All posts by Kelly Nguyen

"93% of providers say creating a better patient experience remains a top priority, up 3% from last year." - Experian Health's State of Patient Access, June 2021 In November 2020, we surveyed patients and providers for their sentiments on how patient access changed because of the pandemic. During this time, patients welcomed the convenience and control that came with digital, contactless care. Providers knew they needed to improve their digital front door to withstand the financial impact of COVID-19, but implementation was difficult for many organizations. Six months on, and millions of immunized Americans later, the pandemic landscape shifted again. In June 2021, we revisited these questions to find out if patient and provider views have changed - in our State of Patient Access 2.0. Now, patients tell us they feel more confident about returning to facilities, though they still want the flexibility and convenience of digital scheduling, registration, and payment options. Providers feel a growing urgency to make sure online services are sufficiently agile enough to withstand any future surges in COVID-19 case numbers. The findings of the survey reveal four major opportunities to rethink how we “do” healthcare. By innovating and building on the digital advances made possible during the pandemic, providers can create better patient access experiences for the future. To start, providers should: 1. Match consumer expectations for convenient and flexible patient access Our recent survey shows that the pandemic has cemented consumer expectations around convenient access to care. Digital and remote channels for scheduling appointments, completing pre-registration, and making payments have become the new baseline in patient access. Nearly three quarters of patients told us they want to schedule their own appointments online. Providers know this: 93% say creating a better patient experience remains a top priority, up 3% from last year. Online self-scheduling can help providers continue to meet their patients’ demands for flexibility and convenient access to care. Patients can find, book and cancel appointments whenever and wherever they prefer. It’s also a win for providers, who can expect to see a drop in administration errors, no-shows, and denied claims. 2. Streamline prior authorizations as more patients return to care Interestingly, new data reveals that patients are less anxious about in-person care. In 2020, 40% of patients were uncomfortable coming into waiting rooms and seeing their doctor in person. Now, only 16% say they wouldn’t be comfortable in a waiting room. As more patients rush to reschedule deferred care, providers are faced with the challenging combination of higher patient volumes, patients jumping health plans as a result of job losses, and changing payer rules around prior authorizations and coverage checks. Automated pre-authorization and automated coverage checks can relieve the pressure, and help providers save time and resources. 3. Promote price transparency for fewer missed payments An encouraging piece of insight from our latest survey reveals that far fewer patients say they’ve been surprised by their final medical bill. In 2020, more than 50% received a final figure that differed significantly from estimates. Six months later, that figure has dropped to just 14%. Price transparency remains important, and the gap between estimated and final costs seems to be closing. More providers are offering patient billing estimates, with 9 in 10 agreeing that accurate estimates increase the chance of bills being paid on time. Many are also giving patients more options to pay bills earlier in the journey, which has helped to minimize the risk of late and missed payments. Easy and accessible digital options are featured heavily in acquisition and retention plans, and can help drive financial recovery. 4. Tighten up data strategies with better security, quality and insights While our first survey revealed that the sudden shift to digital-first patient access was a shock to the system for many providers, the second study shows that both patients and providers are settling into digital ways of working. But as these digital services become the new baseline, providers must make sure their data strategies are fit for purpose, and prioritize data security, quality and insights. Moving forward, a multi-layered approach will help providers authenticate and secure patient identities. When these identities are enriched with information about how patients are affected by the social determinants of health, providers will be better positioned to offer personalized patient access experiences and support marginalized groups. The future of healthcare is digital. Is your organization prepared? It’s clear from our recent survey that the digital trends that emerged in 2020 are set to continue throughout 2021 and beyond. Download the State of Patient Access 2.0 white paper to get the full survey results and explore how data and digitalization can power a 24/7 patient access experience in your healthcare organization.

