Contract Automation in Healthcare Administration

Automation in healthcare administration is transforming the medical field by streamlining administrative tasks like data entry, billing, and appointment scheduling. This article will explore how medical providers and facilities can benefit from automating healthcare contract management and other processes. 

What is healthcare automation?

Healthcare automation is the process of integrating tools and software into existing systems and workflows for better communication and management. As a result, healthcare providers gain more time and resources to focus on improving patient care. 

Healthcare process automation also addresses common challenges in the healthcare industry, which we’ll discuss in later sections. For example, it addresses staffing shortages by increasing the efficiency of workflows. You don’t need to worry as much about staff burnout or a lack of capacity to keep up with daily operations. Moreover, as previously mentioned, you save significant time when you automate repetitive tasks like scheduling or documentation.

Key components of automation in healthcare

Let’s dive into four core elements and functionalities of automation in healthcare that help you manage tasks and workflows: 

Data and document management

Data and document management is integral to healthcare workflow automation. For example, you can easily store and access reports and documents — or use tools like healthcare contract management software to efficiently handle large volumes of internal information and records.

Accessibility

Retrieving the correct medical documents and reports can be challenging and confusing for health organizations lacking efficient management systems,  especially for those housing massive amounts of these files. In the contract management process, automation can step in to provide staff with easy access to the right information. This convenient access prevents issues you may encounter while evaluating costs, negotiating terms, or performing audits. 

Communication 

Workflow automation in healthcare also enhances communication and coordination among various stakeholders. One way to prevent department delays and miscommunication is to integrate technology that automatically adds new patient information to your internal database. Completing this intake step is necessary to move forward to the next stages of patient care. Therefore, the ease of such data transfers reduces intake time and delays with patient diagnosis or treatment when multiple departments are involved.

Data and privacy

Data security in health care is a top priority, so safeguards are necessary to protect sensitive patient information. For example, implementing role-based access controls is a security measure to ensure HIPAA compliance. This means only individuals or teams assigned specific roles can access certain folders and documents. Other important security features include: 

• Industry-standard encryption for data and documents
• Audit trails that track all document interactions with IP addresses and user information
• Automated backups to prevent data loss
• Two-factor authentication for all users adds an extra layer of identity verification when signing contracts

Benefits of automation in healthcare administration

No one enjoys being bogged down by paperwork. You can experience easier and more flexible workflows by automating tedious tasks, such as processing patient intake forms and other documentation. Read on for more benefits.

Increased efficiency and productivity

Software solutions and tools speed up and simplify repetitive and time-consuming administrative tasks such as processing claims, tracking and storing medical records, and sending appointment reminders. 

Enhanced patient care and experience

Implementing tools like Concord’s contract lifecycle management (CLM) software facilitates efficient and successful day-to-day operations, including the drafting, approval, and signing of patient contracts. Ultimately, this assistance frees up your time to provide personalized patient care that fosters trust and positive patient-provider interactions.

Cost savings and error reduction

Workflow automation in healthcare minimizes a range of human error. For instance, it reduces the risk of failing to update the database with a patient’s health or insurance details, which can result in billing issues. Other issues include illegible handwriting that leads to the misinterpretation of information and the submission of incomplete forms. 

Furthermore, the costs associated with fixing these errors can be substantial. Fortunately, automation decreases the need for manual correction — reducing labor costs since staff don’t have to work overtime or be compensated extra to fix these issues.

Greater privacy and regulatory compliance

As highlighted earlier,  various security features guarantee the confidentiality and privacy of patient information and compliance with regulations like HIPAA. Concord’s contract management software, for example, uses encryption to encode data that only authorized users can read.  Adding more layers of security, you can also manage who views and edits patient data and track who accessed this information at any given time.

Key areas for automation in healthcare administration

Managing multiple processes that demand significant effort and time can be tedious and stressful. Let’s explore the key areas where automation simplifies various aspects of healthcare administration.  

Patient data management

Securely store, access, and manage patient data in one central, digital location. Centralizing this information to one place makes it much easier to track and manage — as opposed to storing it in  multiple locations or using traditional physical storage. You can also take advantage of accompanying features like AI-powered search to quickly find specific documents or contracts, so you don’t have to sift through numerous files.

Contract management

Integrate contract lifecycle management (CLM) software into your processes to improve efficiency, compliance, and relationships with partners and stakeholders. Patients seeking healthcare options value authentic and personalized interactions, especially during the intake and contract process. Therefore, it’s essential to ensure that each stage of CLM is easy and convenient for your team, so they can focus more on improving these patient interactions and less on administrative burdens. Patients can also feel confident that their privacy will be protected throughout this process with assurance that this software is HIPAA compliant and securely managed.

Deadline reminders

Use automated messaging to manage patient contracts. Send reminders for deadlines, such as when patients need to review agreement terms and sign a contract. 

