Since patient access is very visible, serves both external and internal customers, and maintains a broad scope of responsibilities, not everybody is going to be happy all the time.
“However, this also opens the door to tremendous opportunity. It’s all about the patient experience. Patient access owns a big piece of this,” says Katherine H. Murphy-Padgett, CHAM, FHAM, former vice president of revenue cycle consulting in the Oakbrook Terrace, IL office of Experian Health, a provider of technology for hospitals and healthcare providers.
Confident, well-trained registrars can diffuse a patient’s fear, anxiety, and confusion. “Build trust and loyalty with transparent, timely resolution of complaints,” Murphy-Padgett offers. “Commit to change processes or behaviors that may have caused a problem in the first place.” Here, she offers six approaches to improve the patient’s registration experience:
1. Set clear expectations on out-of-pocket costs.
Someone should tell patients during pre-service phone calls that additional diagnostic testing or procedures might be needed, or surgeries might take longer than expected. Either of these things would make out-of-pocket costs higher.
“An estimate is an estimate, and the patient should be made aware it is not a final bill,” Murphy-Padgett says. “This communication is so important.”
2. Invite marketing to patient access staff meetings to encourage face-to-face communication.
“Marketing could work to showcase patient access and the many hats they wear,” Murphy-Padgett suggests.
3. Include patient access in provider-led focus groups.
“Patient access is the hospitality department, in addition to all of the many financial and clinical things they must understand,” Murphy-Padgett emphasizes.
4. Empower employees to “step up” to manage issues before people complain.
“Hire employees with the right skills and emotional intelligence,” Murphy-Padgett advises. When patients or families are under stress, registrars must take extra time to communicate, reassure, and show empathy.
“Circle back to them to see if everything has gone well or if they need anything,” Murphy-Padgett says. “Show them you care.”
5. Record phone calls.
“This really puts service issues to rest without guesswork,” Murphy-Padgett notes.
The calls help leaders identify training needs. Leaders might learn that their staff member managed the situation in a very appropriate manner, or that the complaint was valid but didn’t involve registration. “Alert the proper department to service issues,” Murphy-Padgett adds.
6. Give patients a brief survey at the time of service.
The survey should contain no more than five or six questions, with the goal of receiving instant feedback before patients leave the facility, Murphy-Padgett explains. Some possible questions: “Was the registrar kind and courteous?” “Was this person knowledgeable about your visit?” “Did you find your waiting time in registration acceptable?” “Did the registrar answer all of your questions or direct to someone who could?” “Was the registration area neat and clean?” “Is there anything else you would like to share about your visit to the hospital?”
“Why wait a month or more to learn how the patient felt about service?” Murphy-Padgett asks. “I think it best to know at the earliest point.”
SOURCE
- Katherine H. Murphy-Padgett, CHAM, FHAM, La Grange, IL. Email: [email protected].
Six tips confident, well-trained registrars can use to diffuse a patient’s fear, anxiety, and confusion.
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