Hospital Access Management – November 1, 2010
November 1, 2010
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Take patient access to the next level; revamp how you measure competency
The role of your patient access staff has undoubtedly changed dramatically and will continue to become more complex. It's likely, though, that the way you evaluate competencies doesn't reflect this evolution. -
Use checklists, audits, tests to evaluate staff
Patient access staff are the very first contact many patients have with physicians and facilities. Whether staff are registering patients in the emergency department, call center or at the front desk of a physician's office, "this first impression has long-lasting effects," says Colleen McMahon, senior manager of the integrated call center/ University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) physician service division, registration and scheduling. -
Turn good patient access data into a talking point
You may not think of it this way, but your department has a wealth of data that would impress others. Have patient wait times decreased dramatically, have patient complaints become almost non-existent, or have your accuracy rates doubled? Don't resist the urge to brag. -
Keep patients satisfied, even if waits are long
While you wish that no patient ever had to wait in any registration area, that's not realistic due to patient volumes and other factors beyond the control of your department. -
Cut wait times for scheduled patients
Sheri Lasater, manager of patient access for Penrose-St. Francis Health Services in Colorado Springs, says that wait times have been minimized for scheduled patients through a comprehensive pre-registration program. -
Turn positive satisfaction info into morale-boosters
If you want to see how satisfied your customers are, some type of survey is probably the tool you rely on. Kathleen Bowles, a hospital admitting supervisor at The Ohio State University Medical Center in Columbus, says that patient satisfaction scores "are a concrete reflection of our efforts, that everyone in the department can understand." -
Address these concerns before offering incentives
Access departments struggling with dwindling cash collections may find that some simple incentives can work wonders. On the other hand, there are some potential pitfalls to consider. -
Get better results with scripting, role-playing
Registrars at Kettering Health Network in Dayton, OH, reported feeling very uncomfortable with certain 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Patient access expects fast and accurate QA
The patient access department at Methodist Charlton Medical Center in Dallas recently switched to an automated quality assurance (QA) system. "I had recently come from a very automated facility and was well aware of the benefits a good automated system can provide," says Jeanette Foulk, director of patient access. -
HIPAA Regulatory Alert: Don't wait: Start reviewing BA agreements now
Although business associates are now subject to compliance with the HIPAA Security Rule and the use and disclosure provisions of the HIPAA Privacy Rule, as a result of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, hospitals should not assume business associates are taking steps to ensure their compliance. -
HIPAA Regulatory Alert: Access, not use, of PHI results in conviction
Four months in prison and a $2,000 fine to Huping Zhou, a 47-year-old cardiothoracic surgeon from China and a UCLA health care system employee, for violating the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) should be a cause for concern for hospitals. -
HIPAA Regulatory Alert: Health care breach list tops 160
Hospitals and provider networks lead the list of health care entities reporting breaches of unsecured protected health information (PHI), according to the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) breach notification website, which lists 166 entities as of Sept. 30. -
HIPAA Regulatory Alert: Looking at HIPAA security risks? Check your copier
Time to upgrade some of your copiers? Are you planning to sell the old machines to recoup some money to use for new ones? Think twice before placing your "for sale" sign on the copier because you might be selling more than just the machine.