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Keep your colleagues, community and patients in mind before adding ancillary services
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SAN FRANCISCO — Adding ancillary services to an orthopedic practice can be a prudent business move, but orthopedists should thoroughly consider which services are best to pursue and how the addition of those services will impact their practice and local community.
"We should keep the patient first in our mind as we go through this process," said David A. Halsey, MD, who discussed the topic at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Practice Management Symposium for Practicing Orthopaedic Surgeons, here.
The ultimate goal of ancillary services is to enhance the patient's treatment experience, he said.
"We are all thinking of ways of mitigating and dealing with decreasing reimbursement and rising costs, but when you consider ancillary services, focus on what is best for your patients and practice setting," said Halsey, who is the chair of the AAOS Council on Advocacy. "That's where your focus should be, and all the issues surrounding reimbursement will become easier [to address] once you keep that in mind."
He said more surgeons are expressing interest these days in adding ancillary services like physical and occupational therapy, diagnostic imaging services and durable medical equipment in an effort to offset increasing expenses and decreasing reimbursement.
"Looking at the recent economic index, things aren't looking much better for the near future, either," he said.
Still, surgeons should not be hasty in adding extra services without researching the local market and their own patients' — and colleagues' — wishes first.
"Your patient wants convenience, simplicity and a place where he or she can receive care in a trusted relationship. We have that opportunity to provide that for our patients," he said. "Also, from the community perspective, how do your peers, including your referring physicians, your hospital and your community and business leaders feel about your expansion? What is their perspective?"
He added: "You also have to make sure your own practice colleagues are supportive of this move. You need to make sure it fits in well with what they see [as an improvement]. An unhappy colleague is not a good thing, but an unhappy and knowledgeable colleague can cause you real problems."
For more information:
- Halsey D. Offering additional services. Presented at the AAOS Practice Management Symposium for Practicing Orthopaedic Surgeons. March 4, 2008. San Francisco.