Friday, 31 July 2015

What are the best possible ways to manage healthcare revenues?


Most healthcare center starts their practice having the concerns to bring more revenues for the center, however, some are unable to accomplish what they want, as they find hard to maintain the steady income for the hospitals.
This is can be due to many reasons that include consistent declination of cash flows, rise in bad debt, and many others. Therefore, in order to run a successful business, it is important to uphold the steady stream of income for the hospital. However, for those who find it difficult, for them there are numerous opportunities to improve healthcare revenue management.

Here are few tips that will help you to help improve management of revenues in healthcare industry-
Try to benchmark your healthcare data- sometimes it is very difficult to keep proper eye on the healthcare data. The better way is to start trending as well as keeping benchmark on the data. This will not only help you to keep an eye on the various aspects but you will be able to identify areas that can improve the management of revenues.
Seek for suggestions from valuable resources-if you want to gain an insight to improve your revenue management cycle, it is better to seek advice from frontline staff. They are the staff members that deal directly with the customers. Frontline staff can prove to be the best guides as you can ask them which areas you need to improve.
Maintain good relationship with patients-the staff that is dealing with the patients should treat them efficiently, as it is very essential to take care of patients needs. The staff should show caring attitude towards the patients.
To ensure patients safety-patients safety should be the first preference for the persons who are running healthcare chains. They should make sure that the equipments and all other tools and machineries being used for patients care should be thoroughly checked.
Policies and procedures-
It is very important to consider the policies and procedures of the healthcare industry as they built the foundation. Therefore, it is important that you go through the detailed policies and procedures from beginning to end.
Therefore, in order to manage your healthcare revenues in a better way, then make sure you try to implement these suggestions. This will not only allow you to generate more cash flows but will also help you to maintain good relationship with the patients.

Monday, 13 July 2015

Why physicians need diagnostic management services?


Quiet often physicians find it difficult to diagnose the illness of patient. To overcome this problem, many diagnostic centers assist doctors by providing diagnostic management services. These services include diagnostic tests and procedures, which help physicians to confirm presence of any medical condition.
There are numerous medical conditions for which diagnosis are done. Some of them include allergy, neurological disorders, sleep, cardiovascular diseases and many more. However, neurological disorders include Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer disease. To diagnose any disorder varieties of medical scans are done on the patients including MRI, CT scan, EMG, EEG and PET.
Following are some of the diagnostic tests for diagnosing neurological disorders-
Angiography- This test finds out the blockage in the arteries or in the veins. It takes three approximately three hours of time to perform the test excluding resting time that needs six to eight hours. Hospitals conduct these tests.
Biopsy- In biopsy, surgeons extract small portion of tissue from the body to examine it. Other than this, biopsies of muscle or nerve are also done which helps to identify neuromuscular disorders. When a small portion of muscle or nerve is extracted from the body, it is studied under a microscope.
In order to remove the nerve or a muscle, either a slit is made on the skin or it is removed surgically.
During the brain biopsy, practitioners determine the type of tumor through various tests. If the tumor is detected then surgery is performed to remove a tumor. These tests are performed in a hospital and the process is riskier in comparison to other procedure and involves a long recovery time.
Brain scans-these scans are done to detect tumors, or hemorrhage in the brain.
Cerebrospinal fluid analysis- small amount of the fluid is removed in this process. The fluid is then taken for testing in order to detect any brain hemorrhage, blood loss or diagnose infection in the brain or in the spinal cord. The procedure is performed in the hospital. Procedure known as a lumbar puncture or spinal tap is performed to remove the fluid.
Note- not all diagnosis can be done by the doctor and requires getting assistance from the diagnostic services.

Wednesday, 1 July 2015

How revenue management can be beneficial to healthcare field?


In healthcare industry, the meaning of RCM or revenue cycle management means the process of managing and handling claims, payments and generating revenues. More precisely, RCM cover everything. However, in order to carry out these processes, it is required to make use of technology that will keep track of the claims process each time. This will facilitate the healthcare provider to do billing by following the process and addressing any issues if occurs. This will allow quick access to earn more revenues.
Other than this, the process includes maintaining the details of claims in the system. This will make sure that the expenses are collected and deal with denied claims. Time management and efficiency are important part of RCM.

