Access Advisors is the premier industry expert in provider capacity management. Template design is a science and intentionally designed templates are paramount in today’s healthcare market since they represent the doorway through which patients access their providers. In addition, templates are typically the initial touch point in the down-stream revenue impact of the patients’ journey through the health system and represent the foundational structure of a successfully consolidated scheduling center. Considering the revenue framework well designed templates provide, we find most provider templates are not intentionally designed and are repeatedly patched through frustration-driven perceived-need vs. qualitative reasoning and quantitative data.
Access Advisors partners with our clients to uncover the hidden capacity in provider schedules. We employ proven methods for removing inefficiencies within your scheduling templates and uncovering operational practices that impede capacity and inhibit the provider’s ability to deliver care timely. We execute our proprietary strategy typically in the following three stages:
Stage 1
Current State Assessment, Provider Analytics, and Strategy Review
We will begin the engagement with a thorough assessment of your current state operations and an understanding of the access culture within your organization. We also conduct a thorough provider analysis through our Access Informatics program to gain a comprehensive, data driven, snapshot of operational outcomes. Finally, we work with our clients to understand and help set an access strategy so future engagement stages assure all activities are aligned to achieve the organizational access objectives.
Stage 2
Capacity Management Design
The information collected during the first stage is synthesized into a comprehensive current state understanding along with an intentionally designed strategy roadmap. Access Advisors incorporates this information into a tailored Patient Access Playbook for the client that includes topics related to access standards and guiderails, optimized provider templates, access scorecards, Green Light Access® program, and specific productivity strategies to enhance patient/provider satisfaction while targeting higher revenue streams. We also identify what strategies can be expedited and work to develop a two pronged approach to design and implementation. Fast tracking those items that can have an immediate impact verse longer term sustainable strategies.
Further examples of what is included in the customized Patient Access Playbook ™ can be found below or by clicking on the following link: Patient Access Playbook ™
Stage 3
Implementation and Monitoring
Once the Patient Access Playbook ™ is customized based on the initial stages of the engagement, we work with the client to design a tailored implementation approach while considering the organization culture, preference for aggressive strategy, and the state of current operations. The key focus of this stage is to implement change quickly while also assuring the operational and culture shift is sustainable in the long term. We bring vast implementation experience with a multitude of project plans, tools, and accountability trackers to partner with your organization during this transformational phase of the engagement. Once implemented, we utilize the Access Informatics program to monitor and track increased productivity, revenue, and patient/provider satisfaction improvements.
The following are a few examples of what is included with the capacity management section of the Patient Access Playbook ™.
In addition to standardizing visit types, visit durations need to be considered. Typically, there are often highly disparate durations of appointment types within the same specialty. If any given group of clinicians have similar patient populations and treat for similar diagnoses, it is recommended that standard durations be established within that specialty by the clinicians. This is usually determined by the clinical chair/chief and discussed then agreed upon by all clinicians within that specialty. An appointment type duration is usually defined as provider face time with the patient. Also, increment divisibility within appointment type durations is very important to the scheduling system. This mitigates shrinkage and allows for optimum patient flow within the schedules.
It is understood that there are some physicians which fall outside of the established durations of appointment types. It is recommended that clinical determination by the chief or chair of the department be used in establishing the durations for those providers who are unable to provide appropriate clinical care within those standards. These durations, however, should still fall into the above definitions of appointment type increment divisibility.
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