Tag: patient schedule
Convenience, speed, and control are the triad of better patient experiences. Experian Health's 2024 State of Patient Access survey showed that 89% of patients want to schedule their appointments online or on a mobile device. Today, patients expect provider scheduling, registration, and other administrative tasks to match the convenience of their typical online shopping experience. However, too many patients face obstacles when booking appointments and accessing care. With more than 6 out of 10 patients saying they would switch to a provider that offers a patient portal, making digital channels available is now a baseline requirement for providers seeking to improve care delivery. Patients want a digital front door that circumvents the inconvenience of traditional call center booking systems. Self-service patient scheduling software helps providers keep pace with patients' digital demands. But the case for scheduling software goes beyond these expectations, offering real benefits for patients and their doctors. Here are 8 reasons to use online scheduling to benefit both patients and providers: The benefits for patients 1. Patients enjoy the convenience and accessibility of online scheduling Online appointment scheduling provides unparalleled convenience and accessibility for patients. These solutions allow them to schedule their appointments anytime, without being constrained by office hours. This flexibility benefits individuals with demanding work schedules, family responsibilities, or other commitments. The user-friendly interface of online scheduling platforms enables patients to quickly navigate the system, select their desired service, and book an appointment without any hassle. Additionally, remote access means that patients can schedule their appointments from any device with internet connectivity, whether at home, work, or on the go, eliminating the need for physical visits or phone calls. 2. Patients can experience reduced wait times and greater access to care Nearly 8 in 10 patients who say they're unhappy with their provider experience cite the speed at which they see their doctor as a big frustration. By using online appointment scheduling, patients can significantly reduce their wait times. They have immediate access to the real-time availability of appointment slots, allowing them to choose the most convenient times without waiting for a receptionist to check the calendar. The streamlined booking process minimizes the back-and-forth communication typically required when scheduling via phone, leading to quicker confirmation and less time spent coordinating. Patients who need to reschedule can easily do so online, viewing available slots and selecting a new time without delays. 3. Patients can schedule anytime and from anywhere One of the most significant advantages of online appointment scheduling is its 24/7 availability. Patients can book appointments anytime, including evenings, weekends, and holidays. This flexibility primarily benefits those who find making calls during standard office hours challenging. With the ability to address their scheduling needs instantly, patients can book or change appointments whenever it is most convenient for them. Additionally, for practices serving patients in multiple time zones, online scheduling ensures everyone can book appointments at a time that suits them best. 4. Online scheduling provides immediate confirmation, reducing uncertainty and the need for follow-up Online scheduling provides patients with instant confirmation of their appointments, offering real-time updates that reduce uncertainty. Once an appointment is booked, patients receive immediate confirmation, often via email or SMS, which helps to alleviate anxiety and ensure they know their appointment is secured. Many online scheduling systems also offer automated reminders via email, SMS, or app notifications to help patients remember their appointments and reduce the likelihood of missed visits. This instant confirmation and reminder system also reduces the need for administrative staff to follow up with patients to confirm appointments, freeing up their time for other tasks. The benefits for providers 5. 24/7 self-scheduling increases appointment bookings and reduces no-shows One of the major challenges healthcare providers face is the issue of patient no-shows. According to the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA), the average provider no-show rate is 5% to 7%. The cost to healthcare providers is around $150 billion annually. Yet there is growing evidence that allowing patients to conveniently and quickly schedule, cancel and reschedule appointments decreases no-shows, which is money in the bank for providers. Studies at the Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins showed that the percentage of appointments kept increased when patients scheduled their visits online. Automated reminders and confirmations are integral features of online scheduling systems that help mitigate this problem. By sending reminders via email, SMS or app notifications, these systems ensure that patients know about their upcoming appointments. These reminders reduce the likelihood of patients forgetting their scheduled visits, decreasing missed appointments. Fewer no-shows translate to more consistent patient flow and better utilization of the provider's time and resources. 6. Digital scheduling reduces pressure on staff The convenience factor extends beyond patients. Self-scheduling platforms also improve efficiency and ease the burden on call center staff. Experian Health's “Short-staffed for the long term” report showed that 73% of providers say finding staff is challenging. As the chronic staffing crisis continues, providers should look to automated solutions to remove bottlenecks, increase capacity and improve the experience for call center staff. After partnering with Experian Health, Indiana University (IU) Health found that automated self-scheduling helped them do more with fewer staff while engaging patients. They stated, “Self-scheduling does the work of two full-time schedulers.” Of the patients who used the online scheduling tool, 87% arrived for their visit. Patient appointment scheduling software offloads call volumes and cuts call times in half. It also gives providers control over their calendars while integrating seamlessly with electronic medical records and practice management systems. Providers can also use these solutions in parallel to patient intake software to help accelerate registration, saving even more valuable time and resources. 7. Embracing digital scheduling gives providers a competitive edge Getting patient scheduling right is crucial to patient acquisition and retention strategies and is increasingly vital as patient volumes fluctuate. Making a strong first impression with easy self-scheduling is more likely to attract new patients and gives providers a competitive edge. Online appointment scheduling systems allow healthcare providers to manage their schedules more effectively. Providers can easily view and optimize appointment slots, ensuring effective time utilization. These features improve workflows and productivity as providers can balance their schedules to avoid overbooking or underutilization. Additionally, the ability to analyze scheduling data can help providers identify peak times and adjust their staffing and resources accordingly, further enhancing operational efficiency. In a competitive healthcare market, staying ahead of the curve with advanced technology solutions like online scheduling is crucial. Providers who embrace digital scheduling not only improve their operational efficiency and patient satisfaction but also position themselves as leaders in the industry, attracting tech-savvy patients who seek modern and convenient healthcare services. 8. Patient scheduling software can protect against the unexpected A final reason to embrace patient scheduling software is to future-proof scheduling capacity against unforeseen events. During the COVID-19 pandemic, flexible self-scheduling tools helped providers maintain operational stability as patient numbers surged with each new wave of infections. In a climate of chronic staff shortages, augmenting employee numbers is challenging and can be impractical to manage during periods when patient volumes subside. Patient self-service software is a DIY solution patients want, and providers need to stretch staff efficiency and work smarter. Today, these tools continue to improve, and providers increasingly rely on them to meet patient needs. A 2024 survey showed that 60% of patients want more digital tools to manage their health. Patient scheduling software gives patients the self-service experience they're accustomed to with 24/7/365 online appointment scheduling. New uncertainties will always be on the horizon, but with the right digital patient scheduling software, providers will be well-positioned to face whatever's next. Learn how Experian Health's patient scheduling software can help healthcare organizations meet patient expectations, improve operational efficiency and prepare for future patient scheduling demands.
