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Imagine if every time you wanted to sign up to buy groceries online, book a vacation, or apply for a job, you had to fill out a paper registration form. For 21st century consumers who are accustomed to sleek digital and self-service experiences in industries such as retail, travel and banking, such an antiquated and cumbersome process seems unthinkable. Unfortunately, when it comes to healthcare services, we don’t have to use our imagination. Too often, we’re still required to fill out time-consuming, repetitive and tedious forms before accessing services. For providers who want to stay competitive, the long waits and wasted time that arise from paper-based registration system do nothing to win consumer loyalty. And on top of the disappointing patient experience, manual intake processes often lead to delays and errors that can disrupt the billing cycle, costing time and money further down the line. In fact, up to half of denied claims occur because of issues around the point of registration, such as identification errors, sub-standard data analytics and inefficient workflows. And at a time when patients and staff are trying to minimize face-to-face contact due to COVID-19, manual registration seems like an unnecessary extra touch point. Is it time to say goodbye to paper-based paper registration? Reimagining the patient intake experience for the digital age During registration, patients can be asked to provide personal details, submit their medical history, and confirm payer information. They may also need to schedule appointments, organize billing, or sign up for care management programs. It’s often a patient’s first glimpse of how a provider is going to look after them, so making the registration experience as stress-free as possible is a great way to build customer loyalty from the start. As the competition for consumer business heats up, providers should look for ways to give patients the virtual and mobile-friendly experience they desire, with as little time as possible spent in waiting rooms filling in forms. By letting patients tick off their registration to-do list online or via a mobile device – before even coming into hospital – providers can improve patient satisfaction, while using automated workflows to drive down costly errors and increase revenue. Here are two examples of how healthcare providers have embraced self-service registration and automated pre-registration workflows to benefit both their consumers and bottom line: 1. Schneck Medical Center used automated pre-registration to double their productivity For the patient access team at Schneck Medical Center, getting the correct patient information in a timely manner during registration was a challenge. By introducing  eCare NEXT®, they were able to automate pre-registration workflows so the majority of manual, repetitive patient tasks could be completed automatically, freeing up staff to focus on patients who needed specific attention before being cleared. With Registration QA added to the mix, they could track and correct errors and spot opportunities to improve performance in real-time, for a better patient experience and more efficient operations. Skylar Earley, Director of Patient Access and Communication, said that by using Experian Health’s patient intake solutions, “we were able to make some fairly minor workflow changes, but double our pre-registration productivity on a daily basis and then repurpose some labor to different areas in patient access.” 2. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital (MLKCH) used automated registration to reduce claim denials Seeing that a large portion of claim denials were originating during patient registration, MLKCH introduced an automated registration workflow to eliminate unnecessary manual tasks and increase the accuracy of the data being collected. For Patient Access Manager Lori Westman, the results have been impressive: “We get fewer denials because we’re getting true verification data, and our patient volumes continue to increase. So the fact that we can take off at least two to three minutes on half of our registrations is speeding up the work for the team, and the turnaround time is much better for the patients.” By reducing paper-based tasks and introducing automated pre-registration options, these providers were able to make life easier for patients while slimming down their workflows. Is it time for your organization to do the same? Download our free eBook to find out more about how automated patient intake workflows could help you create a seamless, more efficient patient registration experience.

Due to COVID-19 and the subsequent delay of elective procedures, many healthcare providers today are struggling to ensure their patient populations are getting the care they need. While online scheduling and referral coordination solutions can no doubt help improve patient access, especially as those who cancelled or postponed appointments look to reschedule, it’s the use of automated outreach combined with the ability to schedule appointments in real-time that can take it one step further and help providers close gaps in care. Automated outreach via interactive voice response (IVR) and text messaging (SMS) is now effectively closing gaps in care and streamlining the entire scheduling process from start to finish. Healthcare organizations leveraging automated outreach are seeing numerous benefits. Among them: Extended Outreach Capabilities – An automated and technologically advanced outreach system has far greater capacity to reach patients, when compared to the bandwidth of traditional call centers. The system enables thousands of automated calls per day that don’t require an agent to personally facilitate. Increased Appointment Bookings – Reaching more patients means more successfully booked appointments, and in turn, fewer gaps in care. Our technology successfully automates the process all the way through the booking itself, scheduling far more appointments with much less effort. Higher Patient Satisfaction – Automated outreach ensures that patients are notified on-time about any necessary follow-up care, and then provides the opportunity to quickly and easily book appointments that fit their schedule. This convenience and simplicity fosters patient engagement and satisfaction. Using a targeted outreach list, an automated calling and texting system manages the bookings, coordination and follow-up, completely lifting the burden off of the organization and its call center. Additionally, this type of technology can track metrics (i.e. response rates, booking rates, opt-outs, etc.) in real-time, allowing health plans to easily identify areas for improvement and make the necessary changes to their processes. For these reasons – as well as the benefits outlined above – a growing list of both providers, payers and ACOs are choosing to employ automated outreach technology today. Learn more about automated outreach and how it fits into an omnichannel access strategy.

