design with the user in Mind HOW HEALTHCARE COMMUNICATIONS CAN HELP THE REVENUE CYCLE hile paper is still a trusted customer communication channel, increasing the efficiency and speed of the revenue cycle is a top priority wherever the healthcare consumer happens to be: on email, phone, tablet, or PC. In today’s environment, critical communications like explanations of benefits (EOBs) don’t just represent an outbound communication with your customer. It is important to consider the inbound aspect of that communication, particularly as it requires a customer response to keep the revenue cycle moving along. How you populate and deliver the contents of your documents are equally critical factors in getting patients to pay their bills – and making that experience as personalized as possible will improve the chances even more. additionally, adopting a multichannel approach to healthcare communications has become increasingly necessary. People don’t just react to their eOB, they want to interact with it, and through a variety of channels that are often used concurrently, as consumers may be on their phone and their tablet at the same time, or looking at their printed statement and an emailed document. Combining the printed eOB with electronic payment options, such as having a Qr code on the eOB for online bill payment, speeds up the remittance process. every channel is unique making eOBs interactive involves rethinking the entire billing and collection process. many billers make major mistakes when they implement their first multichannel projects, the most common being that they ignore the differences between communication channels. every critical channel has its unique benefits and detriments. When a communication is designed in a single format for multiple channels, the detriments of one channel can negate the benefits of another. 30 HBma BILLINg • jaNuarY.FeBruarY.2015 For example, if a communication is designed for print and then sent through an electronic channel, your readers will not be able to interact with it and you will be missing out on the benefits of electronic communication. One way to avoid this mistake is to implement communications using responsive design technology. These communications are designed to adapt their presentation so that they are optimized for the device through which they are viewed – for example, mobile phones, tablets, and notebooks. responsive design sets common size breakpoints that can influence the navigation, information density, and content of the document, based on the type of device. Optimizing the communication for the viewing device also involves responding to environmental factors. sometimes tablet and mobile users are unable to access the Internet. Critical billing documents need to offer a high-quality experience, even when the client is offline. an eOB with an electronic payment link should de-activate design elements that feature the payment action when the communication is viewed offline in order to avoid frustrating the customer. design to enhance customer understanding, experience, and loyalty electronic communications can also incorporate multiple communication modes to create a strong payment experience. For example, an eOB viewed on a tablet can integrate videos that answer common questions, chat functions, advice on how to better use the service, and social media platforms. Connecting with other sources of information and means of interaction reinforces the value of the service for the consumer – many designs make the mistake of isolating the payment section from those items that reinforce value. W By Steve Francis
Billing_JanFeb15
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