3 Questions to Ask as You Prepare for an Epic Revenue Cycle Management Integration

If you are an Epic shop and considering a new Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) system, there are many questions to consider before moving forward. Here are just a few:

1. Are you working with the right RCM vendor?

Epic continues to gain share of the $31 billion electronic medical record (EMR) market, and many RCM vendors tout their ability to integrate with the Epic system. As you evaluate RCM solutions for your healthcare organization, clarify how each vendor “defines” integration to ensure your expectations are aligned. Do they handle both HB and PB claims, and can they offer advanced claim status or electronic attachments? Do they offer hospital-specific editing packages, and can they integrate claim status, attachments, or advanced eligibility options? You should also use the vendor’s customer references as an opportunity to ask in-depth questions about the implementation and ongoing support. Pay particular attention to how well the vendor and Epic work together to address issues. An RCM implementation team with extensive Epic experience is better able to get in front of common issues and address them before they cause major project delays.

2. Does your vendor understand optimizing workflows from the end-users’ perspective?

Integrating your RCM solution with Epic represents an opportunity to automate many manual processes around eligibility and benefits, claim scrubbing, claim submission, and claim status. But to lay the groundwork, an RCM vendor shouldn’t rely solely on handbooks or process documents to evaluate workflow. Instead, members of your RCM vendor’s team need to sit down with your employees to see how they do their jobs and where their pain points are to identify opportunities where automation can streamline tasks. Look for a demonstrated track record working with customers to integrate RCM in ways that truly let you optimize workflows in Epic and keep your teams doing the majority or all of their work on Epic screens—not switching between systems.

3. Do you have a change management plan in place?

Change management is the critical component for a successful RCM implementation, but many hospitals and physician practices don’t make it a priority, which can lead to issues with morale among staff and slower-than-expected user adoption. Having a plan in place to communicate with staff about the project, its purpose, and milestones can help you get in front of employee concerns. Also, make sure there are extensive training resources available to minimize productivity issues during and after the transition.

Want more insight into how we work with Epic customers for best-in-class RCM integrations?  Visit www.Availity.com/Epic.