5 Strategies to Maximize Patient Engagement and Reimbursements for ASCs

With Covid-19 cases often taking up the majority of space in hospitals, medical facilities around the country are unable to care for their patients at a high level. Worse still, reimbursements have fallen due to the number of applicants for care and the number of people who have lost their jobs and employee health benefits.

Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) find themselves at acritical juncture. The facilities saw a 28% increase in the percentage of outpatient procedures performed from 2005 to 2017. Pandemic conditions look to increase this surge as experts predict a 6-7% growth in ASC procedures through 2021. The window for skyrocketing in popularity is here. However, poorly handling said window will only lead to mistrust from the public and decreased revenue.

Learn how your ASC can find patient engagement solutions while maximizing reimbursements.

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Employ Consistent Standards

Regardless of your organization’s financial status, clear, consistent standards are a feature everyone can employ. Like all customers, medical client expectations are set by what you tell them. If your team is promising a great outcome to a procedure, a good result will seem disappointing. Setting realistic expectations across the board will immediately boost patient satisfaction.

Additionally, ensure your staff is on the same page in terms of work practices. Medical standards exist for a reason and deviating from them can have short and long-term consequences. Also, patients will feel a safe sense of familiarity if you remain consistent with their treatment.

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Adopt Better Technology

Medical personnel won't go away any time soon. Their expertise and spur-of-the-moment decision-making are the glue that binds the health industry. At the same time, it is important to phase out outdated methods and embrace successful technology.

Effective technology reduces stress on workers while increasing the efficiency of treatment. Consider improving your electronic health record. Ensuring your system is compatible with others makes it easier to transmit and receive important information on patient health.

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Embrace Online Options

With the many hospitals at capacity and heightened fear of infection, it’s imperative that providers have a way to talk to clients outside of a physical building. Telehealth chats are a great way to let a doctor learn about a medical problem and give feedback. These virtual visits give patients access to specialists far away and reassure them that help is constant and near at hand. Plus, telehealth is cheaper for both the patient and the provider.

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Improve Communication

The availability of online sources of medical knowledge has given rise to patients who are generally more informed than previous generations. However, this knowledge has instilled some with a false sense of confidence that can harm their physician's authority. It is, therefore, crucial for physicians to listen and calmly explain their position. Identifying why a patient believes a treatment will be best is the first step towards adopting that treatment or refocusing their passions to a new area.

Communication is equally important between departments. When different sectors of the same organization fail to communicate, the patients suffer. This suffering amplifies in situations where one group needs resources and tells their supplier the wrong figure. To avoid this problem, have your groups meet and agree on consistent guidelines in terms of language and requests.

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Boost Revenue Cycle Management

With the number of patients hospitals are admitting, administrators find it challenging to process every visitor. Many people are unable to provide an insurance card and don’t know what their coverage is. As such, it can be tempting to do charity write-offs to meet workflows. However, hiring an effective billing and coding service can significantly increase your revenue collected.

Additionally, improving your technology helps streamline processes for patients and ensures administrative information is complete. Artificial intelligence and complex workflow programs walk physicians and clients through submitting crucial information for billing and medical examination. When done properly, these systems increase revenue and improve patient experience and care.

Companies like Plutus Health are a great option when you need to decrease your administrative burden and streamline your processes, helping you focus on patients care and maximize reimbursements. If you are struggling with billing, collection, and management, our expert team takes care to get the fastest reimbursement possible and increase your practice’s performance.

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Key Takeaways

1. Be consistent in handling patients and in following medical practices.

2. Bring in better technology to improve your staff and patient experience.

3. Use telehealth services to reach people unable to attend your physical location.

4. Strengthen communication with patients and between departments.

5. Hire a coding and billing company to get reimbursements quicker.