Many businesses have been catching up to the healthcare industry this year when it comes to remote employees. (After all, medical coders and billers often work from home—and do it well, we might add.) More healthcare organizations are employing remote employees or transitioning more roles to work-from home positions.

To ensure remote employees are productive, accurate and professional, healthcare organizations need to empower them. Here are three ways to do just that:

1. Maintain Communication

There are two factors that are important here when it comes to healthcare organizations and remote employees. One, make sure you’re using the latest technology so that it’s easy to instantly communicate with employees. Two, make sure everyone is on the same page and that everyone is accountable. Schedule regular meetings (both as a team and individually) to maintain communication and avoid misconceptions. Uncertainty leads to anxiety, while clear goals lead to empowerment.

2. Be Flexible with Time and Productivity

Working from home isn’t the same as working in an office. There are potential distractions, like children, as well as a different environment. As such, you can’t expect remote employees to deliver the same type of productivity on the same timetable. Be flexible with when your employees are getting their work done and don’t micromanage them. Maintain communication, as mentioned above, and make sure employees are clear about any quotas or goals. Then, let them be free to get work done however and whenever works best for them. When employees see that you care about them and their work-life balance, they are more motivated to do a good job for the company.

3. Encourage Professional Development

Finally, empower remote employees with knowledge. Like many other industries, healthcare organizations value employees with versatile skill sets. You can encourage employees to pursue this by signing them up for a medical coding course or certification in another specialty area. It’s not uncommon for medical coders to be certified as medical billers, for example. Or, perhaps a stellar employee is interested in coding management. Either way, letting your employees pursue professional development will do wonders for their motivation and help them find meaning in their everyday tasks.

Hopefully these tips helped you see the value of empowerment for remote employees. If you’re looking for regular medical coding insights, be sure to subscribe to our blog today.