ENTtoday
  • Home
  • Practice Focus
    • Allergy
    • Facial Plastic/Reconstructive
    • Head and Neck
    • Laryngology
    • Otology/Neurotology
    • Pediatric
    • Rhinology
    • Sleep Medicine
  • Departments
    • Issue Archive
    • TRIO Best Practices
      • Allergy
      • Facial Plastic/Reconstructive
      • Head and Neck
      • Laryngology
      • Otology/Neurotology
      • Pediatric
      • Rhinology
      • Sleep Medicine
    • Career Development
    • Case of the Month
    • Everyday Ethics
    • Health Policy
    • Legal Matters
    • Letter From the Editor
    • Medical Education
    • Online Exclusives
    • Practice Management
    • Resident Focus
    • Rx: Wellness
    • Special Reports
    • Tech Talk
    • Viewpoint
    • What’s Your O.R. Playlist?
  • Literature Reviews
    • Allergy
    • Facial Plastic/Reconstructive
    • Head and Neck
    • Laryngology
    • Otology/Neurotology
    • Pediatric
    • Rhinology
    • Sleep Medicine
  • Events
    • Featured Events
    • TRIO Meetings
  • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • Editorial Board
    • Triological Society
    • Advertising Staff
    • Subscribe
  • Advertise
    • Place an Ad
    • Classifieds
    • Rate Card
  • Search

Modern, Comfortable Medical Offices Can Benefit Your Practice

by Cheryl Alkon • November 5, 2015

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version

Robert Kneschke/SHUTTERSTOCK.com

Image Credit: Robert Kneschke/SHUTTERSTOCK.com

Take a glance around your medical office, your exam rooms, your waiting area, and your entrance space. How do they look to new patients walking in the door? Can you remember when your office was last renovated, repainted, or redesigned?

You Might Also Like

  • 9 Tips For Surviving the First Year of Medical Residency
Explore This Issue
November 2015

Does it matter? Actually, it does.

“Good design is good business,” said Dan Greenfield, the founder of Health Space Design, a medical interior design firm based in Austin, Texas. “How does the overall function of your office impact the form?”

Having an updated medical office space can do several things for your practice. It can help you stay compliant with laws pertaining to privacy and accessibility, as well as allow for effective and efficient patient flow. Such elements can go a long way in helping your practice attract and retain patients. It can also improve staff morale, which can help streamline office operations and maintain good practices.

While patient care isn’t directly related to how modern a medical office is, physicians who pay close attention to their business’ bottom line may be thinking more about how the office looks, said Greenfield.

“In this day of declining reimbursements, doctors are under more pressure to be more business-minded,” said Greenfield. The look and feel of a doctor’s office may make a difference to some patients in terms of whether they return for a follow-up visit.

When it comes to office renovations, “many physicians think ‘I didn’t go to medical school to learn about blueprints,’” said Greenfield. “They are extremely educated and smart, but there are a lot of things they may not be aware of, such as the need to start a renovation project early by talking to a designer, and to have the right amount of space for current and future needs.”

Linking Decoration to Dollars

In the Affordable Care Act era, physicians are subject to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ value-based payment modifier program, under which a differential payment is made to a physician or physician group based on whether quality care standards were met compared with the cost of care. In the past, reimbursements were made to physicians regardless of patient outcomes.

Some builders are seeing a trend in the use of higher-quality building materials, particularly in waiting areas, said Robert Titzer, executive vice president in the Corporate Real Estate Services and PrimeCare divisions of HSA PrimeCare, a real estate and healthcare firm based in Chicago. “Higher-level finishes make it more comfortable for people in some offices, with nicer artwork and small water features to dress up the waiting areas.”

Pages: 1 2 3 4 | Single Page

Filed Under: Departments, Home Slider, Practice Management Tagged With: office renovation, practice managementIssue: November 2015

You Might Also Like:

  • 9 Tips For Surviving the First Year of Medical Residency

The Triological SocietyENTtoday is a publication of The Triological Society.

The Laryngoscope
Ensure you have all the latest research at your fingertips; Subscribe to The Laryngoscope today!

Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology
Open access journal in otolaryngology – head and neck surgery is currently accepting submissions.

Classifieds

View the classified ads »

TRIO Best Practices

View the TRIO Best Practices »

Top Articles for Residents

  • Do Training Programs Give Otolaryngology Residents the Necessary Tools to Do Productive Research?
  • Why More MDs, Medical Residents Are Choosing to Pursue Additional Academic Degrees
  • What Physicians Need to Know about Investing Before Hiring a Financial Advisor
  • Tips to Help You Regain Your Sense of Self
  • Should USMLE Step 1 Change from Numeric Score to Pass/Fail?
  • Popular this Week
  • Most Popular
  • Most Recent
    • The Dramatic Rise in Tongue Tie and Lip Tie Treatment
    • Is Middle Ear Pressure Affected by Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Use?
    • Keeping Watch for Skin Cancers on the Head and Neck
    • Rating Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Severity: How Do Two Common Instruments Compare?
    • Otolaryngologists Are Still Debating the Effectiveness of Tongue Tie Treatment
    • The Dramatic Rise in Tongue Tie and Lip Tie Treatment
    • Rating Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Severity: How Do Two Common Instruments Compare?
    • Vertigo in the Elderly: What Does It Mean?
    • What Happens to Medical Students Who Don’t Match?
    • Complications for When Physicians Change a Maiden Name
    • Resident Unions Are Growing in Popularity in Otolaryngology
    • Is Caring for the Homeless and Uninsured Really Someone Else’s Problem?
    • Otolaryngology Practices Use Digital Tools to Pre-authorize—With Mixed Results
    • A Look at the Past, Present, and Future of DEI Medical Education Initiatives
    • Barbie, Bullying, and Bravery: Ending Workplace Bullying Requires Strong Leadership

Polls

Do you think resident unions are a positive development for otolaryngology?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...
  • Polls Archive
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookie Preferences

Visit: The Triological Society • The Laryngoscope • Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology

Wiley
© 2023 The Triological Society. All Rights Reserved.
ISSN 1559-4939