Doctors and Physicians are busy individuals. Regardless of if they are working for the NHS or running their own private practice, they will have busy schedules and limited hours. Their skills will lie in the physical treatments and patient care, but as we can all imagine in this modern day and time, the amount of paperwork which goes with the physical treatments is huge.
From arranging patient appointments through to renewing the prescriptions, insurance and booking conferences, the Dr, Physician or Surgeon’s diary is very busy! So how can an executive assistant help a medical professional?
1. Diary Management
Your EA will be in charge of your diary: booking in patients, confirming appointments and re-booking cancelled appointments. They will be the representative of your practice, and they will ensure that clients are managed in the correct way. A staggering amount of appointments are missed, and missed appointments could lose you precious time (and money) so having your diary managed correctly is key. They can also book conferences, arrange department meetings and arrange travel alongside your diary should it be required, freeing up your time to see your patients and give them the treatments they require.
2. Letter Writing
Doctors send lots of letters. Although some medical services are using emails, there is still an old fashioned paper trail which is typically used (particularly in the UK). Letters take time. Many medical professionals will dictate their letters and then your EA can type them and send them, saving you a great deal of time. Your EA can create templates or use existing ones to help speed up the processes and a good executive assistant will have ways of creating new systems to help with this.
3. Medical Jargon
A specialised executive assistant for Doctors will understand medical language. After all if they are writing emails and letters and using complex language, you need to have someone who can nail the spelling. It isn’t acceptable for typos to exist. Executive assistants might specialise in just working for medical professionals and this helps – as they become familiar with the language and spelling of common words. However a good EA will have excellent IT and proof reading, to ensure that they can spot and correct any mistakes that are made.
4. Prevents Burnout
The medical world is both intense and rewarding. However many Doctors, Physicians and Surgeons are faced with intensive and highly emotional jobs, which can at times be incredibly stressful. After all they are only human and when mistakes are made, they can be faced with potential lawsuits or emotional trauma. A good executive assistant is there to support and help prevent burnout which can in turn lead to mistakes. Money well spent.
5. Protect Yourself
If a mistake happens (which it can) a good executive assistant will be there to manage this. They will ensure that correct insurance is renewed and in place, and if there is a lengthy action they can be there to sort the paperwork which can be extensive. Your EA will protect you and ensure you and your practice are safe.
Peace of mind is very important in the medical profession; a skilled assistant will help insure this! Click To Tweet
How to Hire an Executive Assistant
Your executive assistant should be there to help ease business stresses and make your life easier, allowing you to focus on your job and give your patients the highest level of attention and care. Look to recruit an EA who will tick all the boxes above, and give you long term support.
There are many ways to hire an EA, from self-recruitment, using your own network or using a professional agency. Make sure if you self-recruit you look to check references and fully vet and trial any prospective candidates – always protect yourself.
If you need our help or further advice or guidance – or indeed want to start a new EA search – we’d love to hear from you. Please do get in touch with us today.