The Revenue Cycle Management in Healthcare begins with the patients call to seek appointments and the whole data is captured in the system and carries until the account is left null.
In order to make revenue cycle a bit more productive, here are a few areas that you need to focus on-
  • Focusing on quality of care
  • Emphasizing on patient’s liability
  • Do not forget to keep the track of records
Revenue management provides an opportunity to increase the revenues. However, healthcare or any other organizations can utilize the below given categories to earn profits-
Pricing-
Pricing is one category of Revenue Management that involves applying pricing strategy and increasing restricted pricing policies. If strategies of pricing are successfully applied, then it can significantly recover more profit and can bring in more revenues for the healthcare centers. The main strategy that one can apply is to predict the value that has been created for the customers and then analyzing whether set price would allow achieving the expected value. This is only pricing strategy that can decide what value the organization will achieve.
Inventory-
In order to earn more and more revenues, company can provide discount on the products used in Medicare to increase the sales. If some products that are low in demand, the company can lower the price in order to overcome weak demand and get back to gain market share. This will eventually augment the revenue.
Marketing-
Other important factor is pricing that allows the organization to improve their revenues by decreasing the price of healthcare equipments, cost of treatment and many other things on temporary basis. On other hand, revenue Management techniques measure customer response over reduction in price and determine whether there is any growth and profitability seen.

Thursday, 11 June 2015

What are the job responsibilities of a medical biller?


Medical biller plays an imperative role in the healthcare industry. They are the ones that bring in growth and success in this field. Medical biller has to perform many tasks and has to carefully work that relates to deposit the claims to the insurance company, this will help the physicians, hospitals, state governments, or the third party billing companies to run the business very efficiently.
A medical biller can contribute a lot towards the healthcare industry without going through long years of schooling that is very essential for many to get in other areas of job field. It is open for anyone who is looking for his or her career in healthcare industry.

Medical billers has to perform every task that relates to healthcare industry like reviewing hospital and patient documentations, calculate the bills, deposit the claims and answer all the queries to the patient and insurance company that is related to claims.
Medical biller needs to be very skillful that will help the healthcare facilities to navigate Medicare. In order to become a successful medical biller, it is required on your behalf to go through proper training program.
However, you need to keep many things in mind before selecting medical billing course in NewYork.
  • Select the school that is accredited
  • Search for a school that is provides training to the students for many years.
  • School should have trained staff
However, if we talk about the certified medical billers, then they the ones, who clear the Certified Medical Reimbursement Specialist Examination. This course provides an opportunity to the efficient and task-oriented individuals to get the advantage within the healthcare industry.
Job of a medical biller-
  • Medical billers collect wrong accounts by establishing payment related to patients and monitor them if there is any kind of discrepancies. He will also require to follow up with patients if incase payment lapses.
  • He also needs to collect the small claims by evaluating and selecting procedure.
  • He will also secure all the outstanding balance payments by setting up payroll deductions.
  • He will be required to report any kind of compliance issue.
  • He will be maintaining collection information private thus protecting valuables of the hospitals.
  • Keep the updates about the job knowledge by taking active part in educational opportunities.

Monday, 1 June 2015

How Service Providers can contribute in the Success of Hospitals?


The incoming of patients in medical facilities is high. The management needs to be done in an effective manner so that patients are able to draw medical services with an ease. The maximum comfort to the patients is a necessary aspect. The comfort and speedy healing of patients needs to be ascertained.

The medical practitioners need to address each aspect carefully. Whether, it is operating, treating patients, managing coding, billing or any other aspect, each needs to be done by them in an accurate manner. It is seen that Physicians are over burdened with their schedule. To ensure that best of the practices prevail, they can hire service providers. The role of service providers is to assist Doctors in medical billing, coding and collecting revenues and covering other various aspects as well.
The service providers help in easing the task of medical facilities. Apart from Health Services Management, medical practitioners can even delegate the task of marketing to them as well. The service providers through various platforms can also maintain the online presence of hospitals. The positive image of hospitals is displayed with the help of online reputation management.
Following is the list of services, in which service providers can assist medical facilities like hospitals –
Maintenance of Records – The record maintenance can be cumbersome task for doctors. It is recommended to hire professionals, who can assist in these types of services. The coding can become a cumbersome task. The professionals ensure that they maintain proper medical records and the patients seeking medical insurances can claim amount without any hassles.
Crediting – The task of credentialing can become a daunting task for Physicians. It is best to hire medical professionals, who can look after this system. The service providers ensure best of the services from their end and there would be no more delays of submissions.
Maintaining EMR – The EMR interface is an interface, which helps in maintaining patient’s records, demographics of patients, coding, billing information and information of insurances. The Medical Practitioners need not worry about this interface at all because service providers handle this interface with an ease.
Diagnosis – The patients need to undergo various tests. The service providers conduct various tests like blood test, stress test, EKG and other related tests. These tests are conducted to ensure that burden on Doctors is eased. Doctors can rely on the service of service providers.

