Medical Records Outsourcing-How to Choose Your Next Vendor
by Philip G Frederick, VP-Sales, Source Access, Inc.
When was the last time you compared your current vendor with what is available in the market place? Technology updates at such a rapid pace, and change is so hard to do in a corporate structure, that to consider choosing the unknown over the comfortable is virtually unthinkable. I saw a sign posted in a hallway that said “Change: if that is the way we’ve always done it, then it is probably wrong.” The gathering of medical records has entered into the cyber age, and you need a vendor who can take you there.
Selection of a vendor usually entails the RFP process (request for proposal), a committee is chosen, vendors are asked a long list of questions and a candidate or several are chosen to perform the work. The incumbent is almost always chosen as one of the vendors, and in most cases is driving the questions on the list for the other candidates. But does this really solve the need of the company? What might be in the best interest of the company is not always considered.
The Holy Grail of most selections is the service fee, which when examined closely is the last reason a company should be selected. A close look at average medical records fees and how many you receive for free would be a better gage of actual overall cost to a company’s bottom line. A hard look at the service provided needs to be compared as well; comparing the amount of time spent on your behalf pursing medical records varies greatly from one company to the next. The truth is a company can give you any service fee you want, as long as you don’t look at how medical records fees are charged and if there are check writing and other fees attached, and hidden, in them.
The next important criteria is compatibility, do you have a company that is responsive to your needs and flexible enough to change quickly when you need to? Do you have a choice in how you receive medical records (online, FTP, web based, overnight mail etc.) Can your account be changed to fit your reporting requirements when they need to be? Larger vendors have a set way of doing business and want you to adapt to their system, not the other way around. A smaller, flexible vendor might fit your company better, and in most cases will provide better value to your outsourcing needs. Responsiveness and flexibility in the technology and cyber age are critical to your success.
Time service is always important to outsourcing your medical records retrieval. Vendors need to be asked to define what and how this is determined in relation to delivery. A common misconception is that all companies define it the same way. Is time service in calendar days or working days? What causes a request to be put on hold, and how long do you pursue requests are questions that need to be asked. Finding out how this is defined by your vendor is critical.
Outsourcing of medical records is a common answer to many companies cost reduction efforts. Hiring challenges, economies of scale, fluctuating volumes and system challenges all pose serious questions in bottom line profit. So when the time comes to shop for a vendor, review their abilities, define your goals (not your current vendors) and understand your process and workflow. Communicating your goals will dictate which functions you outsource, and in the selection of the right vendor for your company.
