Automated charge capture at the point of care increases revenue

Healthc Financ Manage. 2001 Dec;55(12):66-71.

Abstract

Group practices can reduce lost charges, denied claims, and time-to-billing rates by using automated charge capture at the point of service. One orthopedic department had been experiencing many process-related problems associated with physician charge capture. To improve revenues, the physicians began using hand-held devices to input data during patients' office visits. A 12-month analysis of charge data from the orthopedic physicians' outpatient visits using a paper-based charge process showed that 824 outpatient charges had been missed or lost, representing 6 percent of the department's annual outpatient activity and more than $54,000 in projected additional revenue. Another analysis conducted after the automated charge-capture process at the point of care was implemented showed that the orthopedic department had not missed any charges.

MeSH terms

  • Accounts Payable and Receivable*
  • Computer Peripherals
  • Fees, Medical
  • Group Practice / economics*
  • Income / statistics & numerical data
  • Office Visits / economics
  • Orthopedics / economics
  • Patient Credit and Collection / methods*
  • Point-of-Care Systems / economics*
  • Practice Management, Medical / economics*
  • United States