Richmond Bone & Joint Clinic (RBJC), an orthopedic specialty practice, has deployed the leading patient self-service solution from NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR) in three of its four Houston-area locations. The NCR MediKiosk solution automates and speeds routine processes by allowing RBJC patients to check-in for scheduled appointments and remit co-pays and outstanding balances via self-service kiosks.
"The NCR solution has been very well received by our patients, most of whom have become accustomed to using self-service in other industries," said RBJC CEO, Dr Juliet Breeze. "Beyond increasing patient satisfaction, we’ve also seen a significant impact on our revenue cycle by automating the collection of co-pays and outstanding balances."
Since the NCR solution went live, RBJC has been able to increase patient collections by more than $5 per patient, and that number has steadily increased each month. The clinic plans to expand the convenience of self-service by adding the NCR Patient Portal solution, allowing RBJC patients to complete their health history over the Internet where and when they choose.
"As consumers face rising deductibles and co-insurance, consistent revenue collection becomes critical for physician practices, many of which may not have the cash reserves of a large healthcare provider," said Nelson Gomez, vice president, NCR Healthcare. "Self-service technology can improve cash flow by providing a seamless means to collect balances online during pre-registration, or at a kiosk during patient check-in."
Studies show self-service is having an increasing impact on patient loyalty. The latest survey of U.S. consumers, conducted by Buzzback Market Research for NCR, shows 79 percent of respondents are more likely to choose a healthcare provider that allows them to manage various elements of the healthcare experience – such as appointment scheduling, registration and bill payment – over the Internet, on a mobile device or at a self-service kiosk. This represents a year-over-year increase of 7 percent.
Capturing health data, signatures and consent forms electronically through self-service also supports a truly paperless workflow that can significantly reduce the costs associated with paper-based forms. It can also help improve the integrity of patient data and optimize staff resources by eliminating the errors that stem from manual data entry.
