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each patient into a private
area and go over the infor-
mation with them one at a
time, while the rest wait,
you can have all of them
reviewing and correcting at
once, she says.
When's the best time to
verify patients' pre-admis-
sion charts and insurance
information? The sooner
the better.
"We review charts at least
2 days in advance," says
Joyce Mackler, RN, MSN,
manager of the Seaford
(Del.) Endoscopy Center. "It
could be a couple of weeks
since they've last been in their physician's office, so we call to ask whether
their health has changed since then, or if there's anything new that is not
in our chart."
Make this call before the patient begins the bowel prep, she says. An
unexpected cancellation after that point would be highly inconvenient
for both facility and patient.
"Patients don't always understand their insurance, and that can lead
to a lot of cancellations," she says. As soon as a case is scheduled, if
time allows, her center's business office notifies patients via postal
mail of their co-pay and deductible responsibilities as well as the
available payment plans.
To get a head start on the day of surgery, you might even consider
P A T I E N T M A N A G E M E N T
ON THE LINE A good relationship with physicians'
schedulers is key.
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