Medical Billing From Home
Productivity Tips

Advice on keeping focused and productive for those who do medical billing from home. How to control work-at-home environments and habits...

Running a home medical billing and coding business can be a great way to stay flexible and independent while being gainfully employed.

Many people find that medical billing from home gives them the time they need to manage all aspects of their life. You can maintain your home life while also having a productive and fulfilling career, and avoiding the stress of the workplace.

But sometimes it's just as easy to get caught up in the distractions of home life. These cause you to procrastinate, and may eventually end up costing you your business if you can't control your time.

Procrastination can be especially lethal to your professional reputation. Remember: the work you do determines when your clients get paid.

To help you keep your clients happy, we've assembled several tips to help you stay productive while working from home...

Productivity Tips

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  Set the mood: Make sure that the area you're working in is comfortable and encourages you to sit upright and stay focused.

  Find a comfortable desk chair, and set up a specific area for your work. Maintain an area that will allow you to stay alert without being uncomfortable.

  Never work from the couch - this is an easy way to fall asleep on the job!




• Work without distractions: If you have children, make sure that the area you are working in lets you to close the door.

  If you're taking business phone calls while simultaneously watching or listening to your children, you may miss the details. Clients may also find it unprofessional to hear children in the background while you are working.




• Make sure you have enough room to write as well as enough room for the computer.

  Computer desks are popular because they're set up to put the computer screen at the right eye level and provide a place for the keyboard. However, you'll need extra workspace to place files and write out notes - choose a desk with enough flat workspace.



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  Find the right lighting: Don't work in an area that's too dark or excessively bright.

  Workplace studies show that both types of lighting can cause people to work more slowly or become distracted. They're more focused on the light around them than the work in front of them.

  Your lighting should be even with no harsh shadows, and it should be easy to read printed material.




• Never work with the TV on: It's far too easy to get involved in a television show and let an hour slip by because you had the TV on while working.

  You wouldn't work in an office in front of a TV... so neither should you at home.




• Invest in a good chair. You're going to be at your desk for several hours at a time. If you simply bring in a chair from your dining room you may find that you have fatigue set in or that it puts you at a bad angle ergonomically.

  Spending a good sum on a quality office chair helps to makes that you don't get tired working at your desk.



• 

  Consider music: Music can help you be more productive, if it's familiar and played at a low volume.

  It can mask lower sounds (like the whirr of your computer) and keep your mind active without being a distraction. This allows you to focus more deeply on the task at hand.




• Keep your work area separate: Often a medical billing from home office is part of a playroom, guest room or kitchen. While these options take up less space, they also lead to distraction...

  If you're working in the kitchen surrounded by housework that needs to be done, it can be all too easy to say to yourself "I'll get back to work after I wash these dishes or fold the laundry".

  Before you know it, you have a clean house and a lot of unhappy clients!




• Add storage. Along with formal office procedures, include proper storage in your home office plan.

  Make filing cabinets and other storage options available to handle client documents as they come in, instead of adding them later. Do this and you'll be organized from day one!



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  Set up a simple organizational system: If you spend all day filing according to a complex system, you will lose valuable time needed to process claims.

  If you keep your organizational system simple, you'll still be able to find everything and cut down on the time it takes to file things appropriately.




• Keep your work life and home life separate: Keeping your work area in a different room also means that when your work is done, you can close the door and forget about it. This helps you get away so you can recharge and get ready for the next day's work.

  Think of your separate office space as your job, and the rest of your house as your sanctuary.




• Establish office hours and keep time in your office.

  Working from home lets you to be more flexible. But where possible you should have set times when people can always reach you. This gives a little more peace of mind to your clients and establishes boundaries between other parts of your life.

Ultimately, the way you organize your home office depends on your best working conditions. Just make sure to follow these tips and you can enjoy the best of both worlds!

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