Whether it’s a recording in an unknown language, or a promise to get rich, or an offer for free solar panels, the volume of useless, intrusive noise has trained everyone to scrutinize every inbound call because phone calls that matter have increasingly become the minority.
While that call could have been from the doctor, or something important, the live connection was missed and now the cat and mouse game between patient and provider begins. For legitimate call centers that are charted to reach out, connect and help solve problems, the time has come to rethink how to drive better engagement and more scale. The answer isn’t to quadruple the number of agents.
According to some estimates, US mobile phone users were exposed to 48 billion robocalls in 2018, which means that every time the phone rings, there’s a 50% chance it’s a spam robocall.
Silence Unknown Callers
There are few viable solutions available for blocking 100% of these annoying intrusions, so the best option when that unknown phone number shows on the caller ID is to simply hit the decline button and move on with whatever you were doing.
Robocalls are essentially creating “anti-call center muscle memory” across the entire mobile phone user population. And that’s a problem for the healthcare industry.
Call centers have always been a big part of the healthcare patient experience. Challenges with being on hold, ineffective agents, and general customer dissatisfaction with call centers are well documented. But what about the outbound side?
Did you know that more than 3.5 billion individuals have some type of oral illness? Also, only 60% of Americans had a regular dental visit over the recent year. A routine dental visit is fundamental to finding issues as soon as possible and starting treatment to stop their progress. Specialists suggest having a routine dental visit once every 6 months.
During your regular visits, your dentist will check for cavities. They will likewise test for plaque and tartar. In the event that these buildup on your teeth, they can cause oral diseases. The second step is to check the gums. The visit also includes a checkup of your tongue, throat, face, head, and neck.
The world is becoming more digitized, with technology now being used to enhance all sectors including healthcare. There are lots of developments that are evidence of this including the use of artificial intelligence, machine learning, telehealth services, wearable technology, and more to offer accessible and improved healthcare services.
Telehealth services, in particular, stands out because it allows patients to consult with physicians, set appointments, and receive healthcare services wherever they may be. In this article, we are going to explore how telehealth is transforming healthcare, especially in the current pandemic.
Improved Access To Healthcare
An obvious way that telehealth has transformed healthcare is that it has helped improves access to healthcare among patients who otherwise would not have access to healthcare. These include people suffering from chronic illnesses such as heart disease and hypertension who are afraid of visiting hospitals for fear of contracting COVID-19.
What is a Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) Software?
RCM software links various administrative and clinical components together with claims processing, payments, and revenue generation. Every quality healthcare information system has a dedicated RCM module built into it.
Why Invest in a Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) Software?
Effective laboratory revenue cycle management systems vitally contribute towards better health outcomes for the patients and hassle-free revenue management by achieving higher rates of error-free claims and minimizing delayed or failed payments.
Lack of Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) Software impacts an organization’s potential
The absence of an RCM-enabled information system incurs billing errors, which will lead to loss of revenue. A steady decline in the overall potential of the healthcare organization ensues once these errors become recurring.
The US healthcare sector ends up paying $125 billion per year, every year for missed revenue opportunities due to errors in medical billing. Such type of errors is common with bills exceeding $10,000 or more (on average, such bills incur $1,300 in error-related loss in revenue).
Another aspect is the time lost in processing a rejected bill. Such a rejected bill may take up twice the processing time for the same revenue generated. Last but not the least, delayed payments from the insurance companies and denied claims cause unnecessary stress to the patient, thus creating patient compliance issues.
Families sometimes consider sending seniors to nursing homes for more hands-on care as they age. For those fearful of questionable living conditions, neglectful assisted-living staff, and lacking safety alert systems, a home care agency may be the answer to your nagging question: What does this next stage of life look like for me? If aging in place appeals to you, you can seek out services with help from senior care professionals like Caregiverlist to learn more about options in your area.
Ultimately, aging in place, or aging at home, has more benefits than people may realize.
