Preregistered patients qualify for 'express line'
They're through in five minutes, AM says
The implementation of an express registration line at Presbyterian Hospital of Plano (TX) is helping patient access staff consistently meet the goal of having 90% of preregistered patients on the way to their scheduled service within five minutes of arrival, says Steven Stanley, CHAA, patient access manager at the facility, which is part of the Texas Health Resources system.
The process, whereby patients who have been preregistered are allowed to check in via a special express line, has been around in some form for about a year and a half, Stanley adds, but has been consistently in place since February 2006.
For patients to qualify for express registration, their account must be in the system, with precertification and verification completed, and they should have been informed of their financial obligation for the service they are to receive, he says.
"All that has to happen is the activation of the account and the signing of the admission acknowledgement, the consent for treatment, and the release of protected health information," Stanley adds.
"We identified that we have a lot of preregistered patients — in the 80th and 90th percentile — and we don't want them to wait in the mix with the walk-ins," he says.
On rare occasions, staff are not able to inform patients of the amount owed at the time of preregistration, Stanley notes. In those cases, he says, patients are told that their benefits will be verified and if any amount is due, it will be collected at the time of service. They also are told that they may call back to get the amount.
Typically, he says, "patients get in line expecting to pay and usually have their checkbooks out."
However, "there are always a few hiccups," Stanley adds. "If a patient comes and doesn't know about the financial portion, that puts a halt to the process." That can occur, for instance, if the case is a quick add-on to the schedule or if there was an expectation on either side of a call-back that didn't happen, he says.
"We have to watch the on-line registrations closely," Stanley explains. "Sometimes we get [the patient] preregistered and taken care of, but we can't get back in touch with the person. They may not check their e-mail."
In such cases, the registrar "just tries to look at each situation," he says, "and if it gets in-depth, refers [the patient] to a financial counselor." Typically, the registrar will complete the preregistration and perhaps have the patient sign the necessary forms, Stanley adds, so they will be ready to proceed if they choose to pay the amount due or make arrangements with the financial counselor.
By helping move preregistered patients through the registration process in five minutes or less, the express line is eliminating the crux of some customer complaints, he notes.
"Prior to implementation, we were having problems with repeat patients saying, "'What good is [preregistration] doing? We still waited 45 minutes,'" Stanley says. "The negative comments have been greatly reduced. Patients hardly have time to sit down in the lobby if they are preregistered. They arrive at their appointments on time, and keep the [ancillary departments] flowing."
Access departments considering the implementation of an express line should be sure that, once in place, the line is always available, he advises. At his hospital, Stanley says, the employee designated for the express line stays busy during slow periods doing tasks that "don't involve having a patient in front of you," such as making changes in patient status or handling the registration of a newborn.
The implementation of an express registration line at Presbyterian Hospital of Plano (TX) is helping patient access staff consistently meet the goal of having 90% of preregistered patients on the way to their scheduled service within five minutes of arrival.You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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