As the country strives to ramp up the pace of COVID-19 vaccinations, providers need to take new approaches to drive registration volume. Healthcare experts are increasingly concerned about the rapid spread of the highly contagious delta variant, which now makes up over 83% of COVID-19 cases. This variant is estimated to be 60% more transmissible than previous strains, and while vaccination doesn’t eliminate the risk, it does reduce the likely severity of infection, which is better for both individuals and health services. Ramping up the vaccination program and ensuring that a large proportion of the population receives the injection just became a lot more urgent. This is also critical for vaccine management plans as the U.S. looks to offer and roll-out booster shoots later this year. The initial vaccine rollout was plagued with issues, many of which remain unresolved. An uneven rollout, confusion over where to get vaccines, and logistical obstacles with preparation, distribution and funding at the state level meant the program got off to a slow start. Consumers were deterred from registering due to inefficient scheduling systems, while others were left frustrated by basic user interface challenges. And for those less familiar with digital technology, the shift to online platforms took some getting used to. Now, with the delta variant taking hold, and vaccine hesitancy on the rise, healthcare providers need to consider how digital technology can make vaccinations more accessible, rather than becoming the obstacle. Improving the user experience through digital tools and automation can reduce barriers to care, drive up vaccine registrations, and ultimately lead to better outcomes for individual and population health.   Poor UX creates avoidable barriers to scheduling care One of the major accessibility challenges for consumers was being able to schedule vaccine appointments. In the initial rush to get vaccinated, demand outstripped supply, and online scheduling systems struggled to bear the load. Some providers tried to rely on email booking systems or third-party event schedulers – which resulted in communication errors, delays, missed appointments, and huge burdens on call center staff. For individuals who were unable to use online systems due to limited internet access, disability, or unfamiliarity with the technology (for example, as reported by some older people), the inaccessible and non-intuitive user interfaces created a digital divide. The poor user experience also contributed to some individuals feeling hesitant about seeking the vaccine, eroding their trust in the system as a whole. Efforts to increase and ramp up vaccination rates will be much more successful if the scheduling process is simplified.   Frictionless scheduling and registration can drive up vaccine rates  With the right data and digital tools, many of these patient access challenges can be resolved. Frictionless self-scheduling and streamlined registration processes can make it easier for people to book appointments and register for the vaccine. For example: Online scheduling platforms allow patients to book and reschedule vaccine appointments whenever and wherever it’s most convenient, as part of a multichannel approach. Automation enables providers to create an outreach list of patients who may be waiting for the vaccine, and send automated reminders by text or email. These can be used to disseminate accurate information to alleviate vaccine hesitancy. The messages can also be personalized to follow the patient’s individual communication preferences. Consumer data and analytics on the social determinants of health can be folded into communications, to tailor information to specific segments of the population who may have been adversely affected by barriers to care. Scheduling software can pull together real-time booking and registration data into a single, holistic view of patient access, whether patients booked via online platforms, call centers or in provider offices. This will help alleviate bottlenecks and make better use of staff resources.   Digital tools can improve the patient experience and supercharge vaccine management plans, but only if they are implemented properly. Experian Health’s Director of Product Management, Liz Serie, says, “The old way of doing patient intake involves piles of paper, clipboards and long waits in the waiting room. The new way involves automation, pushing relevant and personalized information to patient’s devices, and seamless data management to initiate the patient journey. It’s a reassuring, simple and reliable user experience, especially as many still need to be vaccinated. And as patient volumes drive back up, investing in a welcoming digital front door is critical.” The future of patient access is digital, and providers that get their systems up and running effectively now will reap the benefits in the long run. Find out more about how data and digital tools can make vaccine appointment scheduling a breeze for your patients and patient access team.

