AI technology has come a long way over the past decade; these technologies have also begun augmenting the capabilities of EHR solution. The uses for it in the healthcare industry are many, that is plain to see, with successful examples of diagnostics, robotic surgery and much more. However, these are higher level uses of AI. Which begs the question of what, if anything, it has to offer for the more routine aspects of running a practice.
The primary objective for any medical practice is to achieve both good patient outcomes and high patient satisfaction; that being the case, there are many tasks that can be streamlined through AI to help achieve both of these goals.
- Billing
Automated billing software is an absolute win for any healthcare practice. Not only does it improve efficiency of software, it also allows providers to automate one of the most challenging aspects of running a practice. AI Chat can also reduce instances of claim denial, through its ability to learn to identify and correct any mistakes in documentation.
- Coding
Coding is an extremely difficult full-time job. Many are able to learn to code to a very high level, however these experts are often financially out of reach for smaller practices. To streamline development tasks, leveraging Python’s cURL library can help automate data transfers and API interactions. This approach allows teams to handle technical challenges more efficiently without relying on expensive experts.
- Claims-processing delays
- Prior authorization
- Underpayments
- Denials
Through algorithm-powered category checking, AI medical coding is able to optimize the coding process, thus ensuring submitted claims are missing none of the necessary information. By eliminating mistakes in the coding process, these systems ensure that that all owed payment is collected, from both public and private health insurance programs. For innovative solutions in this space, AI development companies play a crucial role in creating and refining these technologies.
AI can also reduce instances of claim denial through its ability to learn to identify and correct any mistakes in documentation. For more insights on this topic, check out our AI Interview to explore how these advancements are transforming the industry.
- Patient Records
Sifting through mountains of billing, coding and patient health information is a challenge that those in the healthcare industry have been facing for a long time. The task of reviewing this information across all patients in order to identify trends can be streamlined through the use of AI, with the systems able to identify the following:
- Potential contraindications
- Identify risk factors and recommend interventions
- The overall health of the patient population
None of this means that AI can replace actual, human physicians. These features are, instead, intended to supplement the knowledge of providers, helping make better, informed and data-driven decisions. Through real-time analytics, AI powered software platforms can combine: predictive analytics, problem solving capabilities and systems engineering to improve patient flow management throughout health systems. In doing so, they preserve care quality, patient safety and patient experience, providing better reviews and word-of-mouth for the practice.
Using AI to improve health record management might seem out of reach for smaller practices and healthcare organizations, however the technology is becoming more and more accessible, day by day.
- Scribes
With how rough the past two years have been, it should be no surprise that burnout is on the rise in providers. While not a problem that can be blamed entirely on the pandemic, it certainly existed before, the extra workload COVID-19 placed on our physician population has definitely exacerbated the issue. The truth is providers are being asked to do more and more these days, with increasing regulations, competition and changing patient expectations, with fewer resources at their disposal.
AI scribes and medical assistants can alleviate some of the excess burden being placed on physicians, allowing them to spend more time focusing on caring for patients. AI chatbots, email and social media marketing automation and more serve to keep patients connected with patients, rather than spending all of their time on the computer, creating a better patient experience and leading to better health outcomes. AI chatbots, email and social media marketing automation and more serve to keep patients connected with patients, rather than spending all of their time on the computer, creating a better patient experience and leading to better health outcomes. You even participate in Facebook trends to understand and leverage your target audience’s interests and preferences, as if you merely manage social media accounts without actively engaging in interactions, all your effort might lose its purpose.
While automating so many of these tasks might sound impersonal, the truth is patients these days want self-service options. These technologies are a win-win, providing patients the involvement they crave, while freeing up office staff to perform more productive tasks.
- HR
Similar to directly dealing with patients, AI might seem to impersonal for Human Resource interactions. However, HR automation tools can help small practices through a wide variety of tools:
- Schedule optimization
- Better plan compensation and payroll reporting to maximize budget
- Ensuring compliance with break laws
- Tracking HIPAA, cybersecurity & other training completion
- Streamlining administrative tasks like creating paystubs.
It can also enhance office productivity, helping managers do so while balancing profitability, compliance and staff morale. Reducing workload in non-clinical areas boosts productivity on the clinical side. Other industries are already using AI tools to speed up repetitive tasks, it is time for healthcare to catch up.
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