You’re moved to the cloud and you’re starting to see the potential for your practice. But how do you make the most of your new cloud-based EHR, practice management software and revenue cycle management services?
The cloud can help you engage patients and boost your claims tracking. Also – and many providers really like this one — most cloud systems allow 24/7 access to practice information from any device with a secure Internet connection. Go ahead, pinch yourself.
Tips to Maximize Cloud-based Practice Management
Tips to get the most out of the cloud:
Try Remote Access
Log on at home. Cloud software gives you secure access to your practice management outside the office.
With more and more physicians practicing on the go and working remotely, the cloud is driving the increasing popularity of single sign-on capabilities. Single sign-on systems help physicians securely access personal health information (PHI) and more during off hours, which can boost efficiency and increase productivity.
Promote a Patient Portal
Reduce staff workload by letting patients request, confirm and reschedule appointments using a patient portal. Also make it easy for patients to pay their bills by sending secure e-statements directly to their e-mail inbox.
The portal gives patients access to their medical records and other useful information, relieving staff from the task of printing records and educational materials. “If the patient has been diagnosed with high blood pressure, they can log into the portal and click on education resources surrounding hypertension,” said Jessica Cousins, Sales Representative at CareCloud. “CareCloud’s portal, for example, provides links to education resources that are patient-centered.”
The portal also helps to keep patient profiles up-to-date, reducing staff time spent updating demographic and insurance information at every visit.
Improve Claims Tracking
Don’t leave money you’ve earned behind by relying on an outdated or ineffective collections system.
A well-designed workflow system should never let a claim fall through the cracks. Cloud software and services can help effectively track all claims from creation to payment posting.
Cloud-based claim tracking systems can store accounts receivable data in a central, easier-to-access place, so you can make better-informed decisions to improve collections. When a claim gets denied, your system should flag an incident for follow-up. Also, if an EOB is not received within 45 days after submission, these claims should appear on the follow-up task list.
Contact Live Support
When in doubt, contact your vendor’s support center. Whether you have a billing question, an implementation issue or an IT concern, consult an expert for help. Call, email or chat with a customer care specialist to answer your question so you can quickly get back to your practice and your patients.
Hopefully, your vendor provides a live support center (staffed with real people who can help you). The alternative — automated answering services — can add time and frustration.
Xavier E. Martinez contributed to this post.
This blog builds on the advice we shared in Part I of this PYP post – which included strategies on staff training, customization and speeding patient insurance eligibility checks.
What’s your favorite feature of cloud-based software and services? Explain in the comment section below.
