Telecommuting: A new option in access?
Telecommuting: A new option in access?
Traditionally, a registrar had to be physically present to enter data as patients arrived, but expanded roles have opened up the possibility of telecommuting for some departments.
"It can save the hospital resources, in terms of physical space requirements," says Colette Lasack, MBA, executive director of revenue cycle at Gundersen Lutheran Health System in La Crosse, WI. "But the bigger win is employee satisfaction."
Telecommuting allows managers to balance work requirements with the needs and desires of employees, according to Lasack, who adds that higher productivity is required when revenue cycle employees are allowed to work from home. "We expect to see about 30% higher productivity, and we get it," she says. "A side benefit is that we tend to have far fewer HR issues with those working at home than those working in the office."
When the weather is bad, staff can follow up with patients at home, she adds. Currently, a pre-registration group works from an administrative building offsite. Those staff call patients prior to their clinic appointments to verify demographic and insurance information. "In the future, we envision these jobs being done remotely from home," says Lasack. Other positions within the revenue cycle already are done successfully from home, including the customer service call center, coding and insurance billing, and follow-up, she reports. "Those working at home are provided company equipment and must have a designated work area," she says. "They must sign our standard contract as to how they will maintain privacy at the home work site."
More patients want to interact with registrars through e-mails, telephone, chat rooms, or texting, adds Lasack, which means that more work can be done remotely. "Being able to interact with patients virtually before the visit, either via the computer or the phone, is an area we definitely see increasing," she predicts.
Traditionally, a registrar had to be physically present to enter data as patients arrived, but expanded roles have opened up the possibility of telecommuting for some departments.Subscribe Now for Access
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