Processing and managing data silos across various channels is one of the major bottlenecks faced by administrators in the healthcare industry. From clinical applications and third-party portals to HR applications and ERPs, every system houses labour-intensive activities. This leaves a lot of room for human error and inefficiencies to creep in.
LRobotic Process Automation involves the automation of repetitive and critical healthcare processes. Automation will lower costs of management, enhance operational efficiency, and reduce human errors.
Understanding Robotic Process Automation
RPA involves the programming and implementation of bots to execute routine and repetitive tasks. Tasks like billing, inventory restocking, compliance management, asset management, etc. can be automated to eliminate delays and errors. We’re going to talk about 4 healthcare specific segments that can benefit from RPA.
4 Benefits of RPA in Healthcare
1. Claims Management
Insurance claims made by patients involve multiple forms that need checking, proofing and processing. This also leaves a paper trail that occupies space, is bad for the environment and prone to loss or damage.
Automating claims management tasks makes the entire process faster. Bots capable of extracting data through OMR can process forms many times faster. With a structured database, verification becomes quicker, and completely accurate.
2. Patient Flow Improvement
Patient flow is critical to the smooth functioning of a hospital. Converging patient paths is a major cause of bottlenecks at healthcare facilities. Additionally, not scheduling patient appointments and department visit times correctly leads to crowds.
These management errors can be eliminated by automating patient flow and scheduling. Appointments, department and equipment assignment, emergency rescheduling, notifying staff and patients, and other tasks can be streamlined and run with zero errors.
3. Administration
Even today, most patients related entries, medical records, and schedules are maintained on paper. All this paperwork is, of course, prone to human errors and other forms of damage. Further, manually handling administration tasks increases the efforts that humans have to put in and also increases the number of personnel (therefore, cost).
Robotic process management can reduce this hassle by taking everything online, and processing these tasks through intelligent bots. RPA eliminates chances of error in data, processes all data fast, and reduces the need for extra personnel. The reduced use of paper and other stationery will additionally decrease wastage.
4. Compliance Management
Tracking equipment, supply and consumables is extremely important in maintaining compliance. Managing equipment service dates, perishable items’ expiry dates, harmful tools, etc. through automation makes maintaining compliance and preventing legal complications easy. This also prepares the healthcare center for external audits.
Automating claims management tasks makes the entire process faster. Bots capable of extracting data through OMR can process forms many times faster. With a structured database, verification becomes quicker, and completely accurate.
Strengthening Processes
Manual tasks and administration activities waste the valuable time of healthcare professionals. The corresponding outcome is often error-prone with compliance liabilities. Implementing RPA in healthcare will automate most repetitive tasks saving time, eliminating errors and improving effeciency.
