Data-Driven Decision-Making for Healthcare Practice Administrators

AI-based appointment cycle optimization solutions can be integrated with EHR systems to help identify the root cause of long wait times and provider idle time and offer recommendations that will have the greatest impact.

Data isn’t just transforming medical diagnosis and treatment. It’s also improving practice operations.

Across industry sectors, smart technology is helping to improve decision-making at all levels. Within the field of medicine, much of the discussion of machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) centers on the provider—how data can be used to improve diagnoses, personalize care, and deliver better outcomes for every dollar spent.

Data isn’t just for the doctors, however. New tools are also helping to transform healthcare practices, removing many of the pain points patients associate with accessing care while also making practice operations more efficient, automated, and successful.

How Can Practice Administration Benefit from AI?

Practice administrators typically make the bulk of decisions regarding how the office will operate. They must analyze and adjust staffing, structure and continually adapt workflows, and manage the appointment cycle to both maximize efficiency and enable the delivery of high-quality care. Administrators face short-term challenges as issues emerge on any given day and must also keep an eye on the long-term, spotting patterns and driving improvements that reach all the way to the bottom line.

Just as no manufacturing executive today would try to optimize a production process on the back of a napkin, few practice managers can expect to be effective in streamlining operations based on instinct or trial and error alone. Hard data on practice trends is required to make the best possible choices from moment to moment and year to year.

Unfortunately, most electronic health records systems lack key capabilities. For example, the vast majority of solutions offer only standard block scheduling, such as 15- or 30-minute appointment times, and they don’t integrate smart technologies to learn what goes wrong with daily schedules in order to adapt over time.

This is a big part of the reason why patients are still complaining about long wait times and the general inconvenience of accessing care, practice staff are continually harried, providers shifting from idle time into overdrive and back again, and practice finances are less rosy than they could be.

The good news is that add-ons now exist that can take a traditional EHR system and turn it into a practice administrator’s dream solution. Smart appointment management technology revolutionizes patient flow, finally putting an end to double- and triple-bookings, waiting room overflow, and stagnant patient experience and satisfaction ratings.

What is Appointment Cycle Management Technology?

An appointment cycle management solution taps data the practice is already collecting.

• As patients register, paperwork is filed, pre-appointment checks are performed, physician interactions are documented, and follow-on needs, such as prescriptions and payment, are handled, actions are logged in the EHR.
• Appointment cycle management technology analyzes this treasure trove of data to identify the root cause of long waits and provider idle time. The AI derives insights from the data and makes actionable recommendations for practice administrators.
• A solution like DOCPACE helps eliminate bottlenecks and inefficiencies by empowering practice administrators to make targeted changes that smooth workflows and reduce staff stress and overwhelm.
• Additional features, such as automated day-of-appointment communications, can help minimize staff busywork while improving on-time arrival rates and patient satisfaction.

What to Look for in a Solution

When practice administrators hear about the promise of appointment cycle management technology to drive efficiencies and boost revenues, most are eager to investigate. There are various products on the market so it’s vital to do the due diligence to select the right solution.

Among the most important features to look for are:

• EHR integration. The power of the solution comes from appointment-related data housed in the EHR system so look for products that integrate. For example, DOCPACE pairs seamlessly with AthenaHealth to add key workflow analysis and appointment management capabilities.

• HIPPA compliance. Of course, any technology that syncs with the EHR must comply with patient privacy regulations.

• Comprehensive monitoring. Seek technology that will continually collect data on all stages of the appointment process. Real-time sync enables practice administrators and staff to adjust throughout the day. Where are backlogs occurring? What steps would be most effective in improving flow so the team can get back on schedule?

• Smart recommendations. Don’t just pore over dashboards to determine what changes to make. Leverage AI technology that will recommend specific actions that will have the greatest impact.

• Reporting. Smart recommendations don’t eliminate the need for reporting. Make sure you can slice and dice the data to analyze progress and share details with providers and staff.

• Intuitive interfaces. The solution must be easy for staff and patients to use so it makes life easier, rather than more complicated. Most practice staff, for example, are comfortable with DOCPACE on the first day it’s installed.

An AI-based appointment cycle optimization solution is the perfect tool to help make a practice administrator’s job easier and days in the office less chaotic. The fact that these technologies can also positively affect patient satisfaction, return rates, throughput, and revenues makes one a “must-have.”

Intrigued but not convinced? Why not get a taste of the technology in action? DOCPACE offers a complimentary workflow analysis and idle time discovery, which you can schedule at your convenience. About 15 minutes is all it takes for us to analyze your data and generate a complete Findings & Opportunities Report, which will give you an idea of where to begin transforming your practice.