Should this question even be asked? Would you be surprised if I said, YES! Below are some of the responses I have heard about where the revenue cycle starts:
At Scheduling
At check-in
When the provider chooses the level of service
When the claim is created
When we drop the claim
Each of these areas stated above is part of the revenue cycle but would you believe that revenue cycle starts with marketing/word of mouth/customer service. Oh, My! Did Cissy say the revenue cycle starts at marketing? I am no way stating that the revenue cycle leader should oversee or even be in the weeds of marketing. However, I am saying that marketing is a vital part of our revenue cycle. Without proper marketing to draw our patients to our providers and hospitals, then we wouldn’t have a revenue cycle at all. There are many different marketing campaigns, but one of the most powerful marketing campaigns is the customer experience and word of mouth. According to retail customer experience website, it is said that “people tell an average of nine (9) individuals about good experiences, and nearly twice as many (16 people) about poor experience” (Retail Customer Experience, 2011). Understanding that customer service and how word of mouth impacts our revenue cycle is vital to ensuring that we have a positive revenue cycle experience.
So what can we do as revenue cycle leaders to help improve our word of mouth marketing? We can work with our associates to reinforce excellent customer service. It’s that simple! Ok, your right it’s not simple. The reason it is not simple is that everyone has a different view of customer service. But the fact of the matter is customer service impacts every aspect of the revenue cycle from the point of scheduling to talking to the patient about their bill and everything in between. Without having a strategic plan and expectation on how to implement great customer service across the entire revenue cycle then you will have pockets of areas where the customer service is negatively impacted.
Revitalize Healthcare Solutions is able to help you improve your customer service and the result is your Provider, Team, and Patient Satisfaction scores go up. Let us help you take your practice to the next level and improve your overall revenue cycle and customer service.
Survey: Twice as many people tell others about bad service than good. (2011). Retrieved November 18, 2016, from http://www.retailcustomerexperience.com/articles/survey-twice-as-many-people-tell-others-about-bad-service-than-good/
Cissy Mangrum, MBA, CMPE, CPC
Revitalize Healthcare Solutions
Email: cissy.mangrum@cmhealthconsulting.net
Website: www.revitalizehealthcaresolutions.net
Cell: 615-397-5042
Disclaimer – my thoughts are my own and are not associated with any company or system.
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