Challenges and Solutions
By 1999, our previous software had begun to show its age. The time to process claims had been climbing over time, and it was eventually taking over two weeks to process the 4,000 claims we generate each month. We were also dissatisfied with our reliance on manual work-arounds to compensate for things the software did not do. Many tasks in our Inpatient unit, such as taking a bed census, were completely manual and disconnected from the billing system. This meant that patient accounts were commonly inaccurate, and staff had to double check every entry and fill in missing items before final bills were generated. It just took too much effort to make sure that we were sending accurate bills.
System Selection
Bowen Center conducted an exhaustive review of the software options on the market. By the time we reached our decision, we had spent approximately five years evaluating 10-15 vendors. We were clearly concerned with ensuring a stable infrastructure, but we also placed great importance on ease of use for our staff. End users don't care how clever the architecture is. They want a system they can use. We felt it was very important to make usability a central factor in our final decision.
In the end, PsychConsult is just much easier to use than comparable applications on the market. When we attended demos of other software systems, we often left feeling confused about how you actually use the application. PsychConsult's interfaces are very logically designed. It's easy to see what it is you're supposed to be doing on a screen.
Implementation Team
When we began planning the implementation, we were quickly impressed by the skill and professionalism of Askesis' team, who made sound recommendations about the project plan and our internal resources.
They encouraged us to up set up a cross-functional team to ensure that the choices made during implementation would incorporate the perspectives of each group of stakeholders. Joining me on our internal team were our CFO, a billing specialist, the AR Manager, and a clinical representative.
We had ambitious goals for the scope of the initial implementation, which included Call Center, Intake, Scheduling, Inpatient, ChartConsult, Billing & AR, and custom state reporting. The timeline of the project plan Askesis created was longer than we had initially envisioned, but the detail it included made it clear that their estimates were based a deep understanding of the work ahead.
One of the most important elements of Askesis' approach to project management is their commitment to weekly team status meetings. They distributed meticulous weekly reports to keep us up to date on our progress toward milestones and resolutions to issues that emerged. We modeled this approach internally by conducting our own briefings before and after each team meeting. This excellent communication kept the schedule on track. We were able to forecast times when we would need additional resources to avoid bottlenecks that could endanger the go-live date.
We took advantage of the cross-functional nature of our teams as we decided how to use the software. Each member contributed to a group effort to:
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Identify current departmental and inter-departmental processes
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Discuss the merits and disadvantages with all levels of staff
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Shadow staff as they conducted work at critical junctures
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Identify the datasets that each group needs and produces
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Map these datasets to an overall workflow within PsychConsult
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Recruit an array of non-team members to conduct testing
After making final adjustments and training our staff, we were very excited to go live with the system on schedule, a mere six months after we began.
Successes
Bowen Center experienced an outstanding implementation, due in great part to Askesis' superior team. When they made a recommendation, it stemmed from extensive industry knowledge and project management experience. They helped us set realistic expectations and find reasonable solutions for meeting all of our needs.
Excellent communication was another key to success. A lot of implementations go wrong not because of the software, but because the communication is bad or misleading. With Askesis, you know you're hearing the truth. They'll even say "No" to requests and then give you a clear rationale why it would be a bad choice. In the end, their advice was right on target. This is very refreshing to someone who's heard too many "Yes's" that led to cost overruns or broken commitments.
Since the system went live in May of 2003, we have seen numerous benefits from the introduction of PsychConsult. The workflow analysis we conducted during the implementation shed light on a number of inefficiencies. We were able to use PsychConsult's integrated technology to refine our work habits and leverage our resources. As a result, the overall flow of information into and out of the system is much smoother and far more accurate. People have access to the information they need, when they need it.
The Inpatient unit no longer requires constant manual intervention to gather information; they can rely on PsychConsult's real-time census data and can keep track of bed assignments as patients move within the system. Because all of the services a patient receives are accurately recorded in one central system, the billing department can confidently produce bills without chasing down stray records to make sure charges have been captured.
We quickly realized that fewer staff were required to manage administrative billing tasks, and two people were assigned duties in other areas. As people left the organization through natural attrition, we did not find it necessary to replace their positions, as the department's efficiency continued to improve over time. Ultimately, the staff is able to conduct better quality work with 50% less staff.
The billing department saw another dramatic improvement. Claims can now be generated overnight, 96% faster than the previous system. We now generate claims each week as opposed to once a month, which means our overall cash flow has evened out.
PsychConsult's reporting features have had a very positive affect on productivity. The reports take the guess work out of determining the status of services and documentation. We can give managers clear statistics about their department's performance, allowing them to address compliance issues before they lead to lost revenue.
We are very pleased with our experience with Askesis, and we clearly made the right decision when we chose PsychConsult. The leadership's plans for future enhancements to the application are very exciting, and we look forward to a long and successful partnership with Askesis.
About Otis R. Bowen Center
The Otis R. Bowen Center for Human Services, Inc. is a comprehensive community mental health center committed to making a difference in the lives of those we serve. Our professional team of over 200 psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, therapists and chemical dependency specialists provide effective help with a full range of personal concerns. The Bowen Center recognizes its responsibilities to all geographic segments of its service area. No resident is further than a 20 minute drive to a county office of the Center. For clients unable to drive, the Center provides limited transportation services through the use of a volunteer program. |
