Medical Advantage’s mission is to support those who support others. We recognize the contributions of healthcare professionals who provide care for their communities year-round, but dedicate the fourth week of January to celebrate during National Medical Group Practice Week. For medical groups resolving to overcome obstacles to make performance improvements for 2023, we suggest reviewing the following three areas of their practice management.
Preparing for Successful Quality Program Reporting
Healthcare reporting is one the best ways to close gaps in care. Tracking which patients have or have not received certain treatments or consultations allows providers to reach out before reporting deadlines. This will not only help improve reimbursements in 2023, but it will also help improve patient outcomes.
Compiling reports is another effective way to close gaps in care by viewing and tracking patient outcomes. It also can help access the financial health of an organization. Robust healthcare reporting provides insights to improve earning reimbursements and avoid penalties. That is why it is important to review your metrics from 2022 – and note areas for improvement in 2023.
Take time to review and address exception reports including missing and bad data. If trends are heading in the wrong direction, such as increased emergency visits or readmission rates, practices can take mitigating actions. Taking the time to review these reports – and act on them – will reduce costs.
Accurately Track Performance with Benchmarks
Using benchmarks also will help you determine how your practice measures up to others. The CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) has its own set of benchmarks, but there are many private sources that can provide more relevant benchmarks –as well as source data – to practice groups that wish to benchmark performance against their peers.
Finally, this also is the time to start preparing for annual provider and staff training for 2023 quality program metrics, workflows, and actions.
Optimizing EHR for Improved Operations
A new year represents a new beginning and is the perfect time to look at your EHR with a fresh perspective. Identify EHR goals for 2023, including any new metrics you want to track. You may want to bring in an experienced EHR consultant to help unlock EHR functionality for enhanced tracking and reporting and improved user satisfaction among providers, staff, and even patients.
Practices also should ensure that their EHR is up to date. Outdated equipment can slow down an EHR, leading to frustration for staff and patients alike. IT managers or IT vendors can help improve EHR performance by removing unnecessary programs running on devices and internet speed.
When assessing your EHR, ask yourself, “Am I getting the most out of my EHR?” If the answer is “no” or “I’m unsure” then it is time to consider optimization. Some common areas for improvement include:
- Improved, prepopulated templates to reduce repetitive tasks
- Virtual assistant features that allow users to verbally give instructions while seeing a patient
- “Favorites” list to reduce clicks
- Automation and interoperability enhancements
Finally, staff training is key to getting the most of your EHR. Even seasoned EHR users can use a refresh, and if you plan to optimize your EHR in 2023, you will need to update your training materials. This is another area where an EHR consultant can provide valuable, and timesaving, assistance. Read here for more information on best practices for EHR training.
Streamline Billing with EHR Integration
An EHR also can be a practice’s best ally in billing management. Optimizing your billing and claims processes can prevent lost revenue. Start your assessment by reviewing open encounter reports for progress notes that need to be completed or finalized for claim creation.
It is important to ensure claims are being created and generated accurately. Use your EHR to avoid manual data entry when generating claims to improve accuracy. Reporting also can track the performance of billing workflows and ensure nothing is overlooked.
Review claim statuses for claims to be addressed or acted upon. If your EHR does not currently have denial management reporting for tracking trends in claim denials, ask your vendor or a consultant about optimization for that functionality. Identifying and mitigating recurring issues will help prevent these trends from continuing upward.
Medical Advantage Celebrates Our Rewarding Partnership with Medical Groups
Medical Advantage has decades of experience providing healthcare analytics, technology, and consulting support for healthcare professionals. We love to see medical groups succeed and build upon that success into the future. From EHR optimization and training to billing and revenue cycle management, we look forward to providing solutions that will ensure practice success in 2023 and beyond.
