Registration Control Point
The registration control point is the primary step for gathering all demographic and insurance information. This is one of the most critical steps in the process because future third party billings and patient collection efforts will depend on the quality of this data. This critical information can be obtained in various ways:
1. At the time of scheduling - This ensures information is obtained at the earliest possible time. Problems include patients frequently not having all the necessary information available and the appointment call consuming additional time and resources. This is especially problematic when registering new patients. These problems often result in the scheduler bypassing all or part of the registration process.
2. Immediately after scheduling via a pre-registration function - This process requires the scheduler to transfer the patient to a pre-registration specialist. This allows for early acquisition of the information and should improve data quality because a "registration specialist" would perform the function. This process does require considerable management of the patient flow between the scheduler and the pre-registration staff. Significant potential exists for high abandonment rates (patient hanging up) and thus reduced data quality. |
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