Khalid Al-Maskari

Technology is disrupting and transforming the health care industry, from wearable and implantable devices to computer-assisted coding systems and interoperable electronic health records systems. For the home health industry, electronic visit verification, or EVV, has been making waves and provides several benefits to clinical operations.

EVV is an electronic process that verifies care provider visits for personal or home health services. These electronic records track the types of services performed, date and time of visit, the location of the service and information about the service provider. EVV allows health care workers and caregivers to utilize mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets and allows on-the-go access to the most up-to-date patient records, equaling overall better-quality care for patients.

EVV was mandated for home health service providers and reimbursements under Medicaid by the 21st Century Cures Act, which was signed into law in 2016. Home health care agencies have until Jan. 1, 2023, until they are required to have EVV in place for Medicaid reimbursements. While the mandates have created problems for some organizations, the good news is that EVV has shown to have many benefits for both health care organizations and patients. The right technology solution can help make the transition process simple, so that clinics and patients alike can experience the following six benefits of using EVV: 

 Without EVV or access to mobile health records, caretakers often take notes, fill out forms and record information later. Anytime there are multiple steps involved or information is not recorded immediately, there is more room for error. EVV is essential for the most accurate patient records.

 Homecare appointments are often moved at the last minute. Utilizing a mobile app allows a caretaker to view the most up-to-date appointment information at any given time and set reminders about upcoming appointments. This reduces wasted commute time, no-shows and scheduling errors. 

More Accurate Provider Check-in and Check-out Times -

 The EVV mobile app automatically time stamps a caretaker’s check-in and checkout times and verifies if the caretaker arrived at the scheduled appointment time. This ensures accurate data for payroll, reimbursements and patient health records. 

 Homecare billing is traditionally completed using paper forms that are then transcribed. This is time consuming, costly and unnecessary. EVV allows medical staff to enter their time and patient notes in real-time, which also reduces errors. Billing codes are uploaded instantly, with no processing time delays. 

 A huge benefit associated with quick and efficient billing and time tracking is speedier payments. Most homecare agencies rely on reimbursements from the government, and this can be a long and tedious process. EVV automates and speeds up this procedure, simplifying and improving agency’s revenue cycle management, and allowing home health agencies to grow faster.

 Ultimately, EVV equals less administrative time, less paperwork, and reduced errors associated with communication breakdowns. This creates a better work experience for homecare staff and better patient interactions and experience. 

In addition, enabling caretakers to access the most up-to-date patient records and information and update it in real-time, helps create the best patient experience and communication possible, which positively impacts patient health outcomes.

Ineffective team communication has been found to be the root cause of approximately 66% of all medical errors. In addition, the root cause of the majority of malpractice claims is a breakdown of communication between the clinician and the patient. Easy and immediate access to records is the most important aspect of EVV. 

EVV also opens the door to more mobile use in other types of health care clinics and has applications in telehealth and remote patient monitoring. Any time new technology is mandated it can create pushback and a scramble in the industry, especially during these times when there are already strains placed on the industry by the pandemic. However, EVV is hugely beneficial and an important step in the right direction for mobile device adoption and remote access to patient information. It’s time to stop thinking of EVV as a checkmark and start thinking of it as an important and exciting innovation that will improve the health care industry as a whole.

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These apps can give physicians an on-the-go view of health information which can lead to better outcomes for patients.

6 Benefits of using an electronic visit verification app  

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is opening up new possibilities for Electronic Health Records (EHRs). Physicians have largely regarded EHRs as a time-wasting hindrance, but fortunately advancements in automation have increased the technology’s utility value. While EHRs are not created equally, an interoperable EHR that can accurately handle administration, data management and patient relations can serve as an asset to clinics. The forecast for EHRs is finally starting to change, and AI is leading the way.

AI-enabled EHR technology has become especially beneficial during COVID-19, as physicians are now tasked with engaging a growing patient population virtually. This is partly because virtual solutions have yet to find a way to replicate the triage process which can introduce data concerns without proper technology. During triage, patients speak with the administrator, nurse, and doctor—all of whom collect data independently. But rather than speaking with admins and nurses, telehealth patients are immediately connected to the provider.

