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Payments made online have doubled over the past two years at Cincinnati (OH) Children’s Hospital Medical Center, reports Christopher Lah, senior director of revenue cycle customer service.
“About 15.5% of total dollars collected went through the portal,” says Lah. “The portal is starting to have a significant impact on both our copay collections and other out-of-pocket expenses.” With 27,919 online payments made in 2014, $5.3 million was collected, with an average of $193 paid per transaction.
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More patients have access to insurance coverage today, but they also have higher out-of-pocket responsibility.
“Our greatest challenge is getting the information we need to verify healthcare benefits and coverage for their stay,” says Susan Kole, director of patient access at Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford, CT.
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One way to dispel myths consumers have about health care is to make sure that the staff who work with patients are educated on the topics that cause confusion, says Eileen Murray, RN, BSN, a neonatal educator at Childrens Healthcare of Atlanta, Egleston Campus.
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Great Plains Regional Medical Center in North Platte, NE, has a materials review process in place that ensures handouts are medically correct and professional. Yet the review process didnt include consumers until last year when the public relations committee decided their input was vital.
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Its not only important to create educational handouts that patients will read; it is equally vital that health care professionals use the materials.
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Although 20 million people are at risk for chronic kidney disease, most arent even aware of the potential health threat, according to the National Kidney Foundation based in New York City.
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Patient education managers should make outcomes measurement a high priority, says Barbara Moore, MPA, CPHQ, an instructor at the Amarillo (TX) Veterans Affairs Health Care System. These measurements are important when seeking funding for a new program or resources as well as renewed funding. Administrators want to know if the programs are worth funding, if they are effective, she explains.
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Written handouts work best when used as a supplement to reinforce personal instruction that is given verbally.
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Many people see chiropractors to help control back or joint pain, but usually by the time pain appears as a symptom a large amount of joint degeneration has taken place, says Scott Bautch, DC, past president of the Occupational Health Council for the Arlington, VA-based American Chiropractic Association and a practicing chiropractor in Wausau, WI.
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CDC recommends use of alcohol hand rubs; Promotion of events on patient education; Share your success stories.
