Tips & Shortcuts for Timely PRM Documentation

It happens. You are getting ready to meet with a provider and you know there is something you were supposed to do or check before you reconnected. You probably did it, but you want to be sure, so you are racking your brain to recall the details.

While you can review your notebook of to dos, or sift through a pile of sticky notes, those aren’t always available to you or well organized in your moment of need. Moreover, if you were out sick or on a well-deserved vacation, how would your teammate possibly know where to pick up the pieces and fill in where you left off?

Using a PRM (physician relationship management) system to capture key details about a physician liaison’s contacts, meetings and next steps can be supportive in either of these scenarios. Yet, being compliant about getting those details in the system in a timely manner can be a challenge. Sometimes it is because liaisons are on-the-go (in the field) or don’t have the time, tools or discipline to get everything into the system.

If this also describes you or your team, I am happy to share some best practices that have helped my former team (and current clients) streamline their PRM documentation.

Use It (the PRM) or Lose It

Oftentimes, those who are not as comfortable with technology find themselves resorting to pen and paper with the intent of transferring that information to a PRM later on. While there is nothing wrong with this approach, those liaisons I know who log into their PRM once a month (to get all of their entries in before a monthly report is due) are often frustrated by forgotten logins, uncertainty about how to navigate the system and more.

If this describes you, set a goal of blocking one hour every Friday or Monday to routinely transcribe your notes from paper to the PRM and run an activity report. This will ensure you have consistent practice within the system. It will also help to catch visits that weren’t documented, give team members timely access to your field notes and check off completed or scheduled next steps from your ‘PIN’ strategy.

Check Out Advanced Recording Features

Some of the liaisons I worked with are planners at heart. They carve out time on a weekly, monthly and quarterly basis to line up who they are visiting, when, where and why. For these individuals, it is easier to schedule visits out in advance and then simply mark the visits as ‘complete’ as they go. If you are of the same breed, check out what features your PRM offers to plan and record visits in advance. You will love this functionality!

Leverage Lists & Other PRM Documentation Shortcuts

Many of the visits liaisons make in the field are tied to executing a specific growth initiative. This means that on any given day they may be visiting 10-15 providers to discover their needs related to a specific service line of interest. Recording what is akin to the same visit 15 times across each provider profile can, understandably, seem like a chore.

This is why our software offers a number of PRM documentation shortcuts, such as allowing users to record a single task across multiple profiles. If this describes your typical day, learn more about what shortcuts your physician relationship management tool offers to ensure you spend less time documenting and more time in the field.

Get Mobile

Sometimes those of us who prefer technology over pen and paper are hampered by the fact that it can be a pain to lug around a laptop and find access to Wi-Fi, especially if our territory includes more rural markets. This is why many of my clients’ liaisons choose to access Ascend from their phones to look up profiles, record activities or issues and schedule follow up in the moment. If this describes you, I would suggest checking to see if your PRM is easy to access and use from your smart phone or similar smart device.

Other PRM Documentation Tips

Do you have more questions about how to speed PRM documentation or want to discuss these tips further? Let’s connect! Please email me at amy.milazzo@marketware.com.