Challenge #1
Providers are slow to respond, and not able or willing to send medical records when you need them.
Solution:
Choose a vendor who offers both electronic and traditional paper-based collection methods. Vendors such as Reveleer can electronically retrieve record documents on their own, directly from providers’ electronic medical or health record system (EMR/EHR), which has the possibility to lessen the need for disturbing providers to fulfill collection requests. Vendors like Reveleer offers providers the quick and easy option to send their documents electronically, lessening the time and money to fulfill repeated fax or mail requests which often becomes a tiresome and tedious process.
When considering a vendor, understand how they collect medical records. The vendor should take steps in minimizing provider abrasion by offering electronic retrieval and the option to directly retrieve documents from the providers’ systems.
Challenge #2
The record retrieval process is hard to manage and needs to be done accurately.
Solution:
Knowing how you and/or your vendor will be gathering medical record documentation is vital in advance. Auditors must validate thousands of enrollment, demographic and health status documents—the most critical of these being health status.
To manage the complicated process, pick a tool that has complete functionality in sharing, retrieving, coding, and printing charts. Having a good retrieval system that includes end-to-end processing can speed up the chart procedure, while having a single access point to quickly track the collection process is key.
Challenge #3
Time is of the essence. There are so many medical records to retrieve in a limited timeline.
Solution:
Synchronize your retrieval efforts and organize your systems and your vendors. Early on in the process, establish timelines and strategies for on-site retrieval and remote retrieval through electronic medical record systems (EMR). Make sure to plan your retrieval schedule to work around providers’ availability and get everyone on your team on the same page. Team members should be aware of their roles and the retrieval timelines, and the plan should address known issues such as potential delays or problematic providers and how to work through them.
You can also notify providers of retrieval efforts in advance, since they need time to prepare their records and staff. As mentioned, make sure your vendor can accommodate different methods of retrieval, to keep the retrieval process smooth and snag free.
Following some of these best practices will allow you to complete record retrieval projects on time and within deadlines. Obtaining relevant records can be a challenging process, but with the right planning and tools you can retrieve and review all necessary records within a tight time frame.
