Keeping current medically will
become compulsory July 1 when physicians across the
country will be required to take a certain number of
CME M1 credits each year and file the program with the
appropriate provincial college. Ongoing training is
something that is as necessary for your staff as it
is for you. Tax laws encourage staff training by making
it deductible and at least one province, Quebec, requires
corporations to spend at least 1% of revenue on in-
and out-of-house training. Still, many medical practices,
busy as they are, don't set training as a sufficiently
high priority to ensure that it gets done on a regular
basis.
There are other reasons to include
staff training as part of regular practice life, the
number one reason being that it's appreciated by your
staff. Whether it's a day away from the practice to
brush up on computer skills, a half day at a business
or motivational meeting or a full year extension course
for a group practice nurse, training is always a morale
booster. It shows you care and, despite the short term
expense, will nearly always pay substantial dividends
in a happy and productive staff — even if it's
a staff of one.
Training does cost time and money.
Some kinds of training are more effective than others.
A partial list, together with the returns you can expect,
follows.
•Upgrading staff skills
that will lead to higher practice revenue. Example:
A course that trains a staff nurse to give Botox injections
or perform procedures that you've been doing yourself.
Cost: Relatively high.
Return on investment (ROI): Excellent.
•On the job training.
By far the most common form of staff training, the costs
can be minimal and it can be rewarding for the trainer
and the trainee alike. To be effective it must be structured
with clearly defined goals, however modest they may
be. Don't just say: "Show Ruth how to use the computer
for appointments." Instead you should discuss how long
the task will take and develop a schedule together.
Personally check the progress that's being made even
if it's to take only a day or two.
Cost: Low.
ROI: Best return if it's done formally with
set goals and a timetable.
•Outside computer training:
Resist the temptation to send anyone on a general computer
course, for example learning how to use Microsoft Office.
Instead focus only on the aspects of the program the
staff member will need to accomplish the required tasks,
then use one of the following: on the job training;
purchase an appropriate training manual and encourage
them to learn it on their own; or, in rare cases, bring
in an outside trainer to teach the specific part of
the program you need. In the latter case, monitor progress
hour by hour.
Cost: Low to medium.
ROI: Good as long as you keep a tight rein
on spending if you're forced to use a private trainer.
•Motivation and other
outside training: Think of this kind of course primarily
as a morale booster. These courses are often offered
at hotels by large companies in the business of giving
seminars. Topics run from the practical: Six ways to
better manage a medical group practice: Two days, $549;
to the emotionally rewarding: Conflict management skills
for women: One day, $149. There are hundreds of such
meetings staged in hotels across the country every month.
They're often aimed at corporations and are expensive
for physicians to manage. Still, if yours is a group
practice such workshops are a solid way of showing your
employees you care.
Cost: High.
ROI: Don't expect these to add anything to
the practice revenue or savings but they can ease
internal tensions.
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