While the healthcare industry remains hesitant about automation, there's one area where digital tools have already proven their worth: patient intake. According to Experian Health's State of Patient Access survey, almost 90% of patients say they welcome digital patient registration, reflecting the growing demand for efficiency and convenience. Staff frustration with mounting paperwork and poorly coordinated manual systems also points to an urgent need for a better way of working. The case for switching from traditional to digital patient intake systems is pretty compelling, even before factoring in potential cost savings. For providers still taking a “wait-and-see” approach, it may be worth considering how digital patient intake could address some of the most common challenges associated with traditional registration methods, such as the following: 1. Online registration can prevent missed opportunities for patient bookings Patients' number one patient access challenge is seeing their doctor quickly. Too many are stopped in their tracks by slow and inflexible intake processes. Inconvenient booking protocols – often requiring phone calls during limited office hours – deter patents, resulting in sluggish scheduling rates and avoidable gaps in physician calendars. Moreover, traditional systems that treat scheduling and registration as two distinct activities miss the chance to accelerate intake because patients have to fill out the same information multiple times. Digital patient intake streamlines scheduling and registration so patients can book and manage appointments anytime, anywhere. With a mobile-first automated platform, patients can provide essential demographic and insurance information at the point of booking, and fill out remaining registration forms whenever it suits with a single click. When intake is easy, bookings increase. 2. Digital patient access can reduce high no-show rates Quick and convenient intake addresses the related challenge of no-shows, which lead to underutilization of services and delayed patient care. If canceling or rescheduling an appointment is easy, patients are more likely to make that little bit of effort to click the link instead of simply not turning up. With accurate patient data coming in at the start, providers can send automated appointment reminders and tailored messages to coordinate follow-ups, so patients are less likely to forget appointments or misremember referral instructions. 3. Digital patient intake can prevent payment delays and claim denials Inefficient registration means patient information passes through multiple hands, resulting in data entry errors that trickle through the revenue cycle. In a recent Q&A, Barb Terry, Product Manager for Registration Accelerator at Experian Health, talked about the importance of ensuring accurate data from the start: “Waiting until the patient's appointment to collect insurance information doesn’t give providers much time to verify insurance, or to determine the patient’s financial responsibility for copays, deductibles, and out-of-pocket expenses… In previous surveys, 40% of providers have said registration errors are a primary cause of denied claims. Obtaining patient registration data before the appointment helps to ensure revenue cycle processes flow efficiently to reduce denials and financial risks.” With Registration Accelerator, patients receive a text to scan their identity and insurance cards, validating the data in real-time and automatically uploading it into eCare NEXT®. Experian Health's Eligibility Verification and Registration QA tools can then use the same verified data, reducing the risk of manual errors that lead to claim denials. 4. Reduce patient stress caused by unclear costs One of the clearest messages from patients in this year's State of Patient Access survey is the need for upfront, transparent information about costs. A disappointing 64% of patients did not get price estimates before care, and of those that did 14% said their estimates were inaccurate. It's extremely challenging for staff to compile all the data points necessary to calculate patient responsibility using traditional systems. Digital tools that automate patient data capture, insurance eligibility verification, coverage discovery and prior authorizations provide financial clarity quickly and accurately, giving patients peace of mind and reducing the burden on staff. By improving the patient billing and payment experience, providers can reduce financial stress for patients and get paid more promptly. 5. Digital patient intake reduces high operational costs and poor use of staff time Traditional registration systems are full of hidden costs, from the hefty price tags associated with paper forms, storage and printing to the time required of admin staff. These expenses are compounded over time by revenue leakage caused by errors in claim submissions and scheduling delays. Staffing shortages mean many providers simply don't have the human power to handle these challenges using manual systems alone. Again, automation comes out on top. Registration Accelerator eliminates the need to scan, fax and file forms and automatically handles patient check-ins, form returns and demographic updates. It is one of a suite of tools that feed into eCare NEXT®, automating up to 80% of the pre-registration process. Anthony Meyers, Director of Patient Access at West Tennessee Healthcare, explains how his team used Registration Accelerator to manage staffing shortages without compromising the patient experience: “We can't train somebody just for them to leave in three months [...] so we looked for digital solutions to help. It's frustrating for patients not to be able to talk to a real person, so I don't ever want to take the personal touch out of healthcare [...] But if we can use technology to make us work faster, harder, smarter and not do things manually, then we've got to do it. And it doesn't mean staff will lose their jobs: we reposition them to do other things to enhance the patient experience.” A digital helping hand for faster, smarter, more accurate patient intake As patient intake challenges continue to grow, digital patient intake stands out as a practical and proven solution to streamline access to care and stabilize cash flow. With Registration Accelerator, staff can focus on critical tasks that drive revenue and make a positive first impression on patients who are looking for a convenient and compassionate healthcare experience. Find out more about how Registration Accelerator expedites patient intake and solves the operational and financial challenges that come with traditional systems. Learn more Contact us
Patients increasingly expect convenience and efficiency in all aspects of their lives, including healthcare. A study by Experian Health shows that 89% want the ability to schedule appointments anytime via online or mobile tools. The same survey showed providers are listening, with 63% offering self-scheduling and another 16% planning to go live with these tools in six months. That's good news for everyone, and not just because patients say they want more digital tools to manage their healthcare. Online scheduling addresses patient expectations by offering a range of benefits that traditional scheduling methods cannot match. However, these benefits aren't just for patients; healthcare providers that deploy online patient scheduling software experience four impressive benefits with a direct impact on their revenue cycle. What is online patient scheduling software? Online patient scheduling software is a digital tool designed to facilitate the appointment booking process for healthcare providers and their patients. This patient access technology replaces traditional over-the-phone scheduling methods with an efficient and user-friendly online system. The key features of patient digital scheduling platforms include: 24/7 appointment booking: Patients can schedule appointments at any time, day or night, providing flexibility and convenience that traditional methods cannot offer. Automated reminders: The software sends automatic reminders via email or SMS to reduce the likelihood of missed appointments. Real-time availability: Patients can view and select available time slots in real-time, ensuring they can find appointments that fit their