Many hospitals struggle with paper-based processes for inbound faxes, which require printing and scanning before manually associating with a patient’s chart. This process wastes time and paper, but it can also lead to lost documents and user errors which can delay care and reimbursement. RapidFiler™ solves this challenge by allowing users to electronically process inbound documents before filing them into MEDITECH. RapidFiler™ is used by many organizations across a variety of departments, so we recently spoke with a few customers to help identify additional use cases.
We were fortunate to receive feedback from Hayley Olmsted, Senior Applications Analyst at Emanate Health Queen of the Valley Hospital in West Covina, California. Hayley shares below how Queen of the Valley, Foothill Presbyterian, and Intercommunity Hospital use RapidFiler™ to better manage scheduling processes.
Emanate Health insights
With Hayley Olmsted, Senior Applications Analyst
Q: What were the key challenges prior to implementing RapidFiler™?
We used to receive faxed forms which required printing, and this wasted large amounts of paper in our surgical departments. The forms were not scanned into the patient chart until after discharge, so insurance information was not readily available to our insurance verification and authorization team. Forms also sometimes get lost, which meant we would not have a record of what was requested for the booking.
Q: Describe the new workflow for surgery requests with RapidFile™r.
We now receive booking requests as electronic faxes in RapidFiler™. The operating room schedulers work from the forms to book the case and then attach the form to the patient account in MEDITECH. This prevents lost forms, so we have a permanent record. The pre-registration team can then easily find the form in the patient account to work through insurance authorizations. It saves us the cost of printing paper, streamlines our process, and prevents errors and lost forms. Sometimes the office sends along a scanned copy of the insurance card or patient ID, and we can upload those as well which is extremely helpful.
Q: Which RapidFiler™ features most stands out?
When the ability to upload documents at the medical record level came about, we implemented RapidFiler™ in our Labor and Delivery department to electronically receive prenatal forms. These forms are attached at the medical record level, instead of the account level, in case the patient presents early. The future account is used in case the patient delivers, but if they do not, then the form is still available in the medical record when a new account is generated.
Q: How has RapidFiler™ brought value to your organization?
We save money by not having to print paper for surgical booking requests. We also have less miscommunications with surgeon offices because we have an electronic “paper trail” of the request. Sometimes a physician may request the wrong procedure or forget to request special equipment. If we lost the booking form in the past, we had no easy way to explain why we booked the way we did. We also receive prenatal forms more quickly now, because we don’t have to wait for the patient or physician to bring it in. Scanning used to take place post-discharge, but these forms are now uploaded to the chart immediately so physicians can review them in the hospital, their home, or office without needing the paper form in front of them.
Q: Describe your experience with Forward Advantage’s support.
Everyone at Forward Advantage is always extremely helpful and responsive. Our support person is fantastic and always happy to jump on a video call if I don’t understand the steps she provides.
Q: Do you have any advice for other hospitals looking to achieve similar goals?
My advice is to use RapidFiler™! We keep brainstorming other possible applications for the software within additional departments and workflows.
The takeaway
A big thank you to Hayley at Emanate Health for sharing their RapidFiler™ user case. Surgical booking is one example of how this solution can be used to electronically streamline inbound documents to the MEDITECH Echart. Other use cases include:
Laboratory, Radiology, Surgery and Outpatient Special Procedures – orders (including STAT orders) sent by area physicians for tests and procedures
Labor and Delivery – receiving prenatal forms
Wellness Center – receiving cardio rehab orders
Physical Medicine – communication with area providers for PT/OT/ST
Case Management – sending and receiving insurance and intake information for patients
Materials Management – receiving order confirmations
RapidFiler™ provides a variety of time-saving features including rotating the view of scanned documents, manipulating documents (appending, separating, or combining files), rejecting pages, and renaming files. Explore the full list of features and benefits to find out if RapidFiler™ makes sense for you!
