By reimagining and optimizing prior authorization, health systems have a unique opportunity to revolutionize patient experiences, minimize administrative burdens, and ultimately pave the way for a more responsive and patient-centric healthcare landscape. In a recent article written by Dr. Steve Kim, he outlines five benefits of prior authorization automation for your organization.
- Streamlined Communication and Collaboration: Technology platforms that offer automation by eliminating individual payer fax and web portals can be a catalyst for improving communication and collaboration between providers, patients and health systems.
- Increased Operational Efficiency and Reduced Administrative Burden: True automation for prior authorization should eliminate manual workflows and duplicate work, decrease errors, and ultimately create operational efficiencies. The net result can mean reallocating staff to more mission-critical tasks while avoiding burnout and frustration. The ability to then evaluate staff productivity once the automation is in place will also increase overall operational efficiency.
- Enhanced Patient Experience and Satisfaction/Faster Access to Patient Care: There is a direct and well-documented correlation between prior authorization automation and patient satisfaction and access to care. The 2022 prior authorization survey by the AMA found that 94% of physicians reported care delays due to prior authorization and 33% reported that PA has led to a serious adverse event for a patient in their care.
- Improved Compliance and Risk Mitigation: Prior authorization submission automation ensures consistent adherence to predefined protocols and guidelines. This standardization helps in achieving compliance with regulatory requirements and industry standards. Automated prior authorization submission can be programmed to follow specific rules and regulations, reducing the likelihood of human error, and ensuring that each authorization request aligns with the necessary criteria.
- Cost Savings and Reducing Administrative Overhead: With automation handling routine tasks, healthcare organizations can optimize the allocation of human resources. Staff previously dedicated to manual authorization processes can shift focus to more value-added tasks, improving overall productivity and potentially avoiding the need to hire additional administrative personnel.
Embracing the transformative benefits of prior authorization automation solutions not only revolutionizes internal processes but also elevates the overall quality of patient care, fostering a more responsive, patient-centric, and financially sustainable healthcare landscape.
To learn more about unlocking the benefits of prior authorization automation, read Dr. Steve Kim’s full article on Healthcare Business Today.