Health IT solutions are developing at an increasingly rapid pace. New applications and systems have helped streamline many administrative processes, particularly as they relate to revenue cycle management (RCM). With the latest technology, hospitals can more easily and efficiently capture charges and coordinate care, and often the challenge is implementing those systems and processes in the first place. The logistical hurdles of rolling out new solutions are multiplied when implementation has to occur across large healthcare networks that consist of dozens of practices. In such cases, each individual hospital could potentially be using different systems and processes to capture charges, which makes it difficult to get everyone on the same page and ensure a smooth transition.
Selecting the right health IT solution is a critical step to optimizing workflows and RCM, and the challenges don't end after go-live. The key is to leverage a dedicated implementation team that can analyze how different levels of an organization use software solutions and provide recommendations that will ensure increased adoption rates, timely billing and a reduction in missed charges.
Here is a rundown of a few key areas that large health systems and their implementation teams should be prepared to address as they consider rolling out a new RCM solution.
Pre-Implementation Planning
Many software implementations experience low adoption rates - or even outright fail - due to a lack of sufficient resources dedicated to change management, which encompasses everything from developing an implementation strategy to educating key stakeholders within the organization. This is especially critical for larger enterprises coordinating a rollout across several practices, where implementation strategies will have to be adjusted to account for varying workflows and reporting structures. [...]
Workflow And Revenue Cycle Data Analytics
Once the new RCM system is up and running, it's critical to keep a close eye on performance metrics so health systems can identify how many practices are adopting the new technology and, more importantly, understand whether the practices that have adopted the system are correctly using it. Some health systems may view a high adoption rate as the ultimate measure of success, but a truly successful implementation will see the new solution having a tangible, beneficial impact on hospital workflows with corresponding improvement across key performance indicators (KPIs) such as charge lag, claims denials and average reimbursement rates. [...]
Post Go-Live Optimization And Training
With the analytics supplied by the new RCM solution in hand, the implementation team can identify shortcomings in workflows and revenue cycles. In some cases, these shortcomings are a result of clinicians and administrators incorrectly using the new application. They simply need to be taught the best ways to use the new solution to facilitate improvement in those problem areas. Each department within a hospital will use the RCM solution in a different way, so it's essential to tailor education for each team so they understand the optimal way to utilize a new system after it goes live. [...]
The problem for many health systems is that IT solutions are under-utilized after rollout due to restraints on time and other resources necessary to ensure successful implementations. No matter whether a health system builds its own implementation team internally or taps the expertise of a vendor, it's critical to ensure the pieces are in place to proactively address pain points in revenue cycle management.
Source: Health IT Outcomes (View full article)
Posted by Dan Corcoran on November 9, 2017 06:42 AM
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