Run Your Practice, Don’t Let It Run You
Plastic surgeons juggle patient care, surgery schedules, consults, and the business side of plastic surgery. Maximizing productivity without sacrificing quality or patient experience is key to long-term success. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to streamline an established practice, these time-saving tips, based on expert insights from our plastic surgery consultants, can help reclaim your time and sanity.
1. Should You Delegate Operations Through Practice Management Consulting?
Running a practice is a full-time job beyond the OR. Tasks like HR, finance, marketing, and compliance can quickly consume your week. A practice management consulting partner can assist with key operational functions hiring, staff training, protocol creation, and even vendor negotiations, so you stay focused on patients and surgery.
2. Can an AI Scribe Help You Save Hours of Documentation Time?
Documentation is a top time-waster for many surgeons. Enter the AI scribe.
AI scribing technology listens during patient visits and automatically generates chart notes, summaries, and even post-op instructions. These tools can integrate with your EMR, reducing your need to manually dictate or type notes after hours. Surgeons report saving 1–2 hours per day, time that can be reallocated to consults, surgery, or even heading home earlier.
For plastic surgery practice management, AI scribes can be particularly helpful for:
Cosmetic consults: capturing nuanced aesthetic goals and consent details
Post-op visits: quickly updating recovery notes and instructions
Insurance cases: ensuring thorough documentation for pre-auth and reimbursement
Look for HIPAA-compliant solutions and test voice accuracy with your patient population before fully committing.
3. Why Should You Batch Non-Surgical Treatments and Follow-Ups?
Grouping similar types of visits together, like Botox/filler appointments or wound care follow-ups, can boost efficiency. Your medical assistant can prep the room the same way for each session, and your brain stays in the same “clinical gear,” reducing cognitive load. Batch processing also improves supply management and staff rhythm.
Tip: Reserve specific mornings or afternoons each week for these grouped visits. Patients appreciate the predictability and shorter wait times too.
4. What Patient Engagement Tasks Can Be Automated?
Follow-up texts, appointment reminders, pre-op instructions, and post-op care tips don’t have to be manual. Modern patient engagement platforms allow you to automate:
Text/email reminders
Satisfaction surveys
Educational video links
Pre-visit intake forms
Patients get consistent communication, and your staff saves time on the phone.
5. How Can Standardized Surgical and Post-Op Protocols
Consistency is the secret to speed. Develop and document standardized protocols for your most common procedures, like breast augmentation, abdominoplasty, or Mohs reconstruction. Ensure everyone from scrub techs to PACU nurses is on the same page.
Create digital or printed checklists that cover:
Instrument trays and implants needed
Typical sutures and dressing materials
Post-op medication protocols
Follow-up schedule by procedure type
A streamlined OR and post-op flow means fewer delays and better patient outcomes.
Final Thoughts
Your time is one of your most valuable assets. Partnering with a practice management consulting team, leveraging AI, and creating efficient systems can help your plastic surgery practice management strategy work for you, not the other way around.
If you’re unsure where to start, a consultation with experienced plastic surgery consultants can provide tailored recommendations based on your practice size, goals, and staffing.
Can PS² help me streamline my practice?
Yes! Schedule a call to discuss your practice and our services in more detail.