• Listen to CME podcasts• Multitasking !
Your poor patients
Why are you always running late ?
• Staffing issues ( insufficient, unreliable, unproductive staff)
• Emergencies (unexpected complications) • Scheduling problems (overbooking)• The heartsink patient –
long list of complaints and inquiries
• Like making patients wait !
5 Ss of productivity in your clinic• Style
–How you manage your time
• Staff• Space• Signage• Systems– SOPs for patient flow
Ask your staff for help !
• Brainstorm about the ways that time is wasted • Come up with strategies to
reduce these inefficiencies
How to make sure you are always on time !
• The consultation is free if you are more than 60 min late
How to make better use of your time with your patients• No interruptions when you are with a
patient• No phone calls during clinic hours• Return all calls at a fixed time• Intelligent phone systems for recording
all calls. Cloud based virtual receptionist• I prefer email – no phone tag
Teach your patients to respect your time !
• Reduce “ no shows” . Help them by sending sms reminders • Train your patients to come on time• Online consultations• Pre-visit patient coaching – educate
patients through your website so their FAQs are answered even before the visit !
How to improve
• Learn from colleagues who seem to have all the time in the world. How do they do it ? • Discipline yourself !• Enemies = Time wasters.
Proacrastination is the first sin
Take home message • Balance your daily schedule
with your overall life goals• Plan better so you
can spend more time doing the things you enjoy