Hospital Access Management – September 1, 2015
September 1, 2015
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IOM report challenges access to stop needless delays
A new Institute of Medicine report on wait times, scheduling, and access to healthcare services puts a spotlight on registration and scheduling processes.
Same-day access is possible, say access leaders
Same-day access requires careful coordination between the scheduling/pre-services team and ancillary departments.
Incorrect registration data is a significant patient safety worry
Incorrect or missing data in electronic health records is one of the top 10 patient safety concerns identified in a recent ECRI Institute report.
Patients harmed by registration errors
Here are three cases of registration errors that were reported to ECRI Institute, a Plymouth Meeting, PA-based organization that researches approaches to improving patient care:
New self-pay processes stop $5 million in bad debt
An additional $4 million in revenue was obtained in FY 2014 at Raleigh, NC-based WakeMed Health & Hospitals from self-pay patients in two of its EDs, with a pilot program starting Medicaid applications during the patients’ ED visits.
Observe your registrars in patient access — You might find out that you’re surprised!
An experienced registrar at UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica, CA did her job very well, but had consistently low collection rates. While rounding one day, patient access services manager Maria Gordillo found out why.
Rapid response team helps with Medicaid changes
While rounding in check-in areas, this statement was overheard by ambulatory support leadership at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. The problem was recent changes to the state’s Medicaid program, which switched all families on Illinois Medicaid to Medicaid managed care plans.
Avoid ‘go-live’ disasters during system upgrades
When upgrading or integrating systems, patient access departments can avoid problems by documenting the department’s current workflow and performing multiple tests.
Give patients a friendly face in registration areas
After patients checked in at the outpatient registration area at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, PA, they were given a simple instruction: “Have a seat across the hall.”
AHRQ tool shows effect of Medicaid expansion
A new online tool from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality shows state-level trends in hospital stays for adults with Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, and the uninsured.