With ED POS collection, clinical areas are the key
Staff must convey the urgency
If you want to increase point of service collections in the emergency department (ED), communication with clinical staff is the key, says Lauree M. Miller, director of patient access at Catholic Health Initiatives in Lincoln, NE.
After the patient is stabilized and seen by a physician, says Miller, the ED tracking board is flagged by clinical staff to let registrars know that Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) requirements have been met.
"The board is color-coded, to let them know when it's OK to go to the patient's room," she says.
Miller says that the physical layout of the ED requires the patient to stop by a checkout desk before leaving. Registrars scan the tracking board, she says, so they don't interfere with patient throughput. "Registrars understand the urgency of getting patients through the process as quickly as possible," she says. "Clinical staff know there's a fine line for when we can have that conversation with the patient."
The key is to be sure that clinical staff comprehend the importance of point-of-service collection, says Miller. "The clinical staff need an appreciation for the registration process, and vice versa," she says. "Everybody has things that they are responsible for getting done and documented, both in the registration world and the clinical world."
If you want to increase point of service collections in the emergency department (ED), communication with clinical staff is the key, says Lauree M. Miller, director of patient access at Catholic Health Initiatives in Lincoln, NE.You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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