This is post 7 of a 10 post series on the top 10 reasons you should consider outsourcing your coding.
In 1793 Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin. This machine separated the seeds from the cotton in a fast and efficient manner. The impact of Whitney's invention was far reaching. Prior to this innovative machine, it would take the average person 10 hours to produce 1 pound of lint. Using the cotton gin, a person could produce 50 pounds of lint each day.
Eli Whitney's cotton gin is but one lesson history has taught us about the power of innovation. If a cotton farmer refused to implement the cotton gin, their production would be dwarfed by those inve
sting in innovation and staying current. Like the farmers who had the foresight and ability to understand the importance of constantly innovating and staying current, we can adapt or fall behind.
There are a few guiding principles every medical coding company should have. If these things are absent, there is a lack of innovation and their practices are not current, or providing you with the best chance to succeed.
1. Technology
This is probably the single biggest differentiator in the marketplace between a world class organization, or something else. With the United States government mandating the elimination of paper from our medical practices, it is paramount to operate health care facilities with technology. Aviacode founder David Jensen knew that. He started Aviacode nearly 15 years ago with the understanding that technology would be the engine to push medical coding into the future. His valuable visionary insights have been instrumental in what is now the industry standard. If you are not innovating your technology, you are not current, and have little value in today's medical coding ecosystem.
2. People
Jim Collins, best selling author of "Good to Great" dives deep into the importance of hiring great people to help your business move forward. He uses a bus in the analogy and talks about the need for great people to be able to make that bus move. This depiction is no more applicable than within the medical coding industry. Computer Assisted Coding or "CAC" has been attempted time and time again, yet, it has never fully taken off as promised by so many. Why is that? It lacks the pure, fundamental element of people. It is the people that make medical coding function at a high level. Without finding great medical coders, innovation cannot occur. The ability of a human mind to think, react and learn helps organizations stay relevant and current in medical coding.
3. Communication
E-mail, SMS notifications, fax, instant messenger, mobile phone, telephone, the ways to communicate in this modern era are becoming infinite. With more resources to communicate, problems become less likely to linger when the proper channels are put in place. If a medical code gets denied, we can receive an instant notification which automatically goes through the proper channels to the responsible party. Through this quick and automated process, people can receive notifications quickly and have a more rapid response to resolve challenges before they mount to something larger.
Medical coding spans the gap between current and innovative technologies and processes to something that resembles the post cotton gin 1793 world. The challenge most health care professionals have is determining which medical coding companies are operating out of a garage with limited resources and professionals and which companies invest in cutting edge technologies and certified coders to help maximize revenue and minimize errors. Examining potential outsourced medical coding companies becomes challenging. Looking at a website or talking to someone on the phone might not give you all the answers you need. Keeping the three points discussed earlier (Technology, people, communication) should be a point of discussion with any potential coding partner to ensure you are working with a company that is current and innovative.
