Authors (including presenting author) :
Chan LYS(1), Lee LY(1), Tse JWY(1), Wan KT(1)
Affiliation :
(1) Information Technology and Health Informatics, Hospital Authority Head Office
Introduction :
The integration of receipting functions into large scale Electronic Health Record (EHR) system is exceptional in healthcare financing due to the nature of complex and distinct workflows across various healthcare settings. This unification prompts its unique set of benefits and challenges to the workflow under the multidimensional clinical settings.
Objectives :
This project focuses on the advantages and challenges of incorporating receipting functions into large scale EHR, aiming to provide a review of how this integration could affect healthcare stakeholders.
Methodology :
The system design aims to improve healthcare efficiency, enhance overall patient journey in clinical settings, and promote accuracy and transparency in healthcare billing by eliminating manual processes, reducing errors and delays in billing, and streamlining overall workflow. Key features include: (1) Restriction of clinical data input until payment is settled, (2) Automated drug fee calculation based on prescribed Medication Order Entry (MOE) items, (3) Generation of reports with payment related details and (4) Customization based on different clinical settings and business needs such as appointment types, clinical activities versus administrative charges, staff role and access control.
Result & Outcome :
Integrating receipting functions in EHR systems offers significant benefits, including prompt and comprehensive payment processing. Relationships could be built between the PMI, appointment types, payments and clinical data entries. If payment is not yet settled for a specified appointment, clinical data entry is restricted. This practice encourages timely and accurate payments. By utilizing prescribed drug information from MOE, with built-in calculation logic to determine actual drug charges, it reduces manual involvement and errors, and ensures payment precision. Additionally, it improves overall efficiency by reducing administrative tasks arising from separate receipting systems or manual processes, where frontline staff can manage patient records and billing seamlessly. By presenting all relevant payment details in structured reports, it provides a comprehensive picture for cross verification. Despite the mentioned benefits, challenges persist. Tailoring the integration to differing workflows and billing processes in various healthcare settings is complex. Diverse fee policies, drug fee calculations, and clinical workflows add further complexity to the development and requires a highly adaptable system. Implementation of successful integration demands change management and workflow modifications. System designers equipped with clinical, administrative, and finance knowledge, and stakeholders engaged from the onset with comprehensive training and robust staff support are crucial to the success of this project.
