Why Old Hospital Rounding Practices are a Hard Habit to Break

Old habits are hard to break – which is why it’s amazing to behold how much abuse we’ll sign on for in the interest of keeping the status quo.

Though one could argue that the very adoption of the iDevice – the one in your hand right now, likely – represents the embrace of a new habit, it’s a fair bet that you’re still spending an inordinate amount of time living in the theoretical 1950s.

Let’s look at your healthcare workflow, for example. You might still be relying on forms, cards, papers, and phone pad messages to conduct charge capture. This low-tech hospital rounding solution is decidedly ancient and familiar – but it’s amazing how many physicians resist bringing the practice of hospital charge capture into the Tech Age!

We’ll talk about a solution to your love-hate relationship with the past shortly. But first, pull up a chair, and let’s talk about what lies beneath this resistance to upgrade to a more contemporary healthcare solution:

The Pain of Change

Tearing down and building back up is painful. When things are humming along, albeit inefficiently, avoiding the anguish and despair becomes the primary motivator. When it comes to charge capture, medical practices are usually built upon historical workflows, rather than best practices.

So why is modernizing your practice so difficult: Sometimes, taking a hard look at what is working and what is not, and then redesigning the process based upon scalability and appropriate use of resources, can be a daunting challenge – ripe for avoidance.

Fear of Failure

Taking the risk of breaking what is “working” is part of the reason for hesitation. No one wants to be the one at the meeting pushing to revamp an internal process, only for it to fall flat and be on the receiving end of angry partners.

Let’s look at the classic example of census management and hospital rounding as being representative of broken workflows. In the office, the almost universal implementation of electronic medical records has streamlined in-office patient flow and internal communication. But the hospital rounding experience remains the wild west of medicine. No set schedules. Multiple providers coming and going.

There is also an inherent disconnect between the office support staff from the front-line workers – the providers. Without a software infrastructure to guide communication and the general workflow, the result is usually resource heavy.

And as we’ve reiterated, change can be a delicate dance that involves multiple parties, including doctors and APPs, the scheduling staff, and the medical billers. Getting all to agree is perceived to be unlikely, and the fear of failure is high.

Change Starts with YOU

You’ve heard all the arguments for change – so why are you the one digging in their heels and resisting change? Even if it’s not you, there’s always a naysayer in every practice – the one determined to keep things “as they are,” and to preserve the profession of medicine. Rather than reflecting a fiercely independent attitude, they are no less than a brick wall toward positive change.

One positive trend: COVID-19 seems to have accelerated the interest in a digital transformation. The practice of outright refusing change is becoming less common, knowing that the train will leave the station with or without you. Presenting the skeptics with a solid plan and well-defined use case will grease the wheels. Practically speaking, if there is the opportunity for a staged roll-out of a process, try to leave the weakest links until the end. This allows the kinks to be worked out so that by the time it arrives at their doorstep, they have less to complain about.

Implementation and Training

Do we need to shut down the office? How many hours of my life am I going to lose on training? Valid questions. Here is where finding the right hospital rounding and charge capture software – with super-easy implementation – is the most viable option. The right software, like HybridChart, delivers change instantly, gives each physician their own smart workflow, and improves profitability and patient outcomes.

There are countless reasons to procrastinate, bellyache, or just hold on to old, bad habits. Now is the time to change: The barriers are starting to come down, and healthcare professionals are starting to see the value of scalability and better resource allocation.

For A Better Hospital Rounding Experience

At HybridChart, we provide technology that connects your healthcare team, increases efficiencies, AND improves your bottom line. HybridChart’s cloud-based software adapts to your practice’s unique workflow and will improve your profitability and patient outcomes by utilizing our 5 features: charge capture, census management, secure messaging, discharge planning, and data analytics.

NEVER miss another charge and get PAID for the work you do!

