Doctors file many reports, but can cut costs by printing only what is necessary.
Printing Less Can Save You More
Following a patient visit, the clinician often fills out a multi-page report. Then hits the print key. The problem is that uses a lot of paper. So some medical assistants in a Northwest internal medicine office encouraged their doctors to print the one-page patient summaries instead. Buy-in to the new process was immediate as clinicians and staff all thought the shorter forms were better while a third felt they were giving their patients better care. But the bottom line was an annual savings of $60,000.
Here's What Worked
- Emphasizing the environmentally responsible aspect of the project to build support
- Printing one-page instead of multi-page patient summaries
- Using time freed from printing to make calls and speak with members
What can your team do to "green" your work life?
$60,000
annual savings for printing
one-page summaries instead of
multi-page reports
Act Now—Tools to Help Your Team
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