Hospital registrars now do scheduling
In 2013, outpatient registrars at Swedish Covenant Hospital in Chicago were crossed-trained to perform outpatient scheduling activities.
A patient might walk in for lab testing and present another order for a pelvic ultrasound, for example. "The registrar will create an account for the lab test, schedule the ultrasound appointment, and then alert insurance verification team to see whether an authorization or referral is required," says Carlos Collazo, patient access applications trainer.
As of July 2013, the hospital's emergency department (ED) registrars were cross-trained to perform a variety of patient financial counseling activities and also to schedule follow-up appointments for the ERIE Family Health Center on the hospital campus. These steps occur:
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All ED patients being discharged are escorted by a nurse or technician to the discharge area.
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The ED registrar collects the co-pay, deductible, or outstanding balances identified. He or she provides the patient with a financial assistance packet and application, if applicable.
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The ED registrar then checks patient discharge follow-up instructions to determine if an appointment with Erie Family Health clinic is needed.
All ED registrars were trained in appointment scheduling with an inservice with each of the departments that does scheduling, side-by-side training using dual headsets, and a review of scheduling department procedures including patient scripting and a final competency test.
"Financial counseling training requires an inservice and review of procedures provided by our credit service department," Collazo says.
