Implementing workflows in your system involves more than simply automating steps. Effective workflows require thoughtful planning, thorough testing, and continuous monitoring to ensure tasks are completed accurately, on time, and with minimal errors.
A well-designed workflow saves time, reduces mistakes, and helps your clinic operate smoothly. Getting the most out of workflows means building them carefully, validating them before going live, and reviewing them regularly.
This guide outlines best practices to help you create reliable, efficient workflows every time.
[Accordion] Plan Before You Build
Define the Goal: Begin by clearly identifying what the workflow is intended to accomplish. A well-defined goal ensures every step supports the desired outcome. For example, a new patient intake workflow may aim to complete all required forms and assign initial tasks within 24 hours of admission.
Identify Triggers, Tasks, and Assignments: Determine which event will start the workflow, the tasks that must be completed, and the staff responsible for each step. For example:
Trigger: Admission form submission
Tasks: Initial assessment, insurance verification
Assigned to: Clinician, Billing Staff
Decide on the Workflow Type, Frequency, and Dependencies: Determine whether the workflow should run once or on a recurring schedule, and identify any task dependencies. For example, a follow-up treatment plan workflow may run every 90 days and trigger only after the previous plan has been completed.
[Accordion] Keep Workflows Simple and Focused
Avoid Overly Complex Workflows: Break complex processes into smaller, manageable workflows to reduce errors and simplify maintenance. Example: Instead of a single workflow for “Admission to Discharge,” create separate workflows for Admission Tasks, Treatment Plan, and Discharge Procedures.
Ensure Clear Purpose and Outcome: Each workflow should have a defined goal so staff understand the expected result. Example: A workflow for insurance verification should only focus on verifying coverage and not include treatment scheduling.
Limit Number of Steps: Fewer steps reduce errors and make workflows easier to maintain and update. Example: Combine multiple notification steps into a single alert where appropriate.
[Accordion] Assign Tasks Clearly
Specify Responsibility: Assign each task to a responsible staff member or role to ensure accountability. Example: Assign the initial assessment to a Clinician, insurance verification to Billing Staff, and care coordination to a Case Manager.
Use Role-Based Assignments: Assign tasks based on staff roles rather than individuals to ensure coverage even if someone is unavailable. Example: Any clinician in the Psychiatry department can complete the initial mental health assessment task.
Set Dependencies Thoughtfully: Decide whether tasks should run sequentially or in parallel and define dependencies accordingly. Example: Insurance verification should be completed before scheduling certain procedures, but patient education materials can be sent in parallel.
[Accordion] Set Deadlines and Reminders
Define Due Dates: Set task deadlines relative to workflow events like Admission Date or Treatment Plan creation. Example: An initial treatment plan task should be due 7 days after the patient’s admission date.
Configure Automatic Reminders: Ensure staff are notified before tasks are due to reduce overdue items. Example: Set a reminder 2 days before the treatment plan review is due.
Avoid Missing Reminder Settings: If Reminder Days are not set, staff won’t receive alerts, which can lead to overdue tasks. Example: Without reminders, a follow-up task might go unnoticed and delay care.
[Accordion] Test Before Full Deployment
Run a Trial Workflow: Test the workflow with a small group of staff to identify and resolve issues before full implementation. Example: Try a new discharge workflow with one unit before implementing it clinic-wide.
Validate Triggers and Conditions: Ensure all triggers, conditions, and notifications function as expected. Example: Confirm that submitting an admission form triggers the workflow and sends alerts to the assigned staff.
Make Adjustments Before Rollout: Fix any issues discovered during testing to avoid errors during full deployment. Example: Adjust task assignments if some staff are not receiving notifications.
[Accordion] Document and Track Workflows
Maintain Clear Documentation: Keep a record of workflow steps, triggers, and assignments for reference. Example: Create a reference sheet listing all workflow triggers, task owners, and deadlines.
Track Version History: Document changes over time to understand workflow evolution and troubleshoot issues. Example: Keep a log of updates made to recurring treatment plan workflows.
