In a workshop at the 8th Annual Becker's Health IT + Digital Health + RCM Meeting, David Law, chief client officer at Zotec Partners and Kelly Searle, chief revenue officer at Tacoma, Wash.-based Sound Physicians, discussed the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare, specifically in revenue cycle management and efforts to improve patient satisfaction.
They highlighted current challenges in the healthcare industry, such as increasing costs and evolving legislation, and how AI can help address these issues. Participants also discussed how AI can empower organizations to better understand patient behavior, optimize revenue and improve experiences. The conversation also touched on the use of AI in patient outreach, data analysis, and payment processing, as well as the importance of customizing interactions with patients based on their preferences and needs.
Key takeaways:
1: Using AI and data concurrently can help to determine the next best actions for unique patients.
David Law: "We have a dynamic approach. Using these tools, we come up with ways to interact with patients based on their historical data, individual preferences and particular diagnoses."
2: Amid changing economic environments and high deductibles, financial alignment is a significant factor in improving patient experience — and collecting payments faster.
DL: "Many different factors today make it harder and harder for the average person to pay their medical bills. We're using IT data to determine the next best action to interact with that patient — it could be a text message, email, phone call or suggestion of a payment plan. What that does ultimately is increase the speed of payment."
3: Data supported by AI technology is key in identifying outliers and education opportunities.
Kelly Searle: "We use that information to conduct outreach, message patients and educate them to reduce those spikes."