Coding mistakes increase the time and cost expenditures. At worst, errors expose the practice to liability. Knowing how to increase medical coding productivity is key to bringing costs down and improving the experience for patients and staff.
Does your medical practice devote a substantial portion of its budget to medical coding and the processing of patient health information? Think of the money you could save by streamlining your medical coding process.
PracticeForces advises growing medical practices just like yours. We recommend the following medical billing tips for cardiology and other fields with complex billing practices.
At PracticeForces, we understand that every medical practice is unique. As a result, we develop customized and comprehensive solutions for our clients that go beyond the general tips outlined here.
Tip #1: Use Software to Automate the Process
As your medical practice develops a coding process, be aware of software applications that can accomplish the task without human input in a way that is easy for your staff to use and integrate into their coding process. Your staff should have sufficient training to use the software efficiently without mistakes.
Tip #2: Take Advantage of a Remote Workforce
Remote medical coding is a booming industry, in part due to COVID and in part due to technological advances in the healthcare industry. You can reduce overhead by outsourcing medical coding or allowing your current staff to work from home. Free up office space and increase productivity by allowing your coders to have more control over their working conditions.
Tip #3: Have a Robust Data Verification Process
Implement software and coder checklists to promote accuracy by including checks for common errors such as using the wrong ICD-10 code, inadvertently coding the same procedure twice, upcoding, undercoding, and using modifiers inappropriately. Use adaptive data verification to flag claims and files that include recently updated codes or codes that have caused problems in the past.
Tip #4: Use Analytics to Monitor Coding Effectiveness
As part of the coding process, periodically review the coders’ performance to identify the source of errors and inefficiency. Use what you learn to boost coders’ productivity and reduce error rates. Reviewing coding effectiveness can tie coding errors or problems to negative outcomes such as denied claims or processing delays.
Tip #5: Create a Culture of Accountability and Improvement
The coding process should include checks on the accuracy of individual coders and constructive feedback to help coders develop their skills. The process should support coders and encourage them to improve their effectiveness to increase productivity without sacrificing coding accuracy.
Optimize your Medical Coding with PracticeForces
PracticeForces provides timely insights and practical guidance for medical practices in a wide range of fields. Learn about cardiology medical billing and coding updates and other applications of medical coding best practices.
Spend your time with patients, not on paperwork. You can reach us by phone at (727) 499-0351 for a consultation about developing an effective medical coding process and learning how to increase medical coding productivity.