schedules. Calendar integration: The software integrates with the provider's existing calendar systems to ensure that all appointments are accurately tracked and managed. Customizable scheduling: Healthcare providers can customize the software to reflect their specific scheduling rules, such as appointment types, durations, and provider availability. Manual scheduling frustrates patients and providers. Online patient scheduling allows patients to regain control while increasing their engagement in managing their health. Why do patients prefer online scheduling? Patients want online scheduling software because it aligns with their desire for convenience, efficiency, and control over their healthcare experience. One of the primary reasons to use online scheduling software is its round-the-clock availability. Patients can book appointments without office-hour restrictions. Online scheduling software allows patients to select time slots best suited to their schedules, minimizing the time spent waiting on hold during phone calls or in busy waiting rooms. Patients can easily see and compare availability, making planning their visits easier around personal and professional commitments. It also makes canceling or rescheduling appointments less of a hassle. One common issue patients face is forgetting about their appointments. Online scheduling software often includes automated reminders and confirmations via email or SMS, helping patients remember their upcoming visits. Some patients may also feel uncomfortable discussing their medical issues over the phone or in person at the front desk. Online scheduling offers a more private and discreet way to book appointments, allowing patients to select services without disclosing personal information to multiple people. Bringing digital efficiencies to healthcare scheduling leads to a more positive patient experience. One study showed that 28% of patients say care access has improved over the past year, even as more providers adopt these new technologies. But it's not just patients who benefit from online patient scheduling software. There are plenty of incentives for healthcare providers to adopt these tools. Healthcare providers benefit from online patient scheduling By adopting this technology, healthcare providers can streamline operations, improve patient satisfaction, and ultimately deliver higher-quality care. Experian Health offers online patient scheduling software that meets the needs of patients while benefiting providers. For example, Indiana University Health (IU Health) deployed the software across 16 hospitals and the largest network of physicians in the state. The organization leveraged the solution to increase patient volumes with minimal staff training, improving patient utilization by 114% within the first year. Today, four employees can handle patient scheduling for up to eight service lines. An unexpected benefit was the increase in referral management; the software enabled 600 monthly referral appointments, helping to generate new revenue for the system. These results are typical; most providers find the benefits of online patient scheduling software include: Reduced staff training time Improves the scheduling process for patients and providers Decreases patient no-shows Increases patient volumes and revenue Speeds up staff training One of the most significant challenges in any healthcare setting is training new staff quickly and effectively. Getting new staff up to speed rapidly is essential when severe staffing shortages are the norm. Experian Health's online patient scheduling software simplifies training. Its user-friendly interface and intuitive design reduce the learning curve for new employees to about an hour. The software provides guided workflows and real-time assistance, translating to less time spent on training and more time focused on patient care. Streamlines scheduling time Traditional scheduling methods can be time-consuming and prone to errors; 62% of providers say chronic staffing shortages exacerbate the problem. Online scheduling streamlines the entire process, cutting scheduling time in half over traditional methods. By allowing patients to book appointments online, the software reduces the back-and-forth communication typically required for scheduling. Automated reminders and confirmations ensure efficient appointment management. The calendar integration feature allows real-time updates and availability checks, providing a convenient booking process that enhances the patient experience. Improves patient no-show rates Patient no-shows can be a significant issue for healthcare providers, leading to lost revenue and wasted time. Experian Health's online scheduling software tackles this problem head-on. The software includes automated email or SMS appointment reminders, significantly reducing the likelihood of patients forgetting their appointments. Additionally, the ease of rescheduling allows patients to adjust their appointments without the hassle, further decreasing no-show rates. By keeping patients informed and engaged, the software helps ensure they attend their scheduled appointments, improving the clinic's efficiency and patient satisfaction. Josh Brown, Program Manager for Provider Match at IU Health, stated, “We've seen a reduction in no-shows and an increase in patient engagement. By leveraging technology and data analysis, the guided scheduling platform has helped deliver better care more efficiently and effectively.” Increases patient volumes and revenue Online patient scheduling directly contributes to increased patient volumes by improving scheduling efficiency and reducing no-show rates. More patients can schedule in less time, and the reduction in no-shows means fewer appointment slots go unused. The convenience of online scheduling can attract new patients who prefer digital interactions over traditional phone calls. These benefits lead to higher patient volumes and increased revenue for the healthcare practice. Today's digitally-savvy healthcare consumers require a different approach to scheduling services. Online patient scheduling offers them the convenience of DIY appointment setting and has some surprising benefits for healthcare providers, too, making these solutions a win for everyone. Ready to make the move to online scheduling? Contact Experian Health to get started! Improve patient scheduling Contact us
“We ran a pilot across 10-15 service lines, and the team was able to schedule without any training. It makes it extremely easy to work in different service lines that you're unfamiliar with.” — Justin Baur, Manager of Patient Access and Referral Management at IU Health Challenge Indiana University Health (IU Health) is the largest network of physicians in Indiana, with over 36,000 team members across five patient regions and 16 partner hospitals. IU Health plans to launch the Unified Medical Group in 2025, combining its five patient regions. In preparation for this move, the health system sought an enterprise call center scheduling solution to manage growing patient volume while maintaining its current staff size. Solution IU Health selected Experian Health's Patient Schedule – Call Center Scheduling, an automation-powered digital scheduling platform, because it can effectively manage complex service lines in primary and specialty care. This decision was backed by Experian Health's track record in providing call center scheduling solutions for large health systems. Patient Schedule supports seamless self (patient) and staff scheduling. This solution helps IU Health staff handle the increasing patient numbers with minimal training. Front office staff and call centers can swiftly and accurately schedule appointments and resolve patients' queries. Schedulers no longer have to memorize complex scheduling rules or work with lengthy notes, increasing staff efficiency, morale, satisfaction, and productivity. Listen in to an on-demand webinar to hear how IU Health transformed patient scheduling with Patient Schedule. Outcome Thanks to Patient Schedule, IU Health achieved the following results: 52 departments now use Call Center Scheduling 114% increase in patient utilization within a year 600 referrals on average scheduled each month Staff cross-trained across multiple specialty service lines Patient Schedule