While there is probably no way to fully automate many holistic practice offices due to individuality and specialty, there are many things that can be done to make things move more smoothly and to make sure that things get done the way they should.
One of the best ways I have found to do this is to simply have what we call a travel sheet. A travel sheet is simply a sheet of options that the physician fills out to hand to his staff or if he's by himself to use himself as a reminder so that he remembers what they need to do. This can include things like when you want the patient to return, what CPT codes you want to charge, and what other tests you want to run.
Other ways to automate include using medical record software billing and software and inventory tracking software. In my office we use QuickBooks to track inventory and cash payments and we use a program called software to track medical records and to do insurance billing. There are some medical record software programs that will allow you to do inventory in them as well which might be more convenient for some people.
Make all your marketing passive. You shouldn't be going to health food stores or doing talks in public places. Do your marketing by making videos and posting the videos on Youtube or Facebook.
Spend $10 and boost your Facebook posts and get customers that way. It's a much more efficient use of time.
Do group educational programs for your patients and have them bring friends.
Consider group office visits or group acupuncture.
Take a careful look at your protocols and how you do everything and figure out ways to do it in less time or with less effort and with less mistakes. Write down this system. Analyze what you do, break it down to what the goals are and figure out ways to do it better especially using a system. It is OPTIMAL do to this with other people like your partner/spouse, a friend, or other doctors. Many minds together will accomplish what one by itself can not.
If you have staff, use your staff to do some of the tasks that you currently do.
Have written protocols for them. This makes everything more efficient and automatic and you don't have to remember everything.
If you don't have staff, come up with the protocol as to when you'll answer the phone, when you return calls and things like that.
Use a good answering service that will use the name of your office when they answer the phone and will schedule appointments for you