Adrienne Moore, the VP of Revenue Cycle at Banner Health, shares insights into the adoption and implementation of automation in revenue cycle operations in healthcare. According to Moore, automation in healthcare follows the standard technology adoption curve consisting of innovators, early adopters, early and late majority, and laggards.
Banner Health has adopted numerous automation features such as bridge routines, edits, and batches that allow for the transformation and processing of data in large volumes. In addition, the organization utilizes robotic process automation (RPA), colloquially known as “bots”. These bots can perform a set of prescribed tasks, such as inputting data from one system to another as an interim solution while a more permanent fix is put in place.
Despite their capabilities, bots are not without their limitations, particularly when a dataset is altered unexpectedly. In these scenarios, Application Program Interfaces (APIs) are a more reliable form of information transfer as they can simply transfer the updated data.
Looking ahead, Moore anticipates the increasing use of predictive analytics in healthcare, leveraging Machine Learning (ML) to drive workflows. By analyzing historical data, these models can suggest more effective operational strategies. However, potential biases in ML models call for regular auditing and retraining to ensure accuracy.
Moore also explores the potential of generative AI, which is not limited to referencing existing data but can generate new content. This could find applications in tasks such as writing appeal letters or patient-facing communication, where AI may potentially be more accurate and efficient.
The article concludes with an emphasis on the importance of adopting automation in healthcare to keep pace with developments initiated by payers. While AI governance is still developing, healthcare providers cannot afford to lag behind. Balancing between adopting new automation technologies and adhering to regulations and legal scrutiny will be the challenge facing healthcare organizations in the coming years.
