Electronic reminders in information management systems can boost billing accuracy and profitability, according to a University of Michigan study reported in Anesthesiology News. Researchers found that sending electronic reminders through their facility's anesthesia information management system tripled clinicians' compliance with proper documentation of anesthesia start times and boosted annual reimbursement by more than $450,000.
To improve documentation, researchers sent electronic reminders for accurate start-time documentation in AIMS during 2,091 randomly selected general adult, cardiovascular and pediatric surgeries between March and April 2008. Alerts reminded anesthesia providers to correct the start time to reflect preoperative transport and medication administration time.
An analysis showed that compliance rates rose from 33.5 percent to 86.9 percent under the reminder system, and that average billing time increased by more than five minutes per case, translating into an estimated $471,117 in additional annual revenue. Meanwhile, the cost of instituting the reminders totaled approximately $1,400.
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To improve documentation, researchers sent electronic reminders for accurate start-time documentation in AIMS during 2,091 randomly selected general adult, cardiovascular and pediatric surgeries between March and April 2008. Alerts reminded anesthesia providers to correct the start time to reflect preoperative transport and medication administration time.
An analysis showed that compliance rates rose from 33.5 percent to 86.9 percent under the reminder system, and that average billing time increased by more than five minutes per case, translating into an estimated $471,117 in additional annual revenue. Meanwhile, the cost of instituting the reminders totaled approximately $1,400.
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