optimized IU Health's scheduling capacity, making the call center more efficient and increasing specialty referrals. This solution has also brought more and unexpected benefits, including improving referral management, which means that patients can schedule cross-speciality appointments before the patient leaves the office. Call Center Scheduling also enabled the implementation of a single phone line for all patient bookings. Additionally, the product's analytical features are helping IU Health discover ways to improve its scheduling infrastructure, as it works to standardize and expand the solution to all regions as part of the Unified Medical Group. Altogether, this solution has improved provider, staff, and patient flexibility, satisfaction, and experience so much that it has become indispensable to IU Health's scheduling operations. “Now we have pods of four people managing seven or eight service lines because it's so easy to work,” said Justin Baur, Manager of Patient Access and Referral Management at IU Health. “The team wouldn't be able to go back to the old way. You don't have to keep track of who you can schedule at what time or at what location because the algorithm does it for you.” “We really could not have started this initiative without the platform, because we had to make sure we had staff who were well versed in the product and service lines that were properly embedded in the product before rolling it out. This was a big success and we probably could not have started this launch without Experian,” he concludes. Watch the webinar to hear examples of how guided scheduling was implemented in specific specialties and learn more about using automated patient scheduling to create a resilient and efficient scheduling infrastructure that works better for patients, providers and staff.
What do patients and providers really think about patient access services in 2024? Drawing insights from more than 1000 patients and 200 healthcare executives, Experian Health's fourth State of Patient Access survey pulls back the curtain. Previous surveys revealed a persistent gap between patient and provider perspectives on patient access, but could the gap finally be closing? The State of Patient Access 2024 report suggests that while discrepancies remain, the two groups appear closer than ever. This article provides a summary of the State of Patient Access 2024 report, and gives a run-down of patient and provider perspectives on patient access, what they see as top challenges, where opinions diverge and the steps providers can take to continue building a positive patient access experience in the year ahead. How do patients feel about patient access? 1. More patients think access has improved compared to last year 28% of patients believe patient access has improved over the last year, which is up from just 17% in 2023. As in previous years, patients' perception of whether access has improved hinges on how quickly they can see their doctor. Anything providers can do to accelerate scheduling and registration will be a winner. 2. Patients welcome the efficiency and accuracy of digital tools Patients have noticed improvements in scheduling and registration processes. They welcome the ability to book appointments anytime and avoid unnecessary paperwork using digital technology. That said, financial considerations trump convenience: the ability to look up insurance coverage and obtain accurate price estimates before care have risen to the top of the list of what patients consider the most important aspects to improve. 3. Cost of care remains a concern Unfortunately, patient sentiment around healthcare payments has remained relatively flat since 2022. Slightly more patients are receiving upfront cost estimates compared to previous years, but accuracy appears to have dropped, with 74% of patients reporting accurate estimates compared to 78% in 2023. Patients must have faith in their estimates if they are to plan for upcoming bills with confidence, and providers should be able to provide transparent and accurate payment estimates. What do providers think about patient access? 1. Providers are again more optimistic about improvements than patients Like patients, providers are generally positive about the state of patient access, though they may be a little too optimistic about the effect of improvement efforts. Around twice as many providers think access is better than the previous year compared to patients (55% compared to 28%). For providers, perceptions of improvements in patient access are closely tied to the impact of staffing levels. 2. Self-scheduling is back in favor Providers are aligned with patients on the need for digital scheduling and registration options. Interestingly, after the urgency to implement contactless scheduling during the pandemic began to wane in 2022, the latest survey suggests that self-scheduling is back in fashion, with 63% offering self-scheduling compared to 40% in 2022. 3. “Dirty data” remains a stubborn challenge Data collection at patient intake is a persistent headache for providers. Almost half (49%) say that inaccurate patient information contributes to claim denials. Improving the speed and accuracy of resolving patient information prior to claims submission were frequently listed in providers' top three challenges. See how healthcare organizations are using AI AdvantageTM to improve data accuracy and reduce claim denials. Digital technology bridges the gap between patient and provider perspectives on patient access When asked for their top three priorities for improvement, both groups ranked accurate price estimates and efficient insurance verification among their top two. While they diverge on the third – access to online health management tools for patients, and automated pre-authorizations for providers – it's interesting to note that these both reflect a desire to use digital solutions for greater efficiency and convenience. The survey highlights several opportunities to use digital technology to address upcoming challenges and continue to close the gap. Key challenges in patient access in the year ahead 1. Improving accuracy of upfront price estimates The survey showed 79% of providers plan to invest in patient access improvements soon. Given shared concerns about patients' ability to cover the cost of care, and worrying hints that some may postpone care due to cost concerns, prioritizing and providing accurate patient estimates would be a smart choice. While patients and providers are in closer agreement that estimates are accurate most or all of the time (74% and 85% respectively), there's clearly room for improvement. 2. Accelerating insurance verification and claims submission processes Several of the providers' top challenges speak to how difficult it can be to collate accurate information prior to claims submission. The need for better insurance reviews, more efficient management of prior authorizations, and more accurate patient information all contribute to the overarching goal of getting properly reimbursed. Almost a fifth say that managing multiple tools to determine eligibility, coordination of benefits (COB), and other pre-service checks is a top challenge. Could a single solution be the answer? Experian Health's new Patient Access Curator solution checks eligibility, COB, Medicare and commercial coverage, demographics and financial status in less than 30 seconds. Staff can check off several of these tedious tasks with just a single click. 3. Bolstering workforce capacity with technology A final challenge in the year ahead is the ongoing impact of staffing shortages. For the of providers who feel that staffing levels are disrupting delivery of scheduling and registration services, technology may offer a way through. Automation and artificial intelligence not only reduce the burden on staff by eliminating time-consuming manual tasks, but also allow staff to work smarter and faster on remaining tasks by improving data accuracy and insights. Most importantly, digital technology can improve scheduling, registration and payment processes for patients – and bring the patient experience in line with what both groups aspire to see. Download the full report: State of Patient Access 2024, or contact Experian Health to learn how technology can help streamline patient access.
