Top Physio Engineering

Introduction

For the area of "medical and surgical clinics" non accredited by the National Health Service, Top Physio Engineering® offers its know-how which is closely connected to the birth and development of private clinics in Italy and to the modification of social and historical context of the technological and financial innovations that have changed the structure of these clinics. Top Physio Engineering® which manages one of the most prestigious clinics in Italy is able to guide the entrepreneur in the strategic and operational choices for a successful business beginning.

The origins

Italian private medical and surgical clinics have always put in the centre the personality of the physician. The physician has always represented the contact with the patient, the person who directs the pation to choose one medical structure rather than another and one who "manages" the whole healthcare process. Clinics, usually owned by constructors, religious congregations or groups of physicians, have always provided the logistics or rather “rooms for stay”, operating rooms and the necessary medical equipment. With an average period of hospitalization for surgical pathology of at least 4 or 5 days, all persons involved has always had their own personal profit:

- The physician for his part has obtained the most possible from the rendered health services and was often a "guest" of the structure, because he ensured for the clinic the profits from the hospitalization stays and patients related to him due to his surgical specialty.

The owners of the clinics made limited investments, related to the surgical unit and basic diagnostics, and were concerned to invite physicians who could ensure the total employment of chambers. Few surgical pathologies but with an average period of hospitalization guaranteed the occupation at 100% of the beds and a large waiting list, in its turn, guaranteed a sure profit for the owner. The property got profits solely by renting rooms and the operating room and not from the provided health service. In summary "rent-rooms businessmen" instead of "businessmen of healthcare sector" obtained equal to one-fifth of income of the professional team.

Technological innovations

Technological innovation which has happened in the last 15 years has broken the consolidated equilibrium of private surgical clinics. The micro and nano technologies have been widespread in the healthcare field and combined with the application of minimally invasive surgical/endoscopic techniques have dramatically reduced the average period of hospitalization.

The owner has seen a decrease in employment of chambers (and consequently of his own profits) and was forced to cope with substantial investments for both surgical unit and diagnostic equipment in order to maintain the clinic equipment at a good quality level.

The current situation

The rising costs and decrease in revenues have meant that many owners have failed to pursue a sustainable economic dynamic that have led their structures to the state of deterioration. Others have timidly tried new roads predominantly following three criteria:
1. Increased cost of a chamber
2. Increased cost of an operating room
3. Request for a portion of profits derived from the work of the medical team (following the logic of percentage). None of the proposals outlined above has produced significant economic results. The situation seemed to be in equilibrium only because regarded the property ownership which usually was not considered part of the corporate business plan.

The near future: insurance policiesi

The recent decay of the private insurance system has fatherly changed the situation.
In the past insured patients represented a minority, the last decade they have become over 80% of the patients of the clinics. This modification has resulted in an increase in the purchasing of the leading insurance groups.
Lately, however, even the insurance companies had to balance their budgets, and for that reason, they tried to make the most of the ability to enter into agreements with private clinics. Such agreements have been successful with regard to the costs of hospital stay and operating theatre, but it has not been possible to find a solution for the fees of the medical staff.
Insurance groups have found a single interlocutor with whom they have established new agreements, but certainly have not been able to enter into partnerships with individual medical professionals.

So what is the near future of private clinics?

The near future is to build an organization capable to fully absorb the needs of those who now "bring" the patients, in other words, insurance companies, to give them a unique interlocutor for all healthcare dynamics and to offer a service made up of professionals who work for the clinic and not only for their own profit.
In the near future a private surgical clinic will be able to manage the costs of its own physicians and of its own professionals in general. It will be able to give the organizational rules that are not perceived as an imposition but as an integral part of a physician-patient relationship.
The near future belongs to those clinics that bring patients to the physician, thanks to agreements with insurance companies.
The near future belongs to those clinics’ owners that will become entrepreneurs in the healthcare field and not solely "businessmen renting chambers". The near future of this clinics is characterized by such criteria as management, organization and efficiency.
The near future belongs only to the clinics that now invest in this concept and are preparing in a consistent manner for the future changes.

Why Top Physio Engineering?

Top Physio Engineering ® has always been an important reality of healthcare consulting and management that has made "management of medical costs" its strong point. Top Physio Engineering® manages the clinic, its dynamics, provides and anticipates its development in a precise long-term planning.

Top Physio Engineering® has always invested in the structure and not in a single physician and vaunts 30 years of experience and great achievements experimented with one of the most prestigious Italian clinics. /p>