Wednesday, 13 May 2015

What are the key techniques followed by medical marketing service providers?

Majority of population use internet to search about a product, service or a brand. This is the only effective way to get faster and convenient results.
Looking into the increasing use of internet, web marketing has become widely popular today and so does the need for businesses to boost their online presence. All industries are boosting their online presence and medical industry too is a part of it.

Whether it is a hospital, clinic, medical firm, or medical service provider, all require using internet-marketing techniques to increase their presence on the web.

For enhancing presence online, medical firm requires to get in touch with a professional medical marketing services firm. Following are the key marketing techniques used for enhancing image online-

SEO- Search Engine Optimization is most popularly used marketing technique these days. It helps provide a brand top ranking in SERP to which users look up to. This technique has benefitted medical industry in many good ways. Medical firms’ website ranking on top SERP often gets huge traffic and achieve new heights of success. Diversifying SEO with paid marketing provide even better ranking results to businesses.

E-mail Marketing Campaigns-It is an effective way of promoting a brand. Potential patients are kept informed about exciting offers and other necessary details that help popularize a medical firm. The database comprises the names of all patients to which offers through e-mails are sent.

Social Media- Every marketing campaign is incomplete without social media. The intense use of social media by people today has made this technique widely popular. It is a cost effective way to spread good word of mouth about a brand. Having presence on Facebook, Google+, Twitter and more social media sites helps share important information with people and potential patients. All in all this helps improve ranking and visibility of a brand.

Google AdWords Advertising-This is another effective advertising method. Ads being placed on top SERP are Google ads. Using those ads effectively help reach to targeted audience or potential patients.

The aforementioned are few techniques used by marketing firms for enhancing online presence. Based on your requirements, the marketing firm develops an appropriate plan.

However, finding a reliable firm is necessary that can meet to your expectations and offers a good package that provides desired results.

Tuesday, 5 May 2015

What are the roles and responsibilities of health service management?


Nowadays, health services management programs come as great options to aspirants who want to avail job opportunities in hospitals, nursing homes, doctor’s offices, healthcare businesses, clinics and other medical areas.
After becoming a healthcare service manager, you will be required to supervise, coordinate, plan and provide direct health care deliverance. Also you will have to apply various tasks for their organization that may include various procedures, objectives and policies. Usually healthcare managers maintain the patient’s record, so it becomes necessary for them to acquire proper knowledge about computers and its technology.
Roles and responsibilities of healthcare service manager are-
  • Generating reports
  • Administer huge staff
  • Coordination among other team members
  • Plan the budget
  • Develop business strategies
  • Managing day to day business
  • Long hour working
  • Should have strong leadership qualities
  • Flexibility in working and should acquire communication skills
  • Coordinate with the doctors in day to day activities
  • Maintain security of all the patients
  • Provide preventive care to the patients
The growth rate of health care service is increasing with rise in medical field. With this, the demand for healthcare service managers is also rising. They may get employed in private hospitals, clinics, physician’s office, or in nursing homes. Also there work timings can vary depending upon whether they are employed at private clinics or hospitals.
Health service management programs are often certified and you need successful completion of certification from the (AHIMA) i.e. American Health Information Management Association. Training may include moderate arts, and health services management training.
Employment prospects in this field of area are expected to rise rapidly due to aging population in the world. Becoming a heath service manager, you will get to receive regular benefits like medical cover and much more. Also if you encompass years of work experience in healthcare service field and strong management skills, then you can easily avail the best opportunities.
Health services managers are accountable to the healthcare facility to carry out various operations like
  • Ensuring that medical facility is provided properlyss
  • New technology is put into practice adequately
  • New healthcare equipments are provided