Fathom hosted a lively, interactive session with healthcare leaders at Becker's 11th Annual CEO + CFO Roundtable on artificial intelligence and the benefits of medical coding automation, including its ability to reduce workloads for physicians and support staff amid labor shortages.
Two leaders from Fathom, Ross Moore and Dave Blanchard, led the discussion by highlighting the current challenges in AI implementation, like trying to understand the noisy AI landscape and how to make sure solutions align with specific specialties and medical coding guidelines. They shared their predictions for the future of AI in coding, positing that roughly 100% of all medical coding will be automated in the next three years. Roundtable participants stressed the importance of having a robust AI strategy in place and noted the barriers to effective AI implementation, including security concerns and the need for ongoing audits and checks.
Editor's note: Quotes have been edited for length and clarity.
Here are three key takeaways from the discussion:
1: There is a need and appetite for AI strategies — including automation — at hospitals and health systems, but navigating implementation poses significant challenges.
Healthcare leaders have a strong interest in what AI can accomplish organizationally, but AI's relative newness and people's limited knowledge about the space cause a lot of confusion around what solution to buy and when to purchase.
Mr. Blanchard shared, "Organizations need to ask questions like, What steps will be in place to ensure successful deployment? Is it an extra layer of AI advisory? Will you have extra security layers, with all your data in the cloud with a vendor?" Rolling out new technology takes time, and having these questions answered will shave some time off.
2: AI is expected to play a critical role in reducing burden and burnout for clinicians and medical coders alike.
A shortage of medical coders exacerbated by the pandemic means that physicians are forced to bridge that gap, particularly in specialties like family medicine and primary care. When doctors are forced to act as coders, they have to spend more time on admin each day, which translates to more stress, a poor work-life balance, and less time to give patients the care they need. Healthcare organizations need a solution that can reduce staff burnout, and the best tool for that is coding automation.
As Mr. Moore explained, "The goal of autonomous coding is to help them [physicians] operate at the top of their license and not have to do things like E&M leveling at the end of the day or diagnosis coding." He also emphasized the seriousness of the lack of medical coders, saying,
"... areas like inpatient or surgical might have medical coders, but with respect to labor supply, medical coders were really hit hardest by the pandemic. There are less and less people becoming medical coders, and technology is needed to fill that gap."
3: With ever-changing coding regulations, healthcare payment model shifts, and rapidly evolving AI technologies, healthcare organizations must stay adaptive.
Organizations need the ability to quickly adapt to the constant changes in coding regulations, guidelines, and payment models in healthcare. Autonomous medical coding is gaining popularity, especially in outpatient departments, for its ability to handle the increasing volume efficiently and accurately. And as the healthcare market shifts towards value-based care, demand for precision will surge.
Mr. Blanchard highlighted the necessity for autonomous medical coding, stating, "... even if you don't bring in technology, you're going to be relying on human coders to get more and more detailed in their extraction, which then in turn trickles upstream for physicians to need to document more clearly."