For one thing, seniors still maintain their independence and routine when they live at home. They keep all their home’s everyday comforts without losing a sense of security and familiarity.
Families also don’t have to shell out money for room and board at a nursing home. Most importantly, senior citizens, such as yourself, don’t deal with the stress of leaving home and risking exposure to potentially deadly bacteria.
If you’re insistent on maintaining your independence and can’t bear the thought of spending your golden years within the confines of an assisted living facility, you’ll need to prepare accordingly for the obstacles and restrictions of aging in place. Fortunately, a healthy lifestyle lies within the realm of possibility, even for those reclusive seniors with a there’s-no-place-like-home mentality. Not sure where to start? Follow the steps below.
Life can never be 100 percent safe. (And believe it or not, that’s a good thing). And, for that reason, you will get injured at some point along the way. It’s practically inevitable.
Injury, though, takes you away from the rest of your life. You often have to spend all your time recovering instead of “getting out there” and doing the things that you want to do. And, frequently, medics will tell you that you have no choice. You just need to give the body time to repair – that’s all there is to it.
By Thomas E. Hanzel, Pharm.D., MBA, vice president of long-term care and nutraceuticals, Parata.
Thomas Hanzel
The role of a pharmacist in today’s world is constantly evolving. While at times seen just as pill pushers, pharmacists are now directly involved in patient care more than ever. The focus of moving pharmacists away from counting pills and towards the front to counsel patients and ensure medication adherence is as critical as it has ever been.
This pandemic has now pushed pharmacists to a more prominent and proactive role as true frontline healthcare providers, specifically those in retail settings.
The transition catalyst has been two-fold. With patients wary of going into primary care doctor offices or the hospital in fear of exposure to the virus, retail pharmacies and pharmacists quickly became patients’ primary source of healthcare and education. With 90% of Americans living within two miles of a community pharmacy, it’s no surprise this transition is rapidly occurring. Now, with vaccines sent to about 6,500 retail pharmacies across the country, and soon to be up to 40,000 retail pharmacies, pharmacists are on the forefront, leading the charge of vaccine immunization efforts.
The Vaccines Are Here, Now What?
As vaccines begin to arrive at pharmacies, there is a communal sigh of relief that normalcy might not be far off. However, for pharmacies and pharmacists, routine immunization of their communities is a far cry from normal. The day-to-day operations of the pharmacy will not cease to exist simply because there is a need for a new vaccine. The patient counseling, prescription filling, doctor phone calls, and critical everyday activities of the pharmacy will continue as the vaccine line grows.
The pharmacists, techs, and staff must incorporate the task of COVID-19 immunization into their already bustling operations. Even though large chains such as CVS and Walgreens are hiring pharmacists by the thousands, and pharmacy job listings are up 35% compared to last year, many small community retail pharmacies simply don’t have the option to just find and add qualified staff. Instead, to combat the rise in businesses many have chosen to turn to a more innovative solution to their problems – technology.
Healthcare professionals are in demand all around the world. By exploring vacancies abroad, you may increase your chances of securing the perfect role. On top of this, it could be a chance to travel and experience a new culture. Of course, applying to work abroad can come with extra steps. Below are just some of the things you’ll need in order to work within healthcare abroad.
Getting the right qualifications
Becoming a doctor or a nurse in any country requires specialist qualifications. While most qualifications are accepted universally, there are some that may not be accepted in certain countries. In these instances, you may have to weigh up getting extra qualifications. There are sites that can help you to work out which overseas qualifications are acceptable. If you’ve got your eyes on a certain role within a certain country, finding out this information could be important.
Gaining domestic experience
Most hospitals and clinics prefer to only hire immigrant health workers that have at least two years fully-qualified experience. This could mean working in a local hospital or clinic for two years before considering a role abroad. Experience allows you to collect references, which could help to gain the trust of overseas employers.