Staff collaboration

After you draft a contract, you can share it with other internal staff using a contract management platform. These collaborators can track updates and add comments in real-time, so you can easily manage edits. If you need to see previous edits, you can also access the version history of any document. 

Compliance checks

Set automatic reminders for compliance checks. These regular checks confirm whether patient or general healthcare contracts reflect the latest regulations and policies.

Robotic process automation (RPA)

Leverage RPA bots to handle repetitive tasks, such as filling forms and moving files, to improve accuracy and free you up for other tasks. 

How to implement process automation in healthcare administration

Automation can be beneficial when implemented properly, so here’s what to prioritize: 

Assessment of current processes

Conduct a thorough assessment of current processes to identify inefficiencies and areas of improvement. In some cases, you might conclude that a slow transition is better than rapid integration or that some areas need automation more than others. This evaluation will also help you determine which tools and technologies will make the most impact on your workflows. 

Choosing the right automation tools

Choose software solutions that address your specific needs. For instance, if your team struggles to effectively oversee patient contracts to the finish line, one functionality to consider is Concord’s e-signature feature. You can conveniently send patients a secure link via text or email to sign contracts. You’ll also receive a notification once this action is complete.

Integrations with existing systems

Automation solutions should seamlessly integrate into your current systems. You want to avoid a situation where you’re forced to use one tool or software for managing electronic health record (EHR) platforms but then separate ones for billing and scheduling. This fragmentation causes confusion and decreases productivity. Instead, it’s better to have a centralized system where all the technologies and tools work together to solve administrative issues rather than create more.

Training staff and managing change

Train your staff effectively for a successful transition to automation. They need to understand the new tools, their impact on workflows, and how to use them efficiently. This training period also fosters a culture of adaptability and innovation.  

Continuous monitoring and improvement

After implementation, track progress and adjustments. Conduct regular checks, collect feedback from your team, and assess successes or failures. Additionally, identify ways automated processes can continue improving and delivering value.  

Challenges and considerations in healthcare workflow automation

Before starting your transition to automation, take a moment to review these challenges and considerations. 

1. Handling data privacy and security

To avoid breaches or leaks, use HIPAA-compliant tools like Concord’s CLM solutions to help you store and manage sensitive patient information through robust encryption, access control, and audit trails. With this safety net, you’ll maintain patient trust and avoid potential legal troubles. 

2. Overcoming resistance to change

Some healthcare professionals may hesitate to embrace new technologies, with a major concern being staff replacement or layoffs. However, contrary to this widespread belief, automation doesn’t mean robots will replace the need for workers — not when there are huge staffing shortages in the healthcare field, as highlighted by the National Institute of Health (NIH) and other medical research agencies.

In reality, automated solutions empower workers to focus on their training and clinical expertise rather than the administrative duties they often have to learn as secondary skills.

3. Addressing the costs of implementation

Automation may require initial investments in software, training, and infrastructure. The best approach is to evaluate the benefits and funding options. Having conversations with financial stakeholders on your team can also be beneficial, especially if there’s space within the budget to reallocate funds that can cover this transition.

Additionally, stay well-informed about the features and functionalities of the tools and services you’d like to use, so that you can share this information with the rest of your team. You might even consider scheduling demo calls — such as the ones Concord offers— to learn more about each software option or provider. 

The future of automation in healthcare

As AI and advanced technologies continue to evolve, the future of healthcare is increasingly moving towards automation. 

Emerging trends and technologies

Here are some examples of emerging trends and advancements: 

• Robotic process automation (RPA): software robots to automate repetitive and rule-based tasks like clicking, typing, and copying data 
• AI-powered contract management software: tools to automate the creation, signing, and management of contracts
• Generative AI: AI to handle complex processes like patient referral management 
• Intelligent document processing (IDP): AI to process documents and facilitate communications 
• Telemedicine: remote healthcare services, including consultations, diagnoses, and treatment  

]Predictions for future applications

These trends point to the continued adoption of telemedicine and AI-powered task management, such as RPA and the other technologies mentioned. These solutions will eventually become more sophisticated and expansive. For example, Generative AI could potentially advance to handle more complex processes beyond patient referral management, such as creating personalized treatment plans.   

Conclusion: Automate to improve patient care

Automation software and tools streamline tasks that would otherwise take too much time or delay vital care, such as patient diagnosis and treatment. By cutting down on the time and resources spent on workflows like patient intake — in addition to minimizing the human error associated with daily operations — you’ll improve productivity, efficiency, and the overall patient experience. 

As a healthcare administrator, embrace change and take the leap toward automation. With this transition, you and your team can focus less on administrative burdens and more on what truly matters: delivering the best care to your patients. Your patients will also feel more confident choosing you as a provider offering them personalized, convenient care from the very first patient-provider interaction. Start by exploring Concord’s solutions for healthcare administrators. 

Cut your patient intake paperwork by 80% with Concord.

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