Inside the May 2009 Issue
Patient-Friendly Strategies
Preventing Billing Collection Agencies from Ruining Your Patient-Friendly Image
How can you know if your collection agency is treating patients in a manner consistent with your hospital’s patient-friendly values? Two healthcare leaders share their processes for choosing and monitoring collection agencies.
- Case Study: Spectrum Health went through an extensive selection process before contracting with two collection agencies that would help the Michigan health system maintain a positive relationship with the community. Read more.
- Case Study: Duke University Health System scores its two collection agencies on "appropriateness of patient interactions" and records phone calls between collectors and patients to identify opportunities to educate collectors on patient-friendly interactions. Read more.
Simplified Solutions from Emdeon
Online Billing Can Speed Up Payments and Increase Patient Satisfaction
Online billing and payment solutions are easier to use them ever before, and it's a practice that some patients are coming to expect. Learn what to consider when deciding whether to implement online billing. Read more.
Tools of the Trade
What Is the ROI in Patient Navigation Programs?
Proponents of patient navigation believe these patient-friendly programs can produce a positive—or at least a neutral—ROI for hospitals by hooking patients up with Medicaid or other payment options and directing the uninsured to the most cost-effective care settings. Two health systems share their experiences to date.
- In a Nutshell: What Is Patient Navigation? Read more.
- Case Study: Denver Health avoids almost $300,000 in costs per year thanks to patient navigators who help underserved men access needed care in cost-effective settings. The safety-net health system now has six patient navigation programs in place. Read more.
- Case Study: At Cleveland Clinic, one-on-one patient navigation is slowly becoming the standard way in which patients are guided through the system. For example, patients referred to the system's cardiology institute are contacted by a navigator to discuss next steps and options. Read more.
Financial Statistics
Out-of-Pocket Trends
The steady rise in the number of self-pay patients and the increasing out-of-pocket responsibilities for patients with insurance are trends that are likely to to continue according to a recent survey. See the exhibit.