Automated charge processing streamlines data entry.

A healthcare organization can significantly improve its billing office's performance by implementing an automated charge-processing system that integrates scanning technology with hospital and physician office billing systems. Such a system offers large healthcare organizations a means to eliminate costly and inefficient manual processing of paper charge sheets, thereby improving productivity and accuracy. An automated charge-processing system allows a billing department to automatically post, track, monitor, control, and reconcile all charges through a central database. To implement the system, a healthcare organization should assemble a project team composed of representatives from information services, the software supplier, and the organization's business offices. The team will be responsible for setting up the system; designing an easily scannable, standard charge form; establishing the rules the system will follow for posting charges; and designing billing office reports.

Computer imaging and workflow systems in the business office.

Computer imaging and workflow technology automates many business processes that currently are performed using paper processes. Documents are scanned into the imaging system and placed in electronic patient account folders. Authorized users throughout the organization, including preadmission, verification, admission, billing, cash posting, customer service, and financial counseling staff, have online access to the information they need when they need it. Such streamlining of business functions can increase collections and customer satisfaction while reducing labor, supply, and storage costs. Because the costs of a comprehensive computer imaging and workflow system can be considerable, healthcare organizations should consider implementing parts of such systems that can be cost-justified or include implementation as part of a larger strategic technology initiative.

Using artificial intelligence to automate remittance processing.

The consolidated business office of the Allegheny Health Education Research Foundation (AHERF), a large integrated healthcare system based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, sought to improve its cash-related business office activities by implementing an automated remittance processing system that uses artificial intelligence. The goal was to create a completely automated system whereby all monies it processed would be tracked, automatically posted, analyzed, monitored, controlled, and reconciled through a central database. Using a phased approach, the automated payment system has become the central repository for all of the remittances for seven of the hospitals in the AHERF system and has allowed for the complete integration of these hospitals' existing billing systems, document imaging system, and intranet, as well as the new automated payment posting, and electronic cash tracking and reconciling systems. For such new technology, which is designed to bring about major change, factors contributing to the project's success were adequate planning, clearly articulated objectives, marketing, end-user acceptance, and post-implementation plan revision.