Let's face it, time studies are no one's favorite task, yet they remain a crucial way to understand and fund key parts of healthcare. But what if we changed the narrative? What if instead of merely going through the motions, we harnessed the true potential of time studies and the wealth of data they offer? It's time to elevate your time studies to a whole new level.
The Foundation: The Basic Level
Make no mistake, transitioning from a paper-based or Excel-based time study to a digital platform isn't the gateway to the "next level" we're talking about. No matter the medium—paper, Excel, or the cloud—if your best boast is "we have a compliant process," then you're operating at the Basic level.
Of course, it's entirely possible to function at this level. Many hospitals and transplant centers maintain a basic process, fulfilling CMS requirements, obtaining their reimbursements, and performing quite well. But often, this approach leads to a "loop of frustration," where inefficient processes, makeshift solutions, and low engagement converge with vague expectations and limited availability, resulting in collective discontent. Yes, the job gets done—but shouldn't the journey be as rewarding as the destination?
The Transformation: The Advanced Level
Elevating your time studies to the Advanced level is about digging deeper and fostering flexibility to ensure maximum participation. This begins with knowing that your time studies include everyone they can. We've previously discussed how time studies are not just for doctors, and at the Advanced level, your time studies should mirror this reality, capturing the significant and valuable contributions of non-physicians.
Identifying the right participants is a major stride, but ensuring their consistent and proactive participation is the real triumph. Personalizing time-study activities for each participant so that they can make entries on the device of their choice at the time of their convenience is the optimal strategy. And when engagement wanes, Advanced-level administrators know when to prompt participants with a friendly nudge, informed by data that predicts optimal response times based on past behavior. The Advanced level isn't solely about data; it's a journey to redefine the time study process, transforming it from a tedious chore into valuable experience.
The Frontier: The Cutting Edge
Yet, the journey doesn't end at the Advanced level. With accelerators like MyTimeStudy and Gazer, the Advanced level is merely the launchpad to the Cutting Edge. Here, you can swiftly answer critical questions like, "What percentage of our CMS funding is driven by time studies?" At the Cutting Edge level, you've not only gathering input from all the right participants, but you can easily determine how much time and funding each contributor—including physicians and staff—provides to the organization. At this pinnacle of time studies, you can even begin to expand time studies and incorporate new, valuable services including BMT, GME, and directorships.
The possibilities with time studies are endless. You're already covering the basics, so why not extract the maximum benefits from your efforts? It's time to propel your time studies to the next level.
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