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"Customer service is something that is sometimes really hard to monitor," says Linda Smith, manager of patient registration and centralized scheduling at Barnes-Jewish St. Peters (MO) Hospital. "Unless you have direct interaction with staff, you don't always know.
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Lack of the right technology to automate time-consuming, error-prone processes can put patient access departments at a big disadvantage. On the other hand, there is a concern that some technology investments may be a waste of money, particularly when all expenditures are being put under the microscope.
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"A number of exciting collection technologies have evolved over the last few years. They are already lowering costs and improving services,"...
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Giving huge raises and promotions to every access staff member is one way to boost morale but isn't financially feasible.
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Of all hospital areas, emergency departments are probably the most problematic when it comes to collections. Not only do patients want to leave as quickly as possible, federal law prevents you from collecting anything before a medical screening examination is completed.
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At times, patient access bears the brunt of many complaints. Some are justified; others are not. But either way, your response should be immediate.
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Customer service is more important than ever for access departments. So managers can't afford to let "closet rudeness" go undetected.
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Are patients complaining that they're waiting too long? Don't forget that clinical areas are closely connected to this common complaint.
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Instead of "sticker shock," which refers to being surprised at the high price tag on an item, many patients these days are experiencing "benefits shock" when they learn how little their insurance actually covers.
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Obtaining "non-traditional" contact information, such as cell phone numbers and e-mail addresses, has become a major priority for University of Pittsburg Medical Center (UPMC)'s patient access department. Both of these are now required fields in the system.
