Tips and Technologies to Lead as a Patient Access Manager

As a patient access manager, you act as an ambassador for the patient. It isn’t a job to be taken lightly.

You are there at the start of their care journey.

When patients first step into the door of a healthcare organization, it can be overwhelming and sometimes scary. You are on the front lines helping to answer their questions, screening them for eligibility, and generally guiding them toward a positive experience.

The patient access manager holds the patient’s hand through the beginning of their experience, setting them on the right path to meet with their physician while keeping them at ease. This increased accommodation is proven to help improve patient satisfaction.

As the person managing the patient satisfaction, patient safety, and pathway to care, clear communication coupled with building a rapport and trust with the patient is incredibly important.

There are tools that can help in the effort. Here are some ways a patient access manager can lead the way toward improved health outcomes.

1. Patient Engagement as a Patient Access Manager

One of a patient access manager’s focus areas is on managing the revenue cycle. Ensuring that the patient information process is streamlined is crucial in this role.

The patient access manager gathers a patient’s information as the first point of contact. Because they are generally the first person on the care team that the patient engages with, customer service is just as important as getting the correct information. Be empathetic and engaged towards a patient’s needs and questions. That way, it will be easier to gather the information needed.

Excellent customer service is important, but continuing education on patient engagement in your patient access team is key. As a patient access supervisor, you’ll be in charge of the daily operations of your staff members. Make sure that you and your staff stay educated on how to improve the patient experience.

2. Asynchronous Communication like Two-Way Texting

The care journey isn’t just face-to-face visits in office and phone calls anymore. Asynchronous communication like texting and webchat allow messages to be sent and responded to over time allowing information to be gathered at the convenience of the parties involved without losing the context of the conversation.

As digital healthcare continues to expand access to care beyond the walls of the practice there are a variety of other tools the provider and patient can use to communicate.

Two-way patient texting can become an essential communication tool in your kit. Patient access managers can take advantage of two-way texting by sending and receiving patient information quickly and securely. It allows for more manageable staff workflows and a more seamless experience.

You can use two-way texting to provide financial counseling for patients as well. Communicate with them on billing needs and educate them on disability or financial aid. They can ask any follow-up questions through text as well.

3. Automated Communication

We just don’t have enough time to do all things we need to do working in healthcare every day. Patient access managers can combat this by streamlining workflows for patient information. By using automated patient information intake tools like automated communication workflows for check-ins, referrals, or existing patient information can give you, as a patient access manager, valuable time back in your day. 

4. Digital Intake Forms

In a role where you are taking in patient information the patient access manager has a responsibility to assist in keeping the patient record up to date in the EHR. With digital intake forms it makes it much easier for patients to provide information and for you to enter that information into the EHR as there is no transcription needed from paper forms.

By sending patients digital billing or intake forms, the Patient Access Department can access the data freely and securely in one place. Less time with manual data entry, means more time focused on the patient experience and patient satisfaction which ultimately should have a positive impact on your revenue.

While it’s crucial as a Patient Access Manager to quarterback patient information intake, it is also vastly important to be a leader in online patient communication. Not only will you build a depth of knowledge for how to engage patients effectively but you will also be the one to guide them on the pathway to an amazing care experience and outcome.