It is crucial for the medical receptionist and/or office manager to equip the medical practice facility with all the necessary items for the office to operate efficiently. The office manager is also expected to help the office cut back on costs wherever possible, so knowing how to balance what is required and not required to stay within the office’s budget is extremely important.

Know how the office operates before purchasing supplies

Before purchasing medical supplies, sit down with the nurses, doctors and other personnel to evaluate the office operations. Will you be strictly using paper charts and documents, or will you be adopting an electronic medical record (EMR) system to input all medical information into computers? What will be the extent of medical services the office will provide? What role will the nurses have in interacting with patients?

By answering the above questions you will be able to figure out the type of medical equipment to purchase for your office, the amount of medical supplies to stock in the office for all personnel, and the type of office supplies needed to record patient information for billing purposes.

What you legally require in the medical office for quality health care services

As a medical practice, you are legally required to stock the necessary supplies that will prevent the spread of infectious illnesses and diseases between patients and medical personnel. Purchasing disposable medical supplies such as masks, gloves, specimen bags, and other items are essential to keeping a healthy and safe environment. Always stock the proper amount to prevent the sharing of medical supplies that could lead to contamination of medical specimens or the spread of illness to patients.

According to the American Medical Association, you are also legally required to keep all medical information concerning patients private under federal privacy protections outlined in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Whether your office will rely on computers to record all medical information, or paper healthcare claim forms, it is your responsibility to equip the office with the required supplies to record, store, and protect private medical information. Storage boxes, paper charts, radiology supplies, HIPAA labels, confidential sign in logs, and filing accessories can all be purchased directly from The Filing Supplies Shop to keep medical records easily accessible to the right personnel, while filed and secured in a responsible manner.

Have medical supplies on-hand to run an efficient office

With proper planning and preparation you can have everything required for the medical office – whether it is a small single-physician practice or a large medical clinic. Ensure you have all the items you legally need to keep patient information private and protected while offering the highest medical care possible!