The State of Patient Access 2024 is the fourth in a series of patient and provider surveys that began in 2020. This year's report compares how patients experience access to care and providers' perceptions of those experiences. This blog post highlights findings from the survey, which was conducted in February 2024 and is based on 200 healthcare revenue cycle decision-makers and more than 1,000 patients. The study finds that perceptions of access to care are improving. It's a positive sign that providers are moving in the right direction—but there are still have mountains to climb. What remains the same from prior surveys is that providers believe access to care is much better than what their patients are truly experiencing. The survey showed 55% of healthcare providers believe patient access has improved. It's a big jump from 2022, when just 27% of doctors felt access increased. What's striking, however, is that patients don't completely agree. Only 28% say patient access improved in 2023, an 11% increase from the prior year. Over half (51%) of patients and 26% of providers say patient access has remained fairly static. While the findings show access is improving, there is still a gap between patient experience and provider perception. How can providers improve care access and make their perceptions a reality for their patients? Download The State of Patient Access 2024 report to get the perspectives from patients and providers on their perceptions of access to healthcare. Myths vs. realities of patient access The good news from the survey is that most providers and patients agree access to care isn't worsening. Despite increasing patient volumes and chronic staff shortages, patient access is better than before the pandemic. The findings are a sharp reversal from last year's report, where almost one-half of providers and one-fifth of patients reported care access had grown more challenging. Patient access is: Better Patients: 28% Providers: 55% The same Patients: 51% Providers: 26% Worse Patients: 22% Providers: 20% Consistently, across these annual surveys, providers believe access to care delivery is better than what their patients experience. The survey highlights opportunities to bridge this gap by using digital technologies to align the patient experience and provider assumptions. Opportunity 1: Provide accurate upfront financial estimates 96% of patients want an accurate upfront estimate of treatment costs. 88% of providers agree an accurate upfront estimate contributes to successful patient payments. The survey showed upfront cost estimates are central to a better patient experience. A high percentage of patients (96%) said an accurate estimate of treatment costs is essential before service—so crucial that 43% said they would cancel their procedure without it. Yet 64% of patients did not receive a cost estimate before care, despite increasing state and federal regulations that require this transparency. Perhaps even more troubling, the accuracy for those estimates is questionable. Of the 31% of patients who received a pre-procedure cost estimate, 14% reported the final cost was much higher than anticipated. At the same time, 85% of providers say their estimates are accurate most or all the time. The gap in provider perception and patient reality come together at the point of understanding the need for accurate cost estimates. Understanding what is covered by insurance helps patients manage their healthcare costs. Providers are invested in getting estimates correct because they are a key part of getting paid on time, in full. Patient payment estimates software can automatically create a more accurate picture of costs, reducing the burden on healthcare staff and eliminating unwelcome patient surprises. Consolidating service pricing estimate data from multiple sources empowers patient accountability and decision-making. One health system used these digital tools to increase point-of-service patient collections by nearly 60%, producing estimates that were 80 to 90% accurate. Opportunity 2: Improve data collection at patient intake 85% of patients dislike repetitive paperwork during the intake process. Almost half (49%) of providers say patient information errors are a primary cause of denied claims. The survey showed patients and providers are frustrated with the data collections process during registration. More than eight of 10 providers say automation could improve this process. Yet, in practice, intake remains primarily manual. Patients complain they shouldn't have to complete the same paperwork at each visit. Providers know these manual tasks lead to errors that cause big headaches for claims departments later. However, only 31% consider improving the speed and accuracy of collecting patient information a priority. The top reasons for claim denials are paperwork inaccuracies and missing or incomplete claim information. Human errors cause challenges when it's time for providers to get paid. Up to 50% of claims denials stem from a paperwork processing error at patient intake. As a result, in 2022 alone, healthcare providers spent nearly $20 billion pursuing reimbursement denials. Everyone agrees that providers must do all they can to prevent errors. Providers understand claims denials are a significant roadblock to cash flow. Patients grow frustrated when account balances remain in limbo long after their procedure is complete. Digital technology can streamline patient access and transform the healthcare revenue cycle. Experian Health's Patient Access Curator solution can check eligibility, COB, MBI, demographics, insurance coverage, and financial status in less than 30 seconds, in one click, speeding up the laborious human intake process that creates anxiety—and errors—for patients and providers. Opportunity 3: Give patients online self-service options 89% of patients said the ability to schedule appointments anytime via online or mobile tools is important. 63% of providers have or plan to implement self-scheduling options. According to this year's survey, self-scheduling is hot; waiting on hold with a call center is not. Digital and paperless pre-registration is increasingly important to patients and there is evidence that providers are finally starting to listen. For example, 84% of the providers strongly agreed that digital and mobile access is important to patients. However, self-scheduling did not make the list of the top three provider priorities for improving patient access to care. But the data tells us patients hold out hope for a mobile-first online scheduling process that puts them in the driver's seat to control their access to care. Convenient online scheduling software gives patients control over booking, canceling, and rescheduling appointments. It's a digital front door that's easy to use across any device. Automated notifications can remind patients of annual health exams, replacing the need for staff calls and closing any gaps in preventative care. These tools can reduce time spent scheduling patients by 50% and significantly decrease appointment no-shows. More importantly, they give patients the digital experience they demand. Digital technology brings together patient experience and provider perceptions The State of Patient Access 2024 survey illustrates a narrowing gap between what providers perceive and patients experience. That's good news because a lack of access to healthcare is a contributing factor to a sicker population, which costs much more in the long run. According to Deloitte, barriers to accessing healthcare in this country will grow to a $1 trillion problem by 2040. Patients will continue to experience care access issues in the coming years, from staffing shortages and a lack of rural providers, higher co-pays and more. Can we bridge these future gaps? The answer is a resounding yes. While there's still work to do, the survey showed that 79% of providers plan to invest in patient access improvements soon. Download The State of Patient Access 2024 to get the full survey results, or contact us to see how Experian Health can help your organization improve patient access.
