Many of the patients seen at Laser Spine Institute travel from across the country for their surgeries, which means a lot of work must be completed in preparation for their visits. "From a company-wide perspective, we value the importance of having easy processes the patients can understand," says Jimmy St. Louis, Chief Corporate Operations Officer of Laser Spine Institute.
Mr. St. Louis discusses how Laser Spine Institute ensures maximum efficiency during each step of the process.
1. Initial contact. When the patient initially contacts Laser Spine Institute to inquire about treatment, a patient operator fields the call and asks a series of questions to gather both business and medical data. The patient is asked how he or she heard about Laser Spine Institute (through online ads or newspaper ads, AARP, seminar ads, etc.) to measure which marketing techniques are most effective. Patients are also asked whether they had an MRI or previous spine surgery. Additional questions make sure the patients are inquiring about spine surgery, not pain management or non-spine orthopedic services.
2. Patient coordinator. After the initial contact, the patient is sent to a patient coordinator who is responsible for answering any questions the patient has about the surgery. The patient coordinator is also responsible for assessing the patient's medical condition. At this point, the patient can consult with a physician over the phone and send in an MRI or CT scan for review.
The patient coordinator also speaks with the patient about the specifics regarding insurance coverage. "The patient coordinators are well versed and usually talk with the patients 12-15 times before the surgery," says Mr. St. Louis.
3. Scheduling coordinator. If the patient is decides to pursue surgery, he or she speaks with a scheduler about the "streamlined experience," which details the schedule from when the patient arrives at Laser Spine Institute to the day he or she leaves post- surgery. After committing to specific dates for the surgery, the coordinator asks about the patient's medical history, which is passed from the administrative office to the medical office. "If the patient answers in a way that suggests he or she might have a medical condition that could pose a challenge during surgery, he or she is passed through a medical screening process with registered nurses prior to going into surgery," says Mr. St. Louis. "We want to make sure it's safe for them to undergo anesthesia.Patients can also sign a release for the Laser Spine Institute surgeons to speak with their primary care physician, which allows us to fully understand the patients medical history, prior to them arriving at our facilty."
4. Arriving for surgery. The "streamlined experience" at Laser Spine Institute includes once again confirming and gathering the patient's medical history to assure accuracy of the gathered data. Then, the patient goes through a physical on the first day to gain clearance for anesthesia. The second day includes surgical diagnostics, where the patient spends time with a surgeon and may receive a diagnostic order and MRI, to assist in accurate diagnosis of the patient’s condition and surgical procedure if necessary. The surgery is scheduled for the third day and patients are called the night before so they know what to expect on the day of surgery. The patient meets with a surgeon prior to surgery. This allows them to verify all of the information and to answer any other questions for the patient.
The postoperative appointment occurs on day four or day five. During the appointment, the patient speaks with the surgeon about what to expect during the recovery process. They discuss physical therapy and any additional points on postoperative care as well as speak to their post operative case manager about their recovery process
5. Post-surgery. After patients are discharged from the clinic and returning home, a patient services specialist follows up with the patients. Patients are asked about rehabilitation, whether there are any challenges and give additional advice about postoperative care. If patients are experiencing challenges, a case manager can help guide them. "If the patient has symptoms, we will further assess the patient and create a plan of care for the patient based on the symptoms.," says Mr. St. Louis.
Learn more about Laser Spine Institute.
Read more expertise from Laser Spine Institute:
- 4 Tips for Tracking Spine Quality and Outcome Data
- 5 Key Strategies for National Expansion of Orthopedic and Spine Practices
Mr. St. Louis discusses how Laser Spine Institute ensures maximum efficiency during each step of the process.
1. Initial contact. When the patient initially contacts Laser Spine Institute to inquire about treatment, a patient operator fields the call and asks a series of questions to gather both business and medical data. The patient is asked how he or she heard about Laser Spine Institute (through online ads or newspaper ads, AARP, seminar ads, etc.) to measure which marketing techniques are most effective. Patients are also asked whether they had an MRI or previous spine surgery. Additional questions make sure the patients are inquiring about spine surgery, not pain management or non-spine orthopedic services.
2. Patient coordinator. After the initial contact, the patient is sent to a patient coordinator who is responsible for answering any questions the patient has about the surgery. The patient coordinator is also responsible for assessing the patient's medical condition. At this point, the patient can consult with a physician over the phone and send in an MRI or CT scan for review.
The patient coordinator also speaks with the patient about the specifics regarding insurance coverage. "The patient coordinators are well versed and usually talk with the patients 12-15 times before the surgery," says Mr. St. Louis.
3. Scheduling coordinator. If the patient is decides to pursue surgery, he or she speaks with a scheduler about the "streamlined experience," which details the schedule from when the patient arrives at Laser Spine Institute to the day he or she leaves post- surgery. After committing to specific dates for the surgery, the coordinator asks about the patient's medical history, which is passed from the administrative office to the medical office. "If the patient answers in a way that suggests he or she might have a medical condition that could pose a challenge during surgery, he or she is passed through a medical screening process with registered nurses prior to going into surgery," says Mr. St. Louis. "We want to make sure it's safe for them to undergo anesthesia.Patients can also sign a release for the Laser Spine Institute surgeons to speak with their primary care physician, which allows us to fully understand the patients medical history, prior to them arriving at our facilty."
4. Arriving for surgery. The "streamlined experience" at Laser Spine Institute includes once again confirming and gathering the patient's medical history to assure accuracy of the gathered data. Then, the patient goes through a physical on the first day to gain clearance for anesthesia. The second day includes surgical diagnostics, where the patient spends time with a surgeon and may receive a diagnostic order and MRI, to assist in accurate diagnosis of the patient’s condition and surgical procedure if necessary. The surgery is scheduled for the third day and patients are called the night before so they know what to expect on the day of surgery. The patient meets with a surgeon prior to surgery. This allows them to verify all of the information and to answer any other questions for the patient.
The postoperative appointment occurs on day four or day five. During the appointment, the patient speaks with the surgeon about what to expect during the recovery process. They discuss physical therapy and any additional points on postoperative care as well as speak to their post operative case manager about their recovery process
5. Post-surgery. After patients are discharged from the clinic and returning home, a patient services specialist follows up with the patients. Patients are asked about rehabilitation, whether there are any challenges and give additional advice about postoperative care. If patients are experiencing challenges, a case manager can help guide them. "If the patient has symptoms, we will further assess the patient and create a plan of care for the patient based on the symptoms.," says Mr. St. Louis.
Learn more about Laser Spine Institute.
Read more expertise from Laser Spine Institute:
- 4 Tips for Tracking Spine Quality and Outcome Data
- 5 Key Strategies for National Expansion of Orthopedic and Spine Practices