The healthcare industry is experiencing a massive cultural shift. Organizations across the globe are transitioning away from outdated legacy systems and are upgrading to cutting-edge automated revenue cycle management (RCM) solutions.
These technologies promise to improve the patient care experience, increase the efficiency of key billing processes, and streamline the entire revenue cycle.
Despite the tremendous potential benefits of automated RCM solutions, many organizations and their employees have concerns. Specifically, they want to know what role human assets will play in this new approach to revenue cycle management.
Individuals are and will remain an integral part of the revenue cycle management process. Those in leadership roles and their subordinates will be tasked with taking on new responsibilities as RCM is implemented throughout the healthcare industry.
What Is Automated RCM?
The healthcare revenue cycle starts the moment a patient begins seeking care by making an appointment or walking into a treatment facility. The cycle ends once all claims for service have been processed and final payments have been made by the patient or their insurer.
Automated RCM technologies streamline this process by leveraging machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI). Redundant processes that would traditionally be performed by a human are instead completed by bots. This allows healthcare organizations to navigate the revenue cycle more efficiently while also drastically reducing the risk for data entry errors.
How Human Resources Add Value to RCM
When you’re discussing automated RCM, the conversation typically revolves around how the technology adds value to the organization and the patients. While there are certainly tremendous benefits to RCM technologies, it is important to keep in mind that healthcare is a customer service industry at its core.
Automated RCM simply gives providers and administrative staff the tools they need to carry out their responsibilities more effectively.
For the rollout of automated technologies to be successful, organizations must also have the right human assets in place. Revenue cycle leadership and their staff can add value to an RCM program in various ways.
Convey the Need for New Technologies
As healthcare organizations start the transition to a value-based care model, employee and patient buy-in is key. The leadership can overcome this barrier by conveying the need for these new technologies.
Executives must have a deep understanding of the need for RCM. Only then will they be able to effectively educate others on the importance of more efficient care protocols, such as those established by automated RCM.
Effective leaders will help their respective organizations effectively implement automated RCM solutions seamlessly. This will have a trickle-down effect that will produce real results in every key metric, such as patient satisfaction, cost of care, and quality of care.
See the Bigger Picture
Talented revenue cycle leaders are invaluable during the implementation of automated RCM solutions. They must coordinate with various departments within the hospital to ensure a smooth transition. Without a concerted effort, the RCM program will not be effectively integrated into core processes like billing and collections.
While the automated RCM technology leverages machine learning and advanced AI solutions, it is not capable of seeing the bigger picture in the same way that human assets can. It is a tool, albeit an incredibly sophisticated one.
To function properly, it must be wielded by skilled employees that understand its capabilities and application.
Build Meaningful Connections
The true beauty of automated RCM is that it frees up staff to take on more dynamic tasks, such as serving patients. Employees will have more time to spend serving each client. This allows them to build meaningful connections that will positively impact the patient care experience. In turn, this will improve a provider’s brand image.
Staff members will not only have more time to interact with patients but with each other as well. This fosters a positive working environment built around collaboration.
Mentor and Educate
Both during and after the implementation of automated RCM technologies, healthcare organizations will experience a need for mentorship and education. Seasoned members of the revenue cycle team will have the opportunity to educate others, especially new employees. They can bring them up to speed on hospital regulations, best practices, and other need-to-know information regarding revenue cycle management.
In addition, these leaders will be able to mentor and connect with existing team members. They can nurture in-house talent, teach others new skills, and strengthen interdepartmental relationships.
Leadership can also teach existing staff how to leverage the new automated RCM solutions for maximum efficiency. This will benefit individual employees and the organization as a whole.
Lead the Way for Continued Innovation
People are extremely important to automated RCM. They add the irreplaceable element of human interaction to the patient care experience and are responsible for ensuring that the RCM technology is operating at peak efficiency.
As RCM solutions continue to become more advanced, people will be the ones fueling new innovation. They will be able to look at dynamic problems from unique perspectives and then apply creative solutions to further improve upon the RCM process.
While no one can accurately predict what automated RCM will look like in the future, one thing is certain. Humans will continue to play a vital role in the implementation, development, and use of this exciting revenue cycle management technology.
End-to-End RCM Solutions from GeBBS
At GeBBS Healthcare Solutions, we understand that you and your staff are irreplaceable assets that are integral to the patient care process. With that in mind, we design innovative RCM solutions that are meant to improve upon the entire patient care experience.
Our technologies augment the talents of your employees by eliminating redundancies and integrating proven best practices. With the right tools in hand, you can equip your organization for growth and allow your employees to thrive.
If you would like to learn more about revenue cycle management solutions or our other healthcare industry-specific technologies, contact us today. We can even set you up for a free consultation so that one of our experts can assess your organization’s needs.