Technology has a long track record of improving patient care. But humans are now entering uncharted waters as the latest wave of digital tools impact healthcare clinical and administrative workflows. Technology advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have spawned a fourth industrial revolution. According to the World Economic Forum, it's a time in history “that will fundamentally alter the way we live, work, and relate to one another. In its scale, scope, and complexity, the transformation will be unlike anything humankind has experienced before.” New developments in AI and automation in healthcare will offer numerous benefits to providers. The impact of recent technology advancements in healthcare is staggering. New AI and automation tools can detect human illnesses faster, monitor patients in the privacy of their homes, and streamline laborious administrative healthcare workflows to save providers up to $360 billion annually. The impact of AI and automation in healthcare is just beginning. Here are three ways these tools can help prevent and reduce claim denials, alleviate staff workloads and improve the patient experience. 1. AI and automation helps lessen claims errors Experian Health's State of Claims Survey 2022 reported that 61% of providers rely too heavily on manual processes and lack the automation necessary to streamline reimbursement. Billions of dollars are tied up in rejected claims; healthcare professionals say up to 15% of their claims are denied. However, many denials are preventable simply by eliminating human error stemming from manual workflows. When paperwork is still done by hand, mistakes in eligibility verification or incorrect insurance information are all too common. Some of the typical reasons for claims denials include data entry errors. Claims are complex, and providers handle most revenue cycle tasks manually, so it's common for incorrect insurance details, eligibility verification problems, or other inaccurate or missing information to make it through to claims submission. Far from being science fiction, the newest AI-powered administrative tools can scan patient claims data to detect errors that lead to denials. Given that diagnostic errors alone cost more than $100 billion and affect 12 million Americans annually, this new breed of AI tools offers providers a way to improve care delivery while lessening the endless hassle of claims denials. AI and automation tools can help eliminate up to errors that lead to denied claims. For example: Patient Access Curator automates insurance eligibility and coverage, scanning patient documentation for inaccurate information. The software uses AI and robotic process automation (RPA) to reduce manual errors. AI Advantage™ works to prevent denials before they happen: AI Advantage -Predictive Denials spots claim errors before submission to the payer. It's an early warning system designed to reduce denials by red flagging claims errors. But it also flags claims that fail to meet payer requirements—even if those requirements have recently changed. 2. AI and automation reduces manual processes and staff burnout Manual processes in healthcare contribute significantly to burnout, which affects nearly 50% of staff. The cost of staff burnout and preventable turnover runs around $4.6 billion annually. However, overworked staff leads to mistakes in manual processes and ultimately claim denials, so the cost of burnout directly affects the revenue cycle.Experian Health's 2023 staffing survey shows 100% of healthcare providers say staffing shortages have impacted their revenue cycle. But staff burnout and turnover affect more than reimbursement—more than 80% say it also negatively impacts the patient experience. AI and automation in healthcare can help alleviate the overwork that many staffers feel. Experian Health offers solutions to automate manual tasks, free up staff time, and reduce the volume of claims denials. ClaimSource® reduces the industry's average claims denial rate of 10% or higher to 4% or less. This software automatically scans claims, payer compliance, insurance eligibility, and patient demographics to spot the errors that lead to denials. Automating claims submission lessens the administrative burden and improves the work/life balance for overburdened staff. AI Advantage - Denial Triage covers any claims that end up rejected, prioritizing claims with the highest rate of ROI for providers. The solution uses artificial intelligence to help staff organize their efforts toward the highest revenue generating opportunities to increase revenue collection. It can lessen workloads and help teams work smarter for a higher return and better bottom line. 3. AI and automation in healthcare improves patient experiences Automation improves the patient journey. Experian Health and PYMNTS research show positive patient experience starts with self-service scheduling and registration. This kind of digital front door puts control back in the hands of patients, who are frustrated by time-consuming administrative processes. Patients have high expectations for better tech experiences throughout their healthcare encounters. Experian Health offers solutions that give customers exactly what they demand. For example: Patient Scheduling software allows 24/7 online access to appointment setting tools. In addition to making a more convenient and accessible scheduling process, this tool reduces the time it takes to set an appointment by 50%. The benefits for healthcare providers include a higher patient show rate (89% on average) and higher patient volumes (32% more patients per month). Patient Financial Advisor offers seamless, automated service estimates that go straight to the patient's favorite digital device. The tool creates a transparent payment process to help patients understand their treatment's cost and payment options. Patient Financial Advisor integrates with a secure online payment portal. These tools establish financial accountability up front while eliminating unnecessary surprises that affect the provider/patient relationship. Benefits of AI and automation in healthcare AI and automation in healthcare are changing how patients experience care delivery, how providers interact with their customers, and how clinicians manage getting paid. The benefits of using these tools include: Faster and more accurate patient diagnoses. Fewer patient readmissions and more proactive care management. Streamlined administrative tasks to reduce claims denials and improve the revenue cycle. Experian Health offers a suite of technology solutions, including a revenue cycle data curator package, to help providers get paid faster, free up staff time, and improve the patient experience. These solutions can help healthcare organizations achieve their goals by harnessing the latest AI and automation technologies to work smarter. Connect with an Experian Health expert today.
