In a recent webinar with NAHAM, Texas Health Resources (THR) presented their health system’s multi-phase plan to standardize patient financial communications alongside its systemwide implementation of a new EHR. The presentation discussed tools and processes put in place prior to, during and after roll-out to ensure consistency across departments and facilities.

Audience members were surveyed, below are the results.

The Outcomes

Led by Scott Phillips, Senior Director of Patient Access of Texas Health Resources, this NAHAM webinar was attended by over 400 patient access minded people. These attendees represents hundreds of hospitals, health systems, and industry leading healthcare companies and consultants. The purpose of the webinar was to share best practices in patient financial communications and how they influence consumer engagement and experience. As Scott Phillips put it, “We’re starting to use the word consumer vs patient in our language.” The results of this webinar show that others in patient access feel the same way, and are working towards a more patient experience-centric patient financial communication future.

Centralized Communications

To centralize or not to centralize, that is the question. Over 50% of the audience has, or will have, a centralized contact center to manage patient communications.

Creating Consistency

At Texas Health Resources, they are on a journey to create a consistent consumer experience. As Scott Philips put it, “When a patient walks into [any THR] facility, they want to have that same experience because they know it’s part of that [THR] integrated network.” When surveyed, a majority of the audience believed that “standardizing scripting” would help their organization create a consistent consumer experience.

The Tools

Having the right tools is important when you’re wanting to achieve success in your communication strategies. At Texas Health Resources they asked themselves, “How do we make sure that we have the technology in place, that we have the ability to listen to the scheduling phone call, the pre-service phone call, and the registration, at the time of service, face-to-face conversation?” In Scott’s opinion, “It’s a way  to look at all of those conversations and make sure everything is addressed properly.” Once those conversations are recorded, they can be reviewed and scored to ensure the patient is receiving the best communications possible.

Priorities

Texas Health Resources has made a concentrated effort to standardize all patient communications and documentation as a part of their patient engagement strategy. As a part of this effort they’ve made patient financial communications a top priority. Over 90% of the attendees surveyed shared that they too have made or are making patient financial communications a priority in their patient engagement strategy.