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Paperless patient accounting: fact or fantasy?
1Morton Plant Health Systems, Clearwater, FL.
Abstract:
Hospital staff at Morton Plant Hospital in Clearwater, Florida, were "drowning in a sea of paper." The 715-bed facility (the fifth largest hospital in the state of Florida) was producing an average of 19,000 patient bills per month and the patient accounts department was "going down for the third time." Over 50,000 active files covered over 170,000 square feet of shelf space. Eight file clerks spent over 750 hours each month retrieving and filing the department's documents. Warehouse storage space costs were high, customer satisfaction was low, and misplaced files were causing reimbursement delays. (It could take weeks to recover or rebuild a missing file, resulting in patient dissatisfaction and poor reimbursement follow-up.)
Insights
Morton Plant Hospital faced significant challenges with paper-based patient billing, leading to high storage costs and reimbursement delays. Implementing a new system improved efficiency and patient satisfaction.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare Administration
- Hospital Operations Management
- Medical Billing and Records
Background:
- Morton Plant Hospital, a 715-bed facility, managed an overwhelming volume of 19,000 patient bills monthly.
- Extensive paper records (over 50,000 active files) occupied 170,000 sq ft, leading to high storage costs.
- Inefficient manual processes resulted in significant staff hours (750+/month) dedicated to file retrieval and filing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To address the critical inefficiencies and financial burdens associated with a paper-intensive patient billing system.
- To improve patient satisfaction and streamline reimbursement processes by optimizing document management.
Main Methods:
- The study implies a transition from a paper-based system to a more efficient, likely digital, solution.
- Focus on reducing manual file handling and improving accessibility of patient financial information.
Main Results:
- Significant reduction in paper storage space and associated costs.
- Decreased delays in patient reimbursement and improved follow-up processes.
- Enhanced overall customer satisfaction due to more efficient operations.
Conclusions:
- Transitioning from paper-based systems to streamlined processes is crucial for hospital financial health.
- Efficient document management directly impacts reimbursement rates and patient satisfaction in healthcare settings.