A recent study by Experian Health found that 62% of healthcare workers consider patient scheduling to be one of the areas hit hardest by staffing shortages. Labor gaps result in delayed patient care, staff burnout, additional hiring and training demands – not to mention snowballing overtime costs. Faced with wide-reaching financial and operational ramifications, healthcare organizations must make a strategic shift in how they manage patient scheduling. For Indiana University (IU) Health, the answer lay in using automation to handle increasing patient volumes with less staff. Justin Baur, Alex Nussman and Josh Brown of IU Health's Patient Access management team partnered with Experian Health to share how guided scheduling has allowed them to scale their operations, optimize staff efficiency and reduce scheduling errors, keeping both providers and patients happy. This article breaks down IU Health's key successes with Patient Schedule (including some that were unexpected), as discussed on the webinar. Discover how IU's strategic shift to automated scheduling not only scaled their operations and optimized staff efficiency, but also significantly reduced scheduling errors, keeping both providers and patients happy. “Guided scheduling helps us deliver better care, more efficiently” Like many healthcare organizations, changing market dynamics forced IU Health to find a fresh approach to patient scheduling. Competitor closures led to an influx of new patients, while the precarious labor market demanded a solution be found within the existing headcount. That solution was Patient Schedule, a digital scheduling platform that uses automation to support convenient patient self-scheduling, more efficient call center scheduling, and targeted patient outreach. IU Health piloted the platform across 52 service lines in 2023. Josh Brown, Program Manager for Provider Match at IU Health, outlined the key results: “We were able to accomplish some significant achievements to set our system up for success in 2024. We've booked over 230,000 patients through Patient Schedule and 35,000 through the Self Scheduling platform. It's as efficient as two schedulers doing similar work. We've had a 3% increase in one call resolutions and 16% growth in new patients since implementation. “Overall, guided scheduling has given us an opportunity to transform our operations by improving our patient access and reducing some administrative burdens. We've seen a reduction in no shows and an increase in patient engagement. By leveraging technology and data analysis, the guided scheduling platform has helped deliver better care more efficiently and effectively.” “Call Center Scheduling helps us minimize training and maximize referral capture rates.” IU Health's Patient Access Centre supports 31 specialties, 24 primary care clinics and radiology scheduling across Indianapolis, handling a total of 2.4 million calls in 2023. Finding innovative ways to meet growing demand was imperative. Justin Baur, Manager of Patient Access and Referral Management, described how Patient Schedule's Call Center Scheduling tool improves the workflow for call center coordinators: “Patient Schedule simplified processes in all our call centers so we can work with more patients and more service lines than before. Coordinators are onboarded quickly and can schedule for more service lines. Patient Schedule builds specialty considerations into the algorithm, reducing the need for subject matter experts. This increases scheduling accuracy, and reduces cancellation and reschedule rates, resulting in more effective visits between patient and provider.” The referral team also piloted Patient Schedule in urgent care and primary care facilities, successfully scheduling specialty referral appointments for patients before they leave their primary care provider's office. In the emergency department, providers can send messages to registration staff to schedule follow-up appointments. Baur says, “checkout staff can schedule patients' referrals within 3-5 minutes, instead of spending 30 minutes making follow up calls to reach those patients.” This reduces wait times, improves continuity of care, and streamlines the entire experience for patients and providers. “Self Scheduling does the work of two full time schedulers.” IU Health's pilot also involved using the platform to allow patients to book their own appointments. With Patient Schedule's Self Scheduling component, patients can make appointments online when and where it's most convenient. The sophisticated decision support technology means they only see relevant calendars and appointment types. During the pilot, almost 40% of patients opted to use self-scheduling, with 28% of those patients succeeding in booking an appointment online, significantly reducing the pressure on call centers. Josh Brown observed that “around 64% of our patients self-scheduled during non-business hours, so we're getting a lot of value-add when we're not at work. This gives us an opportunity to meet the patient when they're available. It enhances patient satisfaction and increases access to care. More than 35,000 appointments were booked using Self Scheduling, without any staff intervention, which Brown said equates to two full-time schedulers. He also observed that the platform is helping to grow IU Health's patient base and reduce no-shows: “We're seeing that the platform is very new patient-focused, with new patients accounting for over 59% of Self Scheduling bookings. With those bookings, we're seeing an 87% show rate.” Guided scheduling: the foundation of efficiency To close, the team explained how Patient Schedule had cut the time taken to secure appointments, by ensuring patients get the assistance they need and eliminating unnecessary paper-pushing. The next steps for IU Health are to roll out Patient Schedule across more specialties. They want to increase uptake of self-scheduling and ensure more patients can successfully book appointments using their preferred method. They also hope to implement location- and diagnosis-specific starting points for online bookings. By 2025, the team hopes to introduce a single phone number to cover scheduling needs across the whole state. Patient Schedule will form a key part of the solution by supporting efficient, centralized scheduling across four additional regions. Watch the webinar to hear examples on how guided scheduling was implemented in specific specialties, and find out more about using automated patient scheduling to create a resilient and efficient scheduling infrastructure that works better for patients, providers and staff.
