Glossary & Guidelines: Hospital Patient Administration

What are critical business processes?

Critical business processes are the most basic processes that employees must follow and tasks associated with those processes to be completed so as to ensure efficient and effective operations of the healthcare business.

 

Example: Within Appointments, the following tasks will be performed:

1. Document all appointments in the diary;
2. Capture debtor and patient information without error;
3. Validate the medical aid information;
4. Arrive patients on the software so that the practitioner can see which patients are ready in the waiting room etc.

GoodX has combined all the Critical Business Process diagrams for the different types of processes in a healthcare business into one book that is available:

1. in print at the GoodX offices; or
2. in pdf format for download on the front page of the online Learning Centre.

Why are critical business processes necessary?

Any healthcare practice is a business which needs to be run effectively and efficiently in order to provide top healthcare to patients and be financially beneficial for owners, practitioners who work on commission and personnel who earn salaries. If all parties involved in the healthcare practice work toward the productivity of the practice, all parties benefit.

This Best Practice guideline book aims at guiding you through our suggested critical business processes so that your practice remains profitable, controlled and reportable.

Who needs to become acquainted with this information?

These guidelines are provided to:

1. the owner of the healthcare practice who needs to design procedures or authorise the practice manager to design procedures for his or her practice; and
2. the practice manager (or person who fulfils the role of the practice manager) who needs to implement these critical business processes and to check that the tasks are completed and reports are generated and analysed; and
3. all role players in the practice whose tasks are properly designed and communicated to them for completion.

How to implement critical business processes?

There are some critical business processes that need to be completed for the healthy operation of the practice. This diagram illustrates the core processes in a healthcare practice.

Within each of the segments of the diagram, eg Appointments, there are numerous tasks to be performed to complete the process. This book describes these basic tasks, what needs to be done and why they are necessary. Every role in the practice needs to perform specific tasks to complete the process. It is the responsibility of the practice manager to make sure every employee in the practice knows which tasks to perform.

For instructions on how to perform these tasks in your GoodX software, see our User Manuals in the GoodX Learning Centre, which are grouped together under the same segment headings for easy reference.