Download our free eBook to find out how digital health solutions can help your organization improve the patient journey now and beyond COVID-19. You can also check out our free COVID-19 Resource Center, where you can get free access to telehealth payer policy alerts to help avoid payment denials and delays.

With so many complexities surrounding deductibles, premiums, copays and more, consumers sometimes struggle to understand the financial components of their health plans and are often unaware of the out of pocket for their healthcare needs. Recognizing that confusion about healthcare costs can make it difficult for consumers to ask the right questions, define priorities and take a more active role in their healthcare, Silver Cross Hospital made a point to educate and provide its patient base with health care estimates prior to service being rendered. With the Self-Service Patient Estimates tool from Experian Health, patients of Silver Cross Hospital now have a consumer-friendly, easy-to-use and accessible path to obtain out of pocket cost estimates. The Self-Service Patient Estimates tool works both with the hospital’s electronic medical record (EMR) and as a standalone tool for the community to use when needed. Integrating with Silver Cross Hospital’s EMR, the solution calculates estimates based on the hospital’s charge master pricing information and payer contracted rates and utilizes each patient’s individual eligibility and benefits information to create specific out of pocket costs. The tool also allows for detailed and accurate estimate creation using historical claims data to determine the typical procedures and related charges to generate average out of pocket cost estimates by health plan. Accessible via the hospital’s website, the tool acts as a digital front door in the patient exploratory process. Patients can obtain an out-of-pocket estimate any time of day or night, and as part of the process are then connected to the next place of service, whether that be to schedule an appointment, ask additional questions or obtain more information. Since implementing Patient Estimates, Silver Cross Hospital has: Increased point of service (POS) collections by bringing more awareness and education of out of pocket costs to patients upfront Reduced inbound calls and queries to the organization regarding cost estimates Integrated the solution into scheduling and pre-registration workflows within the EMR Reduced time spent training staff on other systems or workflows Learn more about Patient Estimates and how we can help create accurate estimates of authorized services for patients before, or at the point-of-service. “Patient Estimates acts a great digital front door for Silver Cross Hospital, facilitating that first step in the patient exploratory process.” – Miguel Vigo IV, Administrator Director Revenue Cycle, Silver Cross Hospital

Financial recovery after COVID-19 is likely to be a slow burn for most healthcare organizations, according to a recent survey. Nearly 90% of healthcare executives expect revenue to drop below pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2020, with one in five anticipating a hit greater than 30%. While the return of elective procedures will be a lifeline for many hospitals and health systems, the road to financial recovery remains fraught with obstacles: Five months of canceled and postponed procedures need to be rescheduledWorried patients must be reassured of hygiene measures, so they feel safe to attend appointmentsPatient intake and payment processes must be modified, in order to minimize face-to-face contactAs the rate of infection continues to grow, providers must find new ways to also grow their revenue and protect against a further dent in profits. The healthcare industry is unlikely to see the recovery curve hoped for across the wider economy, but digital technology, automation and advanced data analytics could help provider finances to bounce back more quickly. 4 ways technology can accelerate your post-pandemic financial recovery 1. Easy and convenient patient scheduling unlocks your digital front door Patients want to reschedule appointments that were postponed or canceled over the last few months. To manage the backlog and minimize pressure on staff, consider using a digital patient scheduling platform, so patients can book their appointments online. A self-scheduling system that incorporates real-time scheduling and calendar reminders will help to create a positive consumer experience, while offering analytics and behind-the-scenes integration to keep your call center operations running smoothly. 2. Secure and convenient mobile technology can enhance your telehealth services Telehealth is the top choice for many hospitals looking to boost revenue growth and counter the impact of COVID-19, with two-thirds of executives expecting to use telehealth at least five times more than before the coronavirus hit. Many new digital tools and strategies designed to improve the patient journey as a whole can support telehealth delivery, and help to meet growing consumer demand for virtual care. For those beginning their telehealth journey, our COVID-19 Resource Center, which offers free access to telehealth payer policy alerts, may be the place to start. 3. A digital patient intake experience can lessen fears of exposure Although many providers are starting to open up for routine in-person appointments again, patients may wonder if it’s safe. Proactive communication about the measures in place to protect staff and patients will be essential. Another way to minimize concern is to allow as many patient intake tasks as possible to be completed online. Automating patient access through the patient portal can give patients quicker and more convenient ways to complete pre-registration, while contactless payment methods are a safe way to settle bills without setting foot in the provider’s office. 4. Optimize collections to bolster financial recoveryAutomation can also play a huge role in helping providers tighten up their revenue cycle, find new ways to enhance accounts receivable collections and avoid bad debt. Tools such as Coverage Discovery and Patient Financial Clearance enable providers to find missing or forgotten coverage, and help the patient manage any remaining balances in a sensitive and personalized way. Palo Pinto General Hospital uses automated coverage checks to find out whether a patient is eligible for charitable assistance within three seconds, so self-pay accounts can be directed to the most appropriate payment plan before the patient even comes in for treatment. With fewer accounts being written off, Palo Pinto has seen a noticeable improvement to their bottom line. The pandemic has been a wake-up call for an industry that has been traditionally slow to adopt new technologies. Ahead of a second wave of COVID-19, providers must move now to take advantage of automation and digital strategies to speed up financial recovery. Contact us to find out how we can help your organization use technology to improve the patient experience, increase efficiencies and kickstart your revenue cycle.