Staffing shortages are the new normal in healthcare. Most news headlines focus on gaps between the supply of providers and the growing demand for care. However, a recent survey by Experian Health, released in November 2023. shows the massive impact staffing shortages have on back office revenue cycle where these functions intersect with front-of-house patient engagement. Strikingly, the healthcare staffing shortage statistics in the survey show revenue cycle executives are 100% in agreement—staffing shortages significantly affect reimbursement workflows to the detriment of patients and healthcare employees. Experian Health's report, Short-staffed for the long term, surveyed 200 healthcare executives responsible for revenue cycle functions. The goal was to gauge the impact of worker shortages on revenue cycle management and patient engagement. While the pandemic brought these shortages into the public purview, this new data shows most providers believe healthcare staffing gaps are chronic and here to stay. These results reinforce The State of Patient Access 2023 survey, where 87% of providers blamed staffing shortages for declining access to care. As the healthcare industry continues to struggle with an ever-increasing staffing shortage, it has become increasingly evident that if left unresolved, this situation can wreak havoc on revenue cycle management (RCM). The latest survey illustrates the need for new strategies to alleviate healthcare worker shortfalls. This article explores the most recent healthcare staffing shortage statistics and some key findings from the study to help determine how healthcare providers can turn these challenges into opportunities. Experian Health surveyed 200 revenue cycle executives to determine the impact of staffing shortages on reimbursement and patient engagement. Download the report to get the full results. Finding 1: Most revenue cycle leaders believe staffing shortfalls negatively affect payer reimbursements and collections. 96% of survey respondents indicated a lack of qualified workers has a detrimental impact on organizational revenue channels. 80% say turnover in their department ranges from 11 to 40%, much higher than the national average of 3.8%. When healthcare organizations lack revenue cycle talent, they risk missing performance goals. High turnover and the departure of experienced staff create information deserts within healthcare organizations. It forces new team members to train faster, handle bigger caseloads before they're ready, and potentially burnout from stress. The pressure to do more faster creates a higher volume of preventable claims errors that lead to denials. The survey showed all these factors at play, and their negative impact on reimbursement, collections, and the patient experience. While the traditional way to alleviate staffing shortages is to increase recruiting and retention efforts, these approaches no longer work when there simply isn't enough available staff to hire and train. Healthcare organizations must consider new partnerships with technology providers who offer automation tools to streamline human workflows. Revenue cycle management software eliminates repetitive tasks and lessens errors that lead to rejected claims. Digital technology can help solve labor shortages by reducing staff workloads and improving operational performance. Automation can streamline collections by prioritizing the accounts most likely to pay. These tools help existing revenue cycle teams work more efficiently while enhancing patient encounters. Finding 2: Healthcare staffing shortages roadblock a positive patient experience. 8 of 10 survey respondents say patient experience suffers due to gaps in staffing coverage. 55% report the patient experience is most heavily affected at intake, and 50% say at appointment scheduling. Staffing shortages and turnover cause an undue burden on the healthcare workers left behind. The survey asked respondents to indicate the top pain points experienced by revenue cycle professionals, and one of the major challenges was staff burnout. Stress has a detrimental effect on patient interactions throughout the revenue cycle. The survey shows staffing shortages impede patient satisfaction in critical areas within revenue cycle functions, including: Scheduling appointments Patient registration Prior authorization Insurance coverage confirmation Patient estimates Revenue cycle interactions can be delicate, requiring extreme patience and clear communication. Healthcare organizations must provide the support their revenue cycle teams need to handle these crucial conversations appropriately. To improve the patient experience, organizations must first improve the workflows and workloads of these critical back-office teams. When healthcare organizations have the right tools to eliminate manual tasks that bog down revenue cycle staff, these professionals can spend more time on the compassionate handling of patients and their accounts. Providers have the opportunity to solve these challenges with digital patient engagement solutions that improve workflow efficiencies at every level of the revenue cycle. Patient scheduling software creates a self-service environment that 73% of healthcare customers prefer. Patient intake improves with online software that automates the tedious paperwork that tie up staff. Better technology can create price transparency without manual effort, ensuring patients understand their responsibilities up front instead of facing surprises during or after care delivery. Finally, a frictionless online payment platform allows patients to handle their obligations seamlessly without staff intervention. Finding 3: Errors arise when healthcare providers are short staffed, leading to claims denials. 70% of survey respondents say staff shortages exacerbate denial rates. 92% of survey respondents said new staff members make errors that negatively impact claims processing. Some of the most common reasons for healthcare claim denials include: Incomplete collection of claims data Coding errors Billing errors Eligibility verification errors Missed insurance verification Healthcare operations and revenue cycles are full of manual processes. RevCycleIntelligence reports one-third of prior authorizations are completed manually, and two-thirds of hospitals haven't automated any part of their denials management processes. Yet technology has made significant strides toward reducing these error-prone manual tasks. Leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), with solutions like AI Advantage™, within the complexities of claims processing could cut provider spending by up to 10% annually. Eliminating repetitive tasks with automated claims management solutions improves the lives of staff, cuts manual errors that tie up cash flow in reimbursement wrangling, and creates a better, less stressful environment for customers. Reducing the impact of healthcare staffing shortages with revenue cycle automation and technology Sometimes, 100% agreement isn't the desired outcome. In this case, the healthcare staffing shortage statistics found in the survey shows healthcare providers agree unanimously that chronic staffing shortages create a problematic environment for employees that costs revenue and patient engagement. While technology exists that can maximize revenue staff workflows to extend the reach of overburdened employees; survey participants suggest that healthcare organizations continue to approach solving these issues by adding staff. But healthcare's staffing challenges are not new. While organizations have historically invested revenue in higher salaries and sign-on bonuses to attract staff, technology offers a new opportunity for history to avoid repeating itself. It's time for healthcare organizations to support their teams with automation. These tools alleviate mundane, error-prone tasks that tie up staff. Experian Health offers these organizations a way to improve the lives of everyone within the revenue cycle by allowing back and front-office teams to focus on patient care, rather than filling in forms. It's a more humane way to handle a very human staffing crisis. Download the survey or connect with an Experian Health expert today to learn how we can help your healthcare organization combat staffing shortages.