Technology Improves Registration Accuracy and Optimizes Revenue Cycle Performance

THE CHALLENGE

The University of Kansas Health System acknowledged the pivotal role of precise patient registration in ensuring patients’ access to necessary care, understanding of care coverage, and accurate coding and billing procedures, which significantly impact financial outcomes. The organization had heavily invested heavily in auditing registration accuracy to maintain accuracy. Exponential growth and dependence on manual auditing led to a continuous need for additional resources to sustain and enhance performance. Faced with these challenges, the organization recognized the urgency of finding a new and innovative solution.

THE SOLUTION

Using the Health Catalyst^® data platform, The University of Kansas Health System automated registration audits. The organization can conduct comprehensive registration accuracy audits for each registration representative and every patient served, supporting timeline changes for full registration at scheduling and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services No Surprises Act for good faith estimates. The quality assurance supports the organization in getting registration right the first time, improving overall financial experience for patients and the health system’s accounts receivable aging. Utilizing an intuitive registration audit web tool, patient registration staff and leaders can swiftly identify errors, resolve issues, track performance trends, pinpoint improvement opportunities, and commend outstanding performers. This streamlined approach ensures immediate and efficient error resolution, empowering the team to enhance accuracy and efficiency.

THE RESULT

Leveraging the data platform and registration audit tool, The University of Kansas Health System has streamlined its auditing procedures, enabling it to scale auditing processes to every patient encounter. This comprehensive approach identifies process inefficiencies and knowledge gaps, allowing timely interventions to enhance performance. The organization can support patients in understanding care coverage, and ensure accurate and timely billing and coding, leading to improved revenue cycle effectiveness and financial performance.

• More than 6.8K hours of manual audit hours were eliminated annually.
• Established the infrastructure to audit the performance of more than 1K patient registration representatives without adding any additional costs.
• Automated audits for more than 38K patient visits.

“Every revenue cycle leader must prioritize enhancing registration quality. This solution enables us to consistently improve performance without incurring extra staffing expenses.”

Jaime Murphy-Zufelt, MHL, System Director of Revenue Cycle Operational Effectiveness, The University of Kansas Health System

ADDITIONAL READING

• Adaptive Problem-Solving and Analytics Improves Quality and Saves $4.7M
• Analytics Drive Lean Processes to Lower Healthcare-associated Infections
• Clinical and Financial Partnership Reduces Denials and Write-Offs by More than $3 Million
• Machine Learning, Predictive Analytics, and Process Redesign Reduces Readmission Rates by 50 Percent
• Effective Healthcare Data Governance: How One Hospital System is Managing its Data Assets to Improve Outcomes