Health Information Management: Integrating Information Technology ...

150 DEVELOPING THE INFORMATION STRATEGY
Patient administrative processes, billing and the other
segments of the conceptual model
In this chapter, we will not discuss all segments of the conceptual model: their
elaboration follows a similar path to the principles outlined in the previous
subparagraphs. The segments of patient administrative processes and billing are
dealt with together given their close relationship: correctly carrying out
administrative recording activities, for one, prevents many corrective operations
surrounding the invoicing. The organization ambition level, and thereby the IT
ambition level for these segments, will generally be lower than the ambition
level for the segments of care, care facilitation and integrated planning. This
implies, then, opting for information systems with a more limited and modest
functionality set, which adequately covers the most prevalent patient
administrative and billing activities.
CASE STUDY
Table 8.1 Southern Medical’s strategy starting points for the segments
patient administrative processes and billing
Ambition level
The ambition for the patient
administrative processes and
billing is to have adequate
administrative and financial
information for care and
operational managers. We will
pursue the lean collection, and
first time right processing of
administrative data, with a
minimal workload for care
professionals. The support of the
patient administrative and
billing processes should adhere
to the following requirements:
■ broadly available;
■ timely;
■ reliable;
■ ‘first time right’.
Derived IT ambition level
The derived IT ambition level
for the patient administrative
processes is as follows:
■ a reliable patient
administrative information
system, which fits seamlessly in
the primary work processes of
care and care facilitation;
■ recording close to the source,
as efficiently as possible, with
effective administrative support;
■ emphasis on the existing
administrative organization;
■ emphasis on checking during
entry;
■ one-time entry;
■ ‘end to end’ handling of
financial/ administrative data
(linked systems).
Based on the ambition level described in Table 8.1, our five year Master
Plan for patient administration and billing will concentrate on
improvement initiatives for the administrative organization. Replacing
information system components will be limited to necessary replacements.
With regard to office computerization, it is important to note that the contribution
of a state-of-the-art office computerization environment to the improvement of a