Although having a direct connection to the health care provider can be ideal for patient efficiency, it can also make it more difficult to properly obtain and manage data. Providers relying on standard meeting services or legacy technology are forced to manually enter the data into their EHR, then hope their existing tools and remote administrators can handle billing appropriately. Conversely, an EHR equipped with AI can handle the back-end data entry automatically. This not only helps physicians provide better short-term care, it also allows them to see more patients in a reduced timeframe. Time not spent on data entry can be used to promote better care outcomes.

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Telemedicine was initially created for low acuity care, but it didn’t receive widespread adoption until the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though the technology was stagnant for decades, telemedicine has now become a critical component for managing cough, cold, flu and more. To address a growing patient population with dwindling provider availability, AI is helping to bridge the gap between patient need and provider time.

By including AI in EHRs, lower acuity patient can be treated at home, these patients no longer risk contracting COVID-19 while seeking treatment, and they receive more convenient care at a time that works for them. Because telehealth can be made available during off hours, low acuity patients don’t need to plan their day around visiting their doctor. They can schedule a virtual appointment at a time that works for them. With AI managing the back-end of low acuity care, providers can also hop on a meeting, treat their patients and immediately see another patient without hesitation.

Although these patients are being deterred from visiting in-person clinics due to the dangers of catching the COVID-19 virus, AI enhanced EHRs makes it possible for them to receive quality treatment nonetheless. This also comes at a benefit to providers. Before the pandemic, providers were less likely to generate low acuity revenue because people were treating themselves. Now, telehealth options make patients more likely to engage with their primary providers to help diagnose and resolve symptoms.

While telehealth is providing patients with at-home, socially-distanced access to a physician, AI is also sending automatic reminders to help them stay on top of their treatment. The platform lets them know when to take their medication, when to rest and when to contact a live physician.

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AI integration in EHRs can improve the clinical workflow for both patients and physicians, but it needs to be implemented properly for best results. A successful AI integration provides clinical teams with the correct decision-making data based on their current patient populations. This data explains where patients are in their care lifecycles and lets providers know if they’d benefit more from telemedicine or from in-person treatment.

It’s also key to remember that AI is meant to reduce the number of non-essential tasks required by staff. If clinics find their teams spending even more time on data entry or administration, it’s best to reevaluate. AI is meant to be a benefit, not a roadblock to patient care. However, the most important component of successful AI integration is interoperability.

A great example of AI interoperability can be found at COPE Community Services in Tucson, Arizona. Because this behavioral health care clinic already had an interoperable network of IT solutions, it was able to instantly implement a robust telehealth offering when COVID-19 struck. The pandemic made it necessary for clinics nationwide to integrate telehealth quickly—which is no easy task in an industry known for slow adoption of technology, but COPE’s strong interoperability put them ahead of the curve. Cohesive and AI-driven technology enabled COPE to become one of the few clinics that didn’t lose revenue during the onset of COVID-19.

“During the first months of the COVID pandemic, clinics were reporting 65-70% loss in billable hours, but COPE’s billing actually increased,” said Rod Cook, CEO of COPE. “COPE is one of the few organizations that can say that, and our EHR’s interoperability is one of the main reasons.”

Society was ill-equipped for the AI revolution before COVID-19, but the adoption of AI in health care is advancing little by little, day by day. Practices that are learning and adjusting are poised for more favorable long-term outcomes than clinics that aren’t positioned to manage the ongoing crisis. AI is a key driver of societal change, and the health care industry is one worth watching.

With more than 20 years of experience in health care, 

 is considered a thought leader by peers in the integrated health care field. As CEO of 

Health Information Management Systems (HiMS)

, Khalid rapidly grew the company from a single, Tucson-based customer to achieve a multi-state presence. HiMS is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona and designs Electronic Health Records (EHR) software that transforms the integrated health care experience. HiMS creates innovative solutions that lead to better outcomes, lower costs and higher-quality care. The company sets itself apart from its competitors by harnessing the power of artificial intelligence to improve data discovery and extraction and personalize treatment recommendations. Khalid can be contacted at 

While EHRs are not created equally, an interoperable EHR that can accurately handle administration, data management and patient relations can serve as an asset to clinics.

Artificial intelligence leading the way in EHR interoperability

Effective Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) is non-negotiable for all health care practices, but despite this, clinics across the board are reporting increasing levels of dissatisfaction with their current RCM tools.

According to a 2019 KLAS report, more than one-third of the 140 respondents to their RCM survey said they wouldn’t purchase their vendor’s services again, and even more respondents reported complete dissatisfaction with their vendor’s full RCM outsourcing software.

