Every ASC leader knows that you can collect data all you want, but if you don’t know what to do with that data, nothing will ever change. How are your reporting processes working for your ASC? Here’s what you need to know about honing your data collection to pinpoint issues within your surgery center.
Streamline your data with the right ASC software
One of the best ways to pinpoint process breakdowns in your ASC is by streamlining all data in one easily accessible location. When it comes to interpreting data, you don’t want to be performing duplicate work to collect and create reports by hand. For example, think about how you can leverage data from your scheduling software to pinpoint bottlenecks and breakdowns. With the right application, your OR schedule gets updated in real-time, highlighting any consistent delays or capacity problems for reporting. This data from your OR tracking board can translate to crucial cost analysis reports, helping your ASC find ways to boost revenue and work more efficiently.
The right software can also substantially aid your ASC in meeting the reporting requirements set by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). For example, this year’s final payment rule added total knee arthroscopy, knee mosaicplasty, as well as some cardiac procedures to the ASC’s payable list. This comes with a new quality measure related to the rate of hospital visits within the week following surgery. Additionally, the Department of Health and Human Services’ Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement underscores the need for ASCs to have organized reporting processes in place for sharing data.
The two pillars of tracking progress
Quality and compliance are the pillars of tracking progress toward your ASC’s goals. But these two pillars are anything but simple. Combining data from multiple sources can be time-consuming, cumbersome, and leaves room for error. With the right software, you can integrate all data for patient satisfaction surveys, chart audits, infection reporting, or risk management in one place. When you save time in the data collection stage, you free up more opportunities to actually interpret that data and put process improvement plans into effect.
Time as a resource
At the end of the day, one of the most significant ways that technology benefits your ASC is giving you back the resource of your time. Besides streamlined reporting, technology can save time by improving a myriad of standard processes. From online patient registration to automated patient communication to better vendor management, the right ASC software can save you a significant amount of time and money.
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