Review Workflow Performance: Regularly check workflow efficiency and completion rates to identify bottlenecks or outdated steps. Example: If a certain task is consistently delayed, investigate workflow design or staff workload.
[Accordion] Optimize and Update Regularly
Analyze Workflow Efficiency: Monitor completion rates to identify improvement areas. Example: Track how long tasks take and adjust deadlines or reminders if necessary.
Update Workflows to Reflect Changes: Incorporate policy updates or process improvements into workflows. Example: Update intake workflows to include new insurance verification steps.
Archive Outdated Workflows: Remove workflows that are no longer relevant to reduce clutter. Example: Archive workflows for discontinued programs.
[Accordion] Shortcuts: Save Time and Reduce Clicks
Use Prefilled Fields: Minimize manual data entry wherever possible. Example: Prefill patient demographic data from the intake form into related tasks.
Combine Related Triggers: Use a single workflow for related triggers instead of multiple separate workflows. Example: Combine all follow-up appointment tasks into one workflow instead of separate workflows per service.
Use Workflow Cloning: Replicate workflows for similar logic across different programs or patient groups. Example: Clone an outpatient therapy workflow for different patient age groups with minor adjustments.
[Accordion] Recommendations
Define Clear Triggering Criteria: Avoid duplicate task creation by setting precise triggers. Example: Trigger a workflow based on Admission Form rather than every new contact added.
Use System-Level Fields for Single-Occurrence Tasks: For tasks meant to occur once per client, rely on fields like Demographics or Admission forms. Example: Assign initial assessment only once per patient based on their admission date.
Trigger Recurring Tasks Appropriately: For recurring tasks, base the workflow on prior tasks or plans rather than individual contacts. Example: Schedule follow-up treatment plans 180 days after the last plan completion.
[Accordion] Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
Wrong Trigger Form: Using Patient Contacts instead of Demographics can create duplicate tasks. Example: Tasks triggered from contact updates may fire multiple times unnecessarily.
Recurring Task Misconfiguration: Trigger recurring workflows from the prior task to automatically manage recurrence. Example: Follow-up tasks triggered from the last treatment plan avoid duplication.
No Reminders Set: Staff will not receive alerts for overdue tasks. Example: A task without a Reminder may get missed entirely.
Manual Assignment Issues: Workflow rules are not retroactive; due dates are calculated from the assignment date, not the original event. Example: Assigning an overdue task today will start the due date calculation from today, not the original schedule.
Avoid Nightly Automation as Trigger: Using nightly automation could create duplicate tasks for the same record. Example: A nightly batch workflow should be avoided for tasks already handled during the day.
[Accordion] Quick Tips & Pitfalls
Quick Tips:
Plan First: Define goals, triggers, tasks, and assignments before building.
Keep It Simple: Limit steps and break complex workflows into smaller, manageable pieces.
Assign Clearly: Use role-based assignments; decide if tasks should run sequentially or in parallel.
Set Deadlines & Reminders: Always configure due dates and Reminder Days to prevent overdue tasks.
Test Workflows: Trial workflows with a small group to validate triggers, notifications, and task logic.
Use Shortcuts:
Prefill Fields: Save time and reduce manual data entry.
Combine Related Triggers: Group related tasks in one workflow rather than creating multiple separate workflows.
Clone Workflows: Reuse workflow logic across similar programs or patient groups.
Optimize Regularly: Review workflow completion rates, update for process improvements, and archive outdated workflows.
Common Pitfalls:
Wrong Trigger Form: Using Patient Contacts instead of Demographics can cause duplicate tasks.
Recurring Tasks Misconfigured: Trigger workflows based on the prior task, not every related record.
No Reminders Set: Staff won’t receive alerts, leading to overdue tasks.
Manual Assignment Issues: Workflow rules are not retroactive; due dates are calculated from the assignment date, not the original event.
Nightly Automation: Avoid using nightly automation as a trigger if it could create multiple tasks for the same record.