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RCM News

Laboratory Outreach Connectivity

Laboratories are facing unprecedented change as they shift
to providing value-based service. With increasing IT demand
and decreasing profit margins, laboratories that are not connected
should be seeking connectivity vendors who offer quality services
and cost-effective solutions.

Connectivity plays an integral role in turning an outreach program
into a successful and profitable outreach business. Most important,
outreach operations will benefit from quicker turnaround times,
timely claims submissions, and—ultimately—client satisfaction.

With changes in laboratory testing regulations (e.g., PAMA, or Protecting Access to Medicare Act)
imposing considerable reductions in lab test reimbursements, it makes sense to work with organizations
that not only understand the importance of capturing billing information, but are also capable
of implementing cutting-edge integrated solutions to prevent needless billing errors.

Hospital laboratories often face challenges It is important to select a connectivity
connecting with physicians in the community vendor who offers the following functionality:
that include the following:
• Ability to manage data transfers between
• Improper interfacing for the delivery the laboratory and each physician’s practice
of electronic orders and results
• Full control over defining the days, times,
• Expensive, burdensome, and frequencies of data transfers
and labor-intensive interfacing,
maintenance, IT resources, and training • Ability to adjust physician interface
configuration from a secure web browser
• Varying functionality gaps between the
physician’s EMR system as well as many • Tracking and snapshot of all interface
system deficiencies activities in real time
• Ability to map multiple physician insurance
• Lack of solid connectivity resulting in billing
and coding errors that can potentially masters to the hospital insurance master
increase claim denials and negatively • Updates to PMS (physician management system)
affect revenue capture cross walked and sent to updated dashboard

With proper planning—and the right connectivity vendor—hospital laboratories can address change head on,
overcome the obstacles they face, and make their outreach programs a profit center for their organizations.

RCM Enterprise Services: Connecting patients with healthcare since 2009.
ConnectXpress delivers proactive solutions to improve patient and physician satisfaction using
®
communication logic. For more information, contact a revenue cycle management professional
at sales@rcm-eserives.com or 888.763.8523.