Rural health is notorious for outdated technology, off-brand EMRs that limit the ability to connect outside systems, and a lack of IT resources to protect them from cyberattacks— so it’s no surprise they are also falling behind on implementing patient-centric technologies. A report released this year by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology illustrated that critical access facilities were coming in last when it came to providing patients with electronic access to their health information. Known as the Promoting Interoperability Program (or PIP) this move was first incentivized in 2014 before being made a requirement five years later. Yet only two out of three rural providers met PIP requirements in 2019, those failing to do now at risk for significant fines…
While a slowness to evolve with current technology can be tied to stunted growth and profit, it’s also completely understandable.
Rural health faces a variety of challenges when it comes to adopting new technology. Aside from the obvious shortage of financial resources, they also don’t have the IT infrastructure needed to implement, upgrade, or manage new systems. In fact, a lack of resources for technical infrastructure has been cited as the primary reason why these providers were having difficulty with PIP implementation. Next, they are missing the staff needed for process redesign or training. New technology means adapting to new procedures and workflows. While it may be true that implementation would offer improvements in terms of efficiency and patient outcomes, even free up personnel for other tasks, it can still be difficult to convince decision-makers to make the leap— they don’t want to overburden resources that are already spread too thin.
Eventually, rural hospitals must catch up with the technology trends. If the pandemic has taught the industry anything it’s that progress has to be made in order to survive. Telehealth was a lifesaver for many health systems, allowing patients to continue routine care visits while minimizing the risk of exposure. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services created waivers that would allow rural facilities to function as “distant sites” and receive reimbursements for telehealth visits with Medicaid patients. This ability to pivot to virtual care helped to sustain cash flow but was still largely out of reach for a number of providers due to insufficient infrastructure.
Another area technology should not be neglected is revenue cycle management. From processing claims to receiving payments, modern systems expedite tasks with automation and offer fail-safes that can lower AR days. Even simply offering digital payments and self-service account management can boost the revenue cycle and maintain a stable cash flow. With covid still taking priority and hundreds of rural hospitals at risk of closure, strategic investments must be made to ensure revenue. Additional resources, like those gained from the American Rescue Plan Provider Relief Funds, could be allocated for implementing the technologies that will have the greatest impact. Likewise, small health systems can benefit from strategic partnerships that include vendor-supplied technologies— a no-cost solution to a lot of technology shortcomings in the area of RCM.
Professional offers a turnkey solution for rural providers that includes a white label secured online patient portal and omnichannel communications for a modern patient billing experience. Contact us today to discover how we can put our technology to work for you.