Defining ASP for Healthcare
Kristy Roesner, Senior VP, Development and IS, SCI Solutions
The Internet has opened new worlds of information to a generation of healthcare consumers who want to play a more active role in their care.
In order to improve market share and communications, become more agile and focus on core competencies, healthcare organizations are looking more and more to outsource core pieces of their business processes. This “Business Process Outsourcing” (BPO), coupled with strategic efforts to provide closer ties to physicians and patients, provides an ideal setting for the ASP delivery model.
As these organizations move to outsource key business processes (i.e. Enterprise scheduling), they are adopting technologies that let them outsource processes while distancing themselves from the day-to-day operations and overhead related to operating traditional IT systems. The ASP model also moves the cost centers from upfront capital outlay, into an operational cost environment, which may be more attractive for many healthcare organizations.
The Internet itself has matured drastically over a few years. No longer is it the medium of questionable reliability, nor do the traditional small-tier providers operate it anymore. Most of the Internet has grown into a highly redundant, scalable and available infrastructure. This maturation has emboldened organizations to use the Internet as a delivery mechanism for outsourcing their business processes.
The speed and flexibility of the Internet in conjunction with robust Access Management systems give patients more control of their care, while simultaneously helping healthcare organizations survive in the new economy.
Today’s generation of healthcare consumers are “hypercritical,” often switching their allegiance to service providers at the drop of a hat.
A patient’s first experience with a healthcare organization is crucial. If patients do not get the satisfaction they desire during the scheduling and registration process, they may not return for care or will seek services elsewhere. Attrition is a common problem for healthcare organizations, and a lost patient represents lost revenue. To counteract this, some healthcare organizations are embracing Web-native access management systems that let them deliver interactive customer service and accommodate consumer preferences (such as location and provider) by giving them access to schedules across their entire health network.
Web-native Access Management systems create noticeable workflow and financial efficiencies, making them attractive investments. They save physicians’ and patients’ time by letting them schedule multiple procedures and resources at multiple locations. Providers can collect on-the-spot eligibility, payer and credit information, ensuring proper payment for services. Through automated appointment reminders, patients are more likely to keep appointments. Some healthcare organizations use Access Management systems through an ASP model, only paying for the services they use.
In today’s rapidly moving technological environment, healthcare organizations wanting to stay ahead of the technological curve need cost effective and powerful Access Management applications that can improve the cost of care and overall enterprise performance without requiring huge capital investments. One of the most attractive mechanisms for this is using the Application Service Provider (ASP) model. An ASP provides ongoing access to the latest technology, is more quickly deployed than traditional Information Technology implementations, reduces the cost of technology ownership and offers scalable solutions that can be used, and paid for, as the need arises. ASP providers also help healthcare organizations reduce the time-consuming focus on managing information and place more emphasis on their core competencies!
client quote:
“With SCI we reduced our lab monthly denials from $23,000 to 0, and increased utilization from 400 average orders a month to 3,230, as well as improved patient, physician and staff satisfaction.”
Eisenhower Medical Center
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