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Handheld Computers Help Physicians Eliminate Billing Delays
Written by Frank Yacano  [author's bio]  [read 24365 times]
Edited by Derek

      

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Physicians are always looking for ways to reduce paperwork. One area that has long been considered a burden is the billing process, where timeliness and legibility are major issues for many physicians.

Dr. Scott Sher, an anesthesiologist practicing in Phoenix, Arizona, has developed a technique for creating billing records using handheld PCs that provides physicians with significant time savings compared to paper forms. The new approach also provides physicians with their own electronic log of billing records as protection against discrepancies or errors.

Each time Sher cares for a surgical patient, he must submit a billing form to his billing company. The traditional method has been to physically write the details on a paper form, which contains over 24 fields that must be completed. The inefficiency was apparent, involving repeated writing of standard details such as hospital name, surgeon, and diagnosis. In addition, while this approach creates records for the billing company, it did not provide the physician with a log of billing records for their own reference. "This screamed out for a database application," says Sher. "I was just slapping on the billing slips and giving them away."

He wrote an application in Microsoft Access that allowed him to keep track of billing records on his desktop PC. However, this meant that he had to wait until he came home before he could enter the information and then print the billing slips. Since his schedule is extremely hectic - routinely coming home at 10 p.m. and waking at 5 a.m. - it was often several days or more before he had time to sit in front of his PC. As a result, his billing activity was falling behind.

Sher recognized the potential of handheld PCs to assist with billing tasks by allowing him to capture data at his convenience, even in the operating room. He chose the Pocket PC environment because he found that large database applications developed for the Palm operating system had a tendency to crash. Sher purchased an iPAC Power PC, which he selected because of its large memory and fast processor - major advantages when running a database application. He then had to find a program that would allow him to replicate the billing form on his handheld device while synchronizing with the master Access database on his desktop.

Application Development for Non-Programmers

He discovered a software tool called Visual CE from SYWARE (www.syware.com) that uses intuitive drag & drop controls to allow rapid building of form and database applications on Pocket PCs and Windows CE handhelds. Forms created in Visual CE form serve as the front end for a handheld database that is also part of the application. This database synchronizes with Microsoft Access, allowing data to be readily exchanged between handheld devices and the Access application running on the desktop.

Sher used Visual CE to create a handheld form to capture the data required on the billing record, including patient information, diagnosis, surgeon, hospital, procedure performed, and several check box modifiers required by the insurance company. Drop down lists and other shortcuts speed data entry while allowing all possible selections to fit onto a palm-sized form. For example, Sher has worked with over 110 surgeons since he started using the application. To enter a selection in the Physician field, he taps a letter from an alphabet keypad to get a list of names beginning with that letter, and then taps the name he wants. The doctor's name is then entered into the field without having to physically write it.

Tapping through Billing Records

After completing a case in the operating room, he enters the information in the database entry form on his handheld. He taps his way through the check boxes and drop down lists, creating billing records in a fraction of the time required to fill out forms by hand. "The time savings and convenience are tremendous. I can enter data anywhere - in the operating room, in a cafeteria over a cup of coffee, or even waiting for an elevator."

When he gets home, he drops the handheld unit into its cradle, and the handheld application synchronizes with the Access database on the desktop. During synchronization, case records created on the handheld are downloaded to the desktop, and updated tables are copied from the desktop to the handheld as content for drop down lists on the form.

Sher then double clicks on a desktop icon called "Print New Charges", which automatically prints all new billing records in the Access database. These records are in the same format as the traditional billing slip for submission to the billing company. "I print the new billing records with a single mouse click, and they're ready to go," he adds. "The billing company loves it because it's incredibly legible, and every bit of information is where they expect to find it."

Related links: SYWARE's Visual CE.

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