Hospital Access Management – December 1, 2018
December 1, 2018
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Turnover Persists in Patient Access
Low pay is just one reason registrars decide to resign shortly after the hospital invests time and money in their training. Low morale is equally important. The biggest reason people leave the job is they just get frustrated.
The MSPQ Chess Match: No Conversations Alike
There is a perpetual conflict between speed and accuracy vs. service. Nowhere is this more apparent than with the Medicare as Secondary Payer Questionnaire, what one experts calls "at best, a clumsy document" that confuses and frustrates patients and healthcare providers alike.
The Key to MSPQ Success? Stop Asking ‘Dumb’ Questions
An insider highlights tricky questions and offers alternatives for registrars to help minimize frustration for all parties.
Thank-you Notes, Christmas Cards, and Patient Loyalty
A medical center in Alabama wanted to gather more specific patient feedback. Patient access leaders created an observation form that lists specific behaviors for supervisors to look for, such as making eye contact and greeting patients by name, and crafted more detailed questions for patients.
The Value of Providing Financial Information to Patients Much Sooner
Registration and scheduling soon will combine at one Massachusetts center. Coverage will be verified at the same time the service is scheduled. A real-time eligibility tool, built into the scheduling and registration systems, will allow for this. This gives patients something they clearly want: to be fully informed upfront.
Use Patients’ Names 3 Times During Every Registration
Using input from patient surveys and advisory meetings, the patient access department at an Indiana-based facility recently made some changes in how registrars interact with patients. All were designed to improve customer service.
Night Shift Registrars Want Face Time, Too
Bridging the communication gap between the day and night shifts.
Operational Issues Often Hamper Access to Patient Records
Research continues to show that patients are denied access to medical records because of HIPAA-related restrictions and processes. Sometimes, the problem is overzealous compliance efforts; other times, it is a mundane operational issue.
Hefty HIPAA Penalties for Allowing TV Cameras in Hospitals
OCR has reaffirmed its position on television film crews in clinical care areas, issuing substantial fines on three hospitals that OCR says violated HIPAA by disclosing PHI to a broadcast news organization.
Hospital Cited for Recording Psych Patient in ED
A Minnesota hospital violated patient privacy by recording patients without their knowledge or consent during psychiatric evaluations in the ED, according to a CMS investigation.