Hospital Management
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Registrars Need Solid Answers to Questions About Expensive Bills
Staff play the role of educator, advisor, collector, and a sympathetic ear.
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Get It Right the First Time: Wrong CPT Code Means Denied Claim
Receiving payment for patient services rendered has everything to do with the entering the right Current Procedural Terminology codes. For patient access, it all starts with collecting accurate information from the beginning.
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Tales of Good News: Patients Arrive as Self-Pay, Leave With Coverage
Establishing access to Medicaid or re-starting coverage that has lapsed is a lifeline for many sick patients.
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Once It Arrives, Quick Action on Registration Feedback Is Critical
Wait times probably are the most common complaint about registration. The issue seems simple at first — somebody waited longer than he or she wanted to. However, there often is more to it.
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Patients Seek In-Network Care, But Balance Billing Persists
Patient access staff have nothing whatsoever to do with bills patients receive from providers who turn out to be out of network. Still, staff need to respond effectively when it happens.
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Niceness Counts: How Registrars De-Escalate Irate Patient Episodes
Registrars cannot always change what is upsetting someone. However, many have found that simply being nice is all that is needed.
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When Handled by Right Registrar, Tough Patient Encounters Can End Well
Remaining sensitive to a patient’s circumstances often diffuses a difficult situation.
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Employee Health and Emerging Infections
The CDC is stepping up efforts to fight Ebola in Africa, deploying more personnel and resources to stop an expanding yearlong outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The World Health Organization (WHO) recently declared an international health emergency in the DRC after an Ebola case appeared July 14 in Goma, a city of 2 million people that has connecting flights to global air travel. As of Aug. 18, 2,888 Ebola cases were reported, including 1,938 deaths for a morality rate of 67%. Cases continue to be reported among health workers, with the number infected rising to 153.
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Griefwork: The Experience of Loss in Healthcare
When a patient dies, healthcare workers may experience grief that they barely acknowledge because they know their role is to move on to the next patient. But over time, such grief can build up and contribute to stress and burnout. Healthcare organizations can help their staff cope with grief and prevent workplace burnout by ensuring policies acknowledge the emotional needs of staff.
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A Risk Management Look at Employee Trips and Falls
Falls, slips, and trips were the second most common event leading to workplace injuries and illnesses in hospitals, according to a report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, accounting for 25% of all reported employee injuries. Addressing fall prevention with employees is different than with patients. With patients, fall prevention focuses mostly on transfers from beds and wheelchairs, as well as environmental factors. Employee slips and falls tend to be the top workers’ compensation claim in both frequency and severity.