  Consumer-led care hit its stride during the pandemic. COVID-19 unlocked healthcare’s digital front door, giving patients more control over how and when they schedule and manage appointments. Unfortunately, while digital patient access has made navigating the healthcare system more convenient and flexible in many ways, consumers are discovering that one of the more frustrating aspects of the healthcare experience has failed to keep pace with scheduling, payments and other digital advances: registration.   Waiting rooms. Paperwork. Misplaced insurance cards. Confusing copays. More paperwork! A hassle before the pandemic, registration has become even more challenging for staff and patients in the context of “contactless care.” With more patients starting to come back through the door as a result of vaccination programs and rescheduled elective procedures, there’s an opportunity for providers to smooth out the kinks in the registration experience.   Vaccine “hesitancy” has exposed wider issues in patient registration Headlines suggest that large numbers of patients are fearful of being vaccinated against COVID-19. But dig a little deeper, and the issue is more complex. Many patients do want to be vaccinated, but struggle to navigate complicated registration websites, and therefore aren’t showing up for their shot. The Kaiser Family Foundation reported in January that two thirds of patients were unsure of how to access the vaccine. The high volume of patients having trouble getting the information they need is shining a light into the dark corners of the registration process, where improvements have long been needed.   Improving the patient registration process isn’t just a pandemic problem   While it’s true that COVID-19 is driving the push for online patient registration, improving the overall experience offers wider, longer-term benefits to patients and providers:   A convenient and consumer-friendly registration experience Online registration is easier, faster and simpler for patients. With 73% of consumers saying they want to manage their healthcare admin through patient portals, convenient self-service solutions are a trend that’s here to stay. (Find out more about consumer attitudes to patient access in Experian Health’s Patient Access Survey.)   More accurate patient data and fewer duplicate records When consumers are the ones responsible for entering their patient information, and when they can do it in a time and place that suits them best, that data is far more likely to be accurate. Not only does this create a better patient intake experience, it also reduces the risk of patient identity errors and duplicate records.   With a text-to-mobile registration tool, patients can begin the process with one click, and then easily verify and edit information to make sure their records are up to date and correct.   Operational efficiencies and better claims recovery Beyond the customer experience, improved registration can reduce the risk of denied claims, because the data is processed more accurately and quickly, and can be automatically verified against comprehensive datasets.   Patients can also choose to pay copay amounts upfront through online registration tools, which makes bad debt far less likely, and improves the overall revenue flow.   Safer and smoother registration during flu season COVID-19 put unprecedented pressure on registration processes. But more streamlined systems with remote, mobile-friendly registration tools will make a typical flu season more bearable for patient access staff and patients too.   Patients and staff have suffered through cumbersome registration processes for years. Perhaps one unforeseen benefit of the COVID-19 pandemic is that the days of sitting in busy waiting rooms, filling out multiple forms, will be a thing of the past? Discover how Experian Health’s patient intake solutions could help your patient access department create a registration experience that matches today’s consumer expectations.

“Experian Health’s speed and ability to speak our business language definitely impressed us,” said ACS president, Tim Anderson. “Some of the claims were valid for only a few more weeks, and we were able to submit them in plenty of time. This is the best, fastest platform we’ve seen to reconcile duplicate and data-deficient records. It really helped us achieve the best possible resolution for our clients and our company.” Acadiana Computer Systems, Inc. (ACS) was contracted with numerous labs in Louisiana to submit billing claims, primarily to Medicare, for testing that occurred in the first months of the pandemic. Unfortunately, in the chaos and scramble to offer testing services as quickly as possible in nursing homes and testing sites, the labs struggled to collect needed information to submit valid claims – in particular the Medicare beneficiary’s MBI number, or even a Social Security number. As the pandemic response progressed, a similar challenge developed around the administration of vaccines, particularly in mass vaccination sites and other off-site vaccination centers. Providers struggled to get more than a name and maybe a birthdate, address, or phone number. This left a gap in ACS’ efforts to submit private insurance and Medicare reimbursement claims on behalf of their clients. ACS worked with Experian Health and our Universal Identity Manager (UIM) platform, delivering the Experian Single Best Record (ESBR) – the matching of records through aggregation of disparate information and delivering a single record that accurately identifies separate records that belong to one person. The platform uses multiple data sources to verify, match and consolidate disparate records into one “best record.” ACS assembled the records requiring more identifying data and prepared them for secure transfer to Experian Health. Experian Health securely accepted more than 75,000 patient records and ran them through the UIM platform in 24 hours. It was critical to assign an SSN to as many individual records as possible, and to confirm an associated MBI number for Medicare billing, if applicable. Results included: 69% assigned unique records 12% identified as duplicate records With the information delivered back from the matched records, ACS had all the necessary data needed to continue the billing process. Within a week claims were submitted, expected to exceed $20 million in collections when the process is completed. The ACS group was experienced, savvy and data ready. Their expertise enabled an elegant and efficient exchange and complemented Experian Health’s capabilities. ACS expects to continue to use Experian Health’s UIM platform throughout the pandemic and also for mitigating duplicate records and preparing claims for submission. Learn more about how our Universal Identity Manager (UIM) platform can help your organization eliminate duplicate patient records.