Clinical conflicts due to new access role
Clinical conflicts due to new access role
Can you do this for us?" It's a common question fielded by patient access managers from clinical areas.
"In fact, this can be asked several times during one shift," says Barbara Snodgrass, patient access manager at Mount Hood Medical Center in Gresham, OR.
Patient access personnel accommodate many requests, she adds, some of which have nothing to do with their role in the hospital. Being cooperative helps to build team relationships and improve patient care, notes Snodgrass, but at the same time, clinical and patient access roles vary in innumerable ways. "Misunderstanding the needs or abilities of another department can arise," she says. "We do have to say 'no' or 'we can't' to some clinical requests. Conveying this to the clinical teams requires a diplomatic response."
Patient access often are looked at as clerks or secretaries, says Snodgrass, so when you are asked to do things that aren't specific to the revenue cycle role, the clinical team might not understand why you aren't able to assist. "Sometimes, you just need to explain what the role of access is," she advises.
If a clinical manager asks you to put labels on a patient chart or file paperwork, for instance, you could suggest that volunteers could be utilized on the unit instead of patient access. "The danger of agreeing to a task that is outside of the access role is that staff could end up overwhelmed and off track," warns Snodgrass.
She recommends stating, "We want to help. There are times when it just isn't possible for us to. This isn't to say that the need does need to be met, but it might be that the assistance is better met through another department."
Snodgrass says, "It is absolutely common for patient access and clinical areas to be at odds. I have seen it a lot. Don't shy away from having difficult conversations with your clinical partners." Here are actions by clinical areas that can cause tension with access:
Members of the access staff are overwhelmed because clinical areas are booking tight appointments.
"With so many patients coming in the front door, clinical areas may not have any concept that other departments are booking appointments at the same time," Snodgrass says.
If this problem occurs continually, you might need to go up the organization's chain of command to get it resolved. "At some point, you have to say, 'We don't want to drop our level of service. How are we going to meet the needs of our patients?'" says Snodgrass.
Inaccurate or incomplete information is given.
A labor and delivery nurse might tell a registrar the patient's first name is Kathy, when her legal name is actually Katherine, or the nurse might fail to obtain the patient's correct date of birth. "Nurses should be prompted on what information you really need to register the patient," she says. "It is really important to clarify so you don't have to call down again."
A nurse gives a registrar the name of an unfamiliar physician in a rushed manner.
This rush can cause a registration error and a subsequent claims denial. "Patient access may not be familiar with all the physicians servicing the patient on that unit," says Snodgrass. "We really need that information provided carefully so it's accurate, or we are just slowing down the process."
Source
For more information about communication between patient access and clinical areas, contact:
Barbara Snodgrass, Patient Access Manager, Mount Hood Medical Center, Gresham, OR. Phone: (503) 674-1161. E-mail: [email protected].
Can you do this for us?" It's a common question fielded by patient access managers from clinical areas.Subscribe Now for Access
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