The focus on improving health plan member engagement and overall experience has been steadily growing over the years, much of it being driven by the push towards a more consumer-friendly healthcare experience. James Beem, Managing Director, Global Healthcare Intelligence at J.D. Power, states, “health plans are doing a good job managing the operational aspects of their businesses, but they are having a harder time addressing the expectations members have based on their experiences in other industries where their service needs are more effectively addressed with better technology.” His remarks are based off of findings from the annual Commercial Member Health Plan Study, which also found that care coordination between different providers and care settings is a top challenge health plans are facing today. Most of our conversations with health plan prospects and customers revolve around how digital technology can improve health plan member engagement and close gaps in care. From our experience, here are five key digital strategies that health plans can employ to better engage members and improve satisfaction. Call centers remain a cornerstone of member engagement. From onboarding new members to closing gaps in care, the call center is where the rubber meets the road between health plans and their members. At Experian Health, we focus on making it easier for call center agents to find and book appointments on behalf of members – specifically, we eliminate the need for three-way calls with providers by giving agents access to a digital scheduling platform. It automates providers’ scheduling rules, while also protecting their calendars, and allows health plans to schedule appointments for members without having to call the provider office. In some cases, once our platform is in place, we’ve seen scheduling rates increase by 140%, call times cut in half, and show rates go up. A large factor in social determinants of health is the availability of transportation – are your members physically able to make it to and from their appointment? While members may know what care they need and are able to book an appointment, they may not be able to show up for that appointment due to unreliable or non-existent transportation. The member doesn’t show, the care gap remains, and health plans take a hit on quality metrics. What’s worse, the member puts themselves at risk for readmission or other, costly trips to the ED for care that remains unaddressed – all an expensive medical cost for the plan. We are proud to work with transportation vendors and ultimately, include the ability to schedule transportation in a workflow while booking an appointment. By facilitating easy access to transportation as part of the appointment scheduling process, we are ensuring a better outcome for everyone. Why not offer the functionality that consumers are accustomed to in nearly every other industry? Booking a hotel, flight, or dinner reservation can all be done online via a mobile device, so why not an appointment? Imagine being able to extend this type of convenience and consumer-friendly experience to your members. They come to the health plan’s site or app to search for an in-network provider and can then schedule an appointment in real-time, on the spot, day or night, no phone call required. Instead of simply sending members text and phone call reminders to schedule care, health plans can use automated outreach to send those messages with the ability to schedule an appointment via self-service. The member would receive a text message or phone call, and after confirming their identity, would receive their personal health-related message along with the ability to schedule an appointment as part of the outreach process. In a few clicks, or with a few verbal responses, the appointment is scheduled, and the care gap is closed with very minimal effort. The struggle to find and maintain accurate contact info for members is real. Fortunately, Experian Health has unprecedented access to consumer data. With the largest consumer database, collected on more than 300 million consumers, we can provide a deeper understanding of your current members or prospects in your markets. These data assets can enable the most effective marketing and communication strategies to improve enrollment rates as members are more successfully identified and reached. The data can also be leveraged to enhance internal analytics, like member risk score algorithms or other models, to improve member outcomes. Learn more about how a digital care coordination platform can help your organization improve member engagement and the member experience.