Preceptors help with these roles
Here are some aspects of the patient access role that preceptors Cincinnati (OH) Children’s Hospital Medical Center help new hires to master:
• Determining which payer is primary.
"New hires typically struggle with entering insurances properly, especially if they come in with no past medical background," says Sherri E. Kissinger, CHAM, manager of patient access.
• Entering clinical information for radiology patients.
A module used with the registration system requires X-rays to be ordered during the registration process, so patient access now has to enter some clinical data. "Some of our facilities have to enter specifics about what exam has been ordered and how many views," Kissinger explains. "It can be overwhelming for new hires, and takes some practice."
• Explaining research practices to patients.
The hospital’s research department is now using remaining lab specimens that were previously discarded. The patient access role includes explaining this change to parents and obtaining their consent.
"So our staff, who are not clinical, are having this conversation with the families," says Kissinger. "We have had a very positive response, but at times, parents will ask a clinical question that we do not know the answer to. We then refer them to the research team that is handling the project."
