Starting a new medical practice and a fully functional EMR clinic is a very challenging process in India. There is no set pattern you can follow but what you can do is plan ahead.
To make the daunting process of planning and executing easier for you, we have prepared a guideline you can follow. It comprises all the important things you must keep in mind, like infrastructure requirements, electronic medical records software (EMR), staff hiring, space requirements, etc.
Funding and Cost Requirements
Your cost requirements will depend on the services your clinic will offer. The overall cost will be determined keeping in mind the below-mentioned factors:
- Space – rented, leased, or purchased
- Infrastructure
- Medical equipment
- Medical Softwares
- Staff and employees
- Miscellaneous medical facilities
- Setting up cost
Do the market research and determine how much each of these factors will cost individually and combined.
Now is also the right time to determine if you need funding. If yes, work simultaneously to get the processes right, like preparing paperwork, obtaining a line of credit, calculating operational capital, etc.
Registration and Licensing
The second and most important step for opening an EMR clinic in India is to get your medical practice registered by acquiring an accurate license. Skipping this step will not only deem your clinic to be illegal but also make you lose your credibility as a practicing medical professional in the country.
To get yourself registered, you will be required to earn a trade license under the Shop Establishment Act. You will be able to get this license at your nearest municipality or panchayat office.
Apart from the trade license under the Shop Establishment Act, you will also need to get your clinic registered under the companies act and societies registration act.
Purchasing Medical Equipment
Now that you have figured out the financial aspect of setting up a new clinic and getting registered, you can begin purchasing all the necessary medical equipment.
This might sound like an easy task, but it is not. You must do proper research regarding which equipment will work the best for you and why.
Some other purchases you will be required to make are:
- Furniture like chairs, tables, sofas, beds, etc.
- Clothing like patient gowns, lab coats, and staff uniform
- Medical supplies like scalpels, syringes, gauze, medicines, etc.
- Hardware and services like phones, computers, Wi-Fi connection, card machines, etc.
Electronic Medical Record Software (EMR)
EMR in India is on the rise now because of the digital modernization of the country. In other countries also, EMR for doctors has proven to be beneficial as it allows them to have a record and medical histories of all their patients in one place.
This eases the communication internally within the clinic and externally.
Some other beneficial features of an EMR are:
- 24/7 access anytime, anywhere
- Appointment scheduling
- E-prescriptions
- Education material for patients
- Prescription fill request
- Lab integrations
- Customizable templates
HealthPlix EMR is one of the top 10 EMRs in India. Designed with the doctor-first approach, it is AI-powered and caters to more than 16 specialties. Not only will it allow you to manage your patients hassle-free, but it also ensures 100% data security for you and your patients.
Also, remember to train your staff in using the EMR. Organize employee training and development sessions to introduce them to the EMR and understand all its operations.
Whenever you update the EMR, you will have to organize updated training sessions for employees.
Staff Hiring
You will also need a dedicated team of employees for your clinic to serve your patients in the best way possible. For this, you need to ensure you hire and appoint highly skilled and professional staff for all the activities of your clinic.
The major medical staff positions you must fill on priority are doctors, nurses, pathologists, etc. You will also need some other non-medical staff like lab technicians, clinical assistants, porters, ward boys, etc.
While hiring your medical professional staff, ensure they have all the required registrations. For instance, doctors must have a registered license from State Medical Council, and nurses must have a registered license from the Nursing Council.
Along with keeping a record of your patients, you must also keep a record of all your employees. It might seem unnecessary in this stage when you are occupied with more pressing issues. However, it is a very important step.
To do this seamlessly and conveniently, you can use HealthPlix’s clinic management software for doctors.
Promote Your Clinic
Simply setting up your clinic will not bring up patients; you will have to promote and advertise it.
To gain visibility, network with your colleagues and work on building an online presence. Use platforms like YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, etc., to garner attention. Gradually through excellent services, mouth publicity will also kickstart.
Do not hope to build a strong presence in the hospital industry right in the beginning. It will take time, patience, and hard work.
Wrapping Up
We understand if you are a little stressed about reading all the steps required to open a new clinic. It can be very challenging and emotionally, mentally, and physically exhausting.
To make your journey a little easier, HealthPlix offers clinic management software. More than 10,000 doctors in the country are already relying on this software to provide their patients with the best services and facilities.
HealthPlix will welcome you to its large family with equal enthusiasm. Its top-notch services will help you take care of all the steps mentioned above, like finding space, setting up infrastructure, buying an EMR, and much more.