Innovation in Healthcare Practices Extends Beyond Patient Care

Duke University Hospital has a big problem.

David Cutler, a renowned health economist out of Harvard, notes that the Duke’s hospital has 1,300 billing administrators — and only 900 beds. That’s about 1.4 administrators per patient when the hospital is at full capacity — just for billing! Okay sure, maybe some workers are part-time, but as Cutler notes, when you compare those numbers to the fact that a typical Canadian hospital only has a handful of billing administrators, the discrepancy is hard to ignore.

I wouldn’t want that on my tab.

We don’t mean to pick on Duke. But when such a reputable establishment is called out for inefficiencies like these, it prompts us to look at the field and wonder…

What if the biggest problem in our healthcare system isn’t patient care?

When you think of innovation in healthcare, you probably think first about the buzzworthy new technologies like wearables that make it easy for patients to see how food choices affect their blood sugar, implanted sensors that help patients monitor disease progression, AI helping researchers identify powerful new antibiotics, etc.

You’re thinking about innovations in patient care.

But here’s our worry: With so much of the focus on medical technology, what if we’re missing the bigger picture? What if our tunnel vision prevents from tackling business inefficiencies? Here’s a radical idea no one seems to be talking about:

Innovation in health business practices is just as important as innovation in patient care

What sucks most about US healthcare isn’t that there aren’t enough treatments — it’s that the people who need treatment don’t have access because they can’t afford them.

Now, of course, there are many reasons why healthcare in the US is so expensive (and so much more expensive than other comparable countries). But we can confidently say that one of the big reasons for the massive costs is inefficient business practices and administration. Some commentators go so far as to characterize the US healthcare system as “grossly inefficient.”

Some see that as a problem, but we see it as an opportunity.

Imagine what we could do if we cut the fat and made a concentrated effort to make processes more efficient for our practices? Could those innovations actually improve patient care in the long term?

Administrative Innovation: Patient Care’s Younger Brother

Innovation in patient care is like the older sibling in the innovation family: It’s already mature, has trailblazed the field, and there’s still tons of opportunity for growth. By contrast, innovation in business processes is like the younger brother — much less developed, a little under-appreciated, and still trying to find its way out of the shadows.

What might business innovations look like? We’re glad you asked…

Improved patient registration and data systems

You’ve heard data is the new oil, right? Well, it’s time to dig a well.

Patient data done right doesn’t just help you understand the health of your patients. It also helps you retain and recruit new patients.

(Pro tip: if you still have receptionists manually entering data from a paper intake form, please give them a raise).

Here are some examples of what innovations in patient data collection and management can look like:

• Digital Intake: Use a secure web form to collect patient data (like HIPAA Compliant Web Forms). Patients fill out forms before their appointment at home or on their phones. You’ll cut down on wait times and be able to automate a number of routine tasks like data entry.

• Database Analysis: Utilize existing database apps like Segment or build and customize your own database. Better data analysis can help you more effectively understand what services your patients need based on their medical history.

Then, once you’ve got the data architecture in place, then you can start creating systems that do the work for you!

Back Office on Autopilot

Automate customer service

Your admin team spends a ton of their time communicating with patients — likely answering the same questions over and over again. Anything repetitive can be automated, saving you, your staff, and your patients time. (Then, you can use the time you get back to place more emphasis on building personal relationships).

Curious about how to do this? Let’s take a look:

• Chatbots: Online chat features help answer routine questions from your patients and provide consistent and complete messaging (ex. Intercom).

• Automated Patient Communication: Automatic scheduling and reminders can ensure your patients show up on time or have an easy way to rebook (ex. DrChrono).

• Feedback Collection: Apps can collect feedback, automatically gauge client satisfaction, and collect patient feedback and testimonials (SurveyMonkey has a quick NPS template).

Those are all ideas for making the patient process better — what about the perennial challenge for any business: finding and keeping talent?

Automate hiring processes

Yes, automation can help here, too. When Revance X traveled across the country meeting hundreds of providers, business owners, practice managers, and nurses, we found that good front desk staff were always the hardest to retain and replace.

Innovation can help. Here are some innovations happening in other fields that healthcare can take advantage of:

• Video Filtering: Pre-recorded video interviews that you can easily binge-watch to create your shortlist (ex. VidCruiter).

• Interview Scheduling: Scheduling and tracking software that allows candidates to choose their appointment slot and help you track, rate, and follow up with applicants (ex. EasyHire).

• Training: Online training platforms so new staff can learn 24/7 (ex. Brainscape).

But don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten your marketing team…

Automate routine marketing tasks

You’d be surprised how many marketing tasks can be automated. For example:

• Review Reminders: Set up automatic emails reminding patients to provide testimonials and reviews. Ask them how their experience was first — then invite only your most satisfied patients to leave a review and share their experiences with friends and family.

• Custom Campaigns: Use email campaign software (like ConvertKit or ActiveCampaign) to segment your patients and send personalized text and email campaigns with information about treatments they could benefit from.

And finally…

Automate billing and claims process

We get that billing and claims processes are notoriously complicated. Solutions like Epic and DrChrono can provide:

• Billing System: A custom, self-service, rule-based healthcare billing system can automate some steps in claims processing, reducing errors, saving time, and reducing the risk of claims rejection.

• Payment System: Automated payment systems can reduce the workload for your staff, minimize errors, and ensure you get paid properly for the services your team performs.

• AP System: Automating accounts payable helps you quickly and accurately process invoices, reducing delayed payments to vendors, lost documents, and lowering the incidence of discrepancies.

Admin innovation? There’s an app for that

We hope the above ideas give you some inspiration: we want healthcare providers to see the immense opportunity that’s possible from innovations in healthcare delivery beyond patient care. Duke University Hospital was unlucky enough to be singled out by a Harvard economist, but they’re not the only ones struggling with efficiency. It’s a challenge shared by all of us in this industry.

And there are some answers. Whatever your biggest administration problems are, there’s probably “an app for that” — a solution that creates efficiency and reduces waste. And if there isn’t the perfect “app for that” yet, you can build one. (That’s literally what we do at Revance X — figure out what’s slowing things down and create solutions.)

Embrace the innovation that can help you be efficient. It’ll mean cost savings for you, and, eventually, a more accessible healthcare system for your patients (read: for all of us).

Send us a message if you want to join in the conversations around healthcare innovation — great things are ahead for all of us!

Cheers,
The Revance X Team