The number of release of information (ROI) requests in healthcare continues to grow. Banner Health transformed their ROI process with automation from MRO and new workflows to better handle the increased volume. See the results.
More Data. More Requests.
30% of the world’s data volume is being generated by the healthcare industry. This is not entirely surprising when you consider that an average hospital produced 50 petabytes of data per year in 2019. More data means more information that must be shared by healthcare providers when an ROI request is made.
In the fall of 2022, new federal rules around information blocking took effect. These rules meant that healthcare organizations must give patients access to their full digital health records without unnecessary delay and encumberments (ie: charging high fees). Earlier this summer, HHS-OIG posted its final rule on information blocking penalties.
Alongside the complexity of the types of information that needs to be released when requested, the legislative landscape has gotten more nuanced and confusing #AHIMA23 @BannerHealth @MROCorp #HITsm pic.twitter.com/lVPdWQXuf6
— Colin Hung (@Colin_Hung) October 10, 2023
With more data and more access to that data, smart healthcare organizations have invested in turning paper-based ROI processes into digital-enabled ones to ease the burden on staff as well as to provide better service to patients and the community.
Banner Health, a nonprofit health system with 30 hospitals headquartered in Phoenix Arizona, presented their transformed ROI process, alongside their partner MRO, at the AHIMA23 conference.
From Manual to Automated
Jami Woebkenberg, Senior Director of HIMS Operations at Banner Health, shared her organization’s journey from manual ROI processes to automated. Very humbly she pointed out that their journey is hardly unique and that it is “okay” if the whole or parts of the ROI process are currently manual.
The point Woebkenberg made was that it didn’t matter where you were TODAY, it only mattered that you start on the road to where you needed to be TOMORROW.
The @BannerHealth release-of-information journey is likely similar to many other organizations. They used a home-grown system for a long time but then they realized automation and better tools could help them be more efficient. Via Jami Woebkenberg #AHIMA23 @BannerHealth @MROCorp pic.twitter.com/VTV0Hdd1qj
— Colin Hung (@Colin_Hung) October 10, 2023
Before automation the @BannerHealth release of information workflow involved shared folders, sneaker-net, brown envelopes…in other words, very manual. Via Jami Woebkenberg #AHIMA23 @mrocorp #HITsm pic.twitter.com/dkw9NlgtRv
— Colin Hung (@Colin_Hung) October 10, 2023
When it came time to move away from their manual process, to a more automated one, Banner Health partnered with MRO to eliminate as many manual steps as possible. The resulting workflow minimizes the amount of work required by the HIM department.
Instead of multiple systems where information requests are logged and the actual health information compiled, everything is now handled on MRO’s platform. Alarms and triggers ensure that no requests fall through the cracks and that everything is done in a timely manner.
The current release of information workflow @BannerHealth is much simpler and has fewer manual steps now that they have implemented solutions from @MROCorp. At the same time, the # of requests has continued to climb. #AHIMA23 #HITsm pic.twitter.com/qPq0ZfD4Qc
— Colin Hung (@Colin_Hung) October 10, 2023
Additional Benefits of ROI Automation
After Banner Health implemented their new ROI process, they noticed an additional benefit almost right away. Now that they were able to fulfil ROI requests in a more timely manner, and with communication back to the requestors baked into their new process – the number of phone calls to their call center relating to ROI requests dropped by almost 40% in 2023 compared to 2021.
This decrease is even more significant considering that the number of ROI requests are expected to hit an all-time high in 2023 at Banner.
After implementing @MROCorp to help automate release of information @BannerHealth saw a significant drop in calls to their call center. Fewer people were calling to inquire about the status of their request. Via Jami Woebkenberg #AHIMA23 #HITsm pic.twitter.com/PzRxjeUMW9
— Colin Hung (@Colin_Hung) October 10, 2023
Below is a nice graphic that highlights the additional benefits that Banner realized by automating ROI.
Thinking of automating your #ROI? @BannerHealth shared some of the core benefits they have seen during their journey with us at #AHIMA23. @MROCorp pic.twitter.com/HqJPGyR94F
— Healthcare IT Today (@hcittoday) October 10, 2023
Key Takeaway
At the end of the presentation, Woebkenberg gave the AHIMA23 audience a very useful takeaway – a three question self-assessment to help kick-start a project to streamline the ROI process. Through their own journey, the Banner Health team found that these questions helped to ground them in the WHY of their initiative. These questions ensured they never implemented technology just for the technology’s sake and that they never take that status quo as a given.
What a great take-home 📝 from @BannerHealth.
Three ROI self-assessment questions to ask yourself or organization as you move through your own automation journey. #AHIMA23 @MROCorp pic.twitter.com/aXJj2yEciT
— Healthcare IT Today (@hcittoday) October 10, 2023
Learn more about Banner Health at: https://www.bannerhealth.com/
Learn more about MRO at: https://mrocorp.com/
MRO is a sponsor of Healthcare Scene.