RCM includes everything surrounding claims processing, and the revenue cycle is the most important administrative function for health care practices. Without it, clinics and hospitals can’t financially support themselves in order to treat their patients. Effective RCM isn’t something clinics should take lightly—their revenue cycles need to be optimized at every stage to ensure cash flow.

 (AI) solutions can save clinics $7 billion each year, according to data from Accenture Analytics. RCM tasks such as coding, billing, collections, denials, and more can now be easily automated with AI.

To get a complete picture of what’s holding effective RCM back, it’s critical to have a basic understanding of the industry’s pain points and to understand how technology can address the mounting issues surrounding the revenue cycle. RCM is constantly changing, but it’s time that it finally changed for the better.

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One of the primary reasons for RCM dissatisfaction is the growth in denied health care claims. The American Academy of Family Physicians reported that practices experience a rejection rate between 5-10%, and each denial costs the clinic an additional $25 to re-process.

Not only does this process frustrate clinical staff, it also causes panic for the patients. Patient out-of-pocket costs have increased four times over the last 12 years, and the average inpatient bill totals nearly $5,000, according to research from TransUnion Healthcare. Although patient insurance plays a factor in high out-of-pocket costs, insurance is just one of five key contributing factors to claim denials.

Incomplete or incorrect or repeated information

While an uninsured medical service might be unavoidable at times, these additional reasons uncover issues with the clinic’s RCM. If an RCM solution is unable to correctly file claims on time, that’s a strong indicator that it could be time to look for a new one. Clinics should never forget that RCMs are supposed to work with them, not against them.

Scalability is a common pain point for clinics and hospitals with multiple locations, but especially for clinics looking to expand. Having one or two people at the front desk to handle the revenue cycle might work for small clinics with low patient volume, but this strategy becomes increasingly ineffective the more the clinic grows.

The key to scaling RCM is automation, and not having robust automation is costing billions. According to the CAQH index, the lack of automation for claims processing costs the health care industry more than $11 billion each year. By having an automatic operational flow, clinics with high patient volumes and multiple locations can effectively speed up their revenue cycles. Instead of employing dozens, or even hundreds of administrative employees, clinics can 

 with artificial intelligence to properly code thousands of claims without risking human error.

 is one of the most important reasons why clinics struggle to manage their revenue cycle. While some clinics operate with no RCM tools, it’s even more common for clinics to have three or more separate RCMs. These RCMs usually can’t communicate with one another, leaving room for patient billing information to get filed incorrectly or lost completely. This causes operational issues and introduces the problem of data silos, and having too many RCM providers spread out across an entire organization is arguably as inefficient as having no RCM at all.

It’s important for clinics and hospitals alike to choose 

 RCM that can be integrated with its existing technology and with the technology at other clinics. Black Book Research discovered that 86 percent of hospital networks with one EHR and RCM vendor stated they were confidently prepared to provide value-based care. And with health care budgets that are tighter than ever before, clinics need an interoperable solution that can address everything, from changing regulations, all the way to data size management.

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One of the best ways RCM can improve is by prioritizing patient pre-registration. By having as much information as possible about patient insurance eligibility, scheduling, and past payment information before the patient walks in the door, clinics can get a better understanding of the patient’s ability to pay. This can be done easily by using a patient portal. The portal makes it simple for patients to conveniently pay their bills online, and it makes it possible for the clinic to send reminders and notifications to help keep the revenue cycle on track.

It’s equally as important for clinics to automate the revenue cycle strategically. When systems are both automated and interoperable, it allows the revenue process to operate seamlessly with little room for error. Otherwise, providers that don’t take a strategic and detailed look at their RCM’s automation capabilities could just be adding an extra layer of complexity to the process. And as mentioned, the more that can be automated on the front-end of the patient lifecycle, the better. By having a strong front-end, staff members who handle the back-end have more accurate information to work with.

No matter where a patient’s claim is in the revenue cycle, clinics should have an RCM that’s able to process all claims quickly, correctly and seamlessly. By prioritizing the technology that powers the revenue cycle, clinics should see a boost in their bottom lines.

 (HiMS), a company that offers Axiom Electronic Health Record (EHR) software that harnesses the power of technology to create value for integrated health care providers.

Advanced, user-friendly artificial intelligence (AI) solutions can save clinics $7 billion each year