With many challenges ahead of it in 2021 and beyond, the healthcare industry is reshaping the way it conducts business in order to stay agile and to seek to provide outstanding patient care. Among the tools healthcare providers will use is a growing relationship with digital providers that will help reduce physician burdens.
One of the key places that a managed services provider (MSP) can assist healthcare organizations is in the clinical office. The office handles everything from greeting patients to scheduling appointments; handling billing errors; collecting payment; accessing medical records; and coordinating with other medical providers, pharmacies, and others on behalf of doctors and patients. Focusing on technologies that can help this pivotal department run as effectively and efficiently as possible by improving workflows is one smart way to also improve the patient experience.
This article will address several ways that healthcare providers can adopt to help their organizations be more productive and responsive.
4 Steps You Can Take Toward Improving Healthcare Workflows and the Patient Experience
There are many ways to improve healthcare workflows and patient experiences by applying leading-edge technologies and systems that boost efficiency, reduce the potential for errors, and synchronize departments.
- Remove Bottlenecks
Bottlenecks refer to anything that restricts the flow of patients in and through the system, particularly when a resource is in greater demand than there is supply. For example, front desk personnel relying upon paper files to access patient information may be held up on a phone call while they search for the data they need, keeping patients waiting in the lobby.
Document management systems (DMS) remove the need for paper-heavy processes, putting digital patient information at the fingertips of authorized personnel.
- Automate Workflows
Digital systems such as electronic health records (EHRs) can improve workflow in a clinical setting by reducing the need for writing clinical notes on paper and enter data later into a chart. Not only is the new information available immediately to other clinicians and office staff, there is a reduced potential for error since later data entry of handwritten notes is removed from the workflow.
- Standardize Information Flow
The swift flow of information through a clinic is essential for rapid responses in patient care. To standardize these flows, you must first assess the current flow of information to assess opportunities. For example, you can track the need for information that occurs when a patient phones in the need for a refill on a prescription, following the steps from initial phone call through documentation, authorization, and deployment of the script.
If you can reduce the number of steps — and people — involved in the flow, you can speed up the process and reduce labor costs.
- Adopt Just-in-Time Processing
Many offices put multiple tasks aside to be completed later in the day, particularly when documentation is involved. One of the consequences of this is to increase patient waiting time and increase the number of times staff must interact with patients on timing questions. When tasks are performed in a continuous flow, it is called just-in-time processing.
This processing style allows staff to rapidly move from one task to the next without workflow interruptions. But that also means that staff must have the capability to document interactions, appointments, clinical notes, and more on the fly. Digital technologies such as document management give staff the tools they need to swiftly record important information before moving on to their next task.
Blue Technologies Has the Digital Tools Your Healthcare Organization Needs
At Blue Technologies, we are committed to helping our healthcare clients excel by increasing their level of patient care, skyrocketing office efficiency, and removing barriers to productivity — all in a safe, secure, and compliant environment.
Our document management services provide a range of tools that your organization can use to capture data, process documents, collaborate with other teams, and keep sensitive data safer. Our team of IT experts will assess your current needs and challenges and then create a custom-tailored solution that targets pain points and gives your organization that agility it needs to meet changing market demands.
Conquer workflows for better efficiency and patient care. Contact a Blue Technologies consultant and learn how document management can take your healthcare organization to the next level.
