Recently, Vyne Medical partnered with NAHAM to sponsor a webinar on standardizing patient financial communications. In the session “Talking Costs with Patients—An Organizational Effort” 650+ Directors, Managers, and Supervisors from national hospitals and health systems shared their top initiative is increasing up-front collections followed by denials management. As shared by Sandra Clay-Hillyard, Director of Patient Access at Lowell General Hospital, they are increasing up-front collections by standardizing patient financial communications. They are able to monitor communication with patients by using tools that track what is being said to each patient.

Below are the survey results from the webinar:

QUESTION 1: WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING IS A TOP INITIATIVE IN YOUR HOSPITAL OR HEALTH SYSTEM OVER THE NEXT 6-12 MONTHS?

Increasing up-front collections is the biggest priority of patient access directors, managers and supervisors.

QUESTION 2: DOES YOUR HOSPITAL RECORD PATIENT FINANCIAL PHONE ENCOUNTERS?

Of the 650+ webinar attendees surveyed, 45% answered they are recording calls with patients to review for quality, along with 17% who are not but planning to in the future.

QUESTIONS 3: DOES YOUR HOSPITAL USE A QUALITY ASSURANCE TOOL TO MONITOR VERBAL CONVERSATIONS?

49% of those surveyed are using a quality assurance tool to monitor verbal conversations, while 25% are not but planning to do so.

QUESTION 4: DOES YOUR HOSPITAL RECORD FACE TO FACE VERBAL ENCOUNTERS IN EITHER REGISTRATION, FINANCIAL COUNSELING, OR UPFRONT COLLECTIONS?

Two-thirds of attendees surveyed answered they do not record face-to-face conversations. Trace offers hospitals the resources to record all conversations for quality reviews, including those that occur in person, to ensure all communication is being evaluated for improvement.

QUESTION 5: DO YOU HAVE A VARIETY OF OPTIONS FOR PATIENTS TO MAKE PAYMENTS?

About the webinar

In its journey to put patients first, Lowell General discovered a gap in its efforts to standardize patient financial communications. Lack of consistency, training and buy-in among staff led to issues with both patient experience and upfront collections. Leaders created a plan to hardwire patient financial conversations, helping staff understand what to say to patients and why. This session shared how Lowell General built a culture where all areas of the organization understand that patient financial matters are part of the overall health of the patient. Learn about strategies and tools that will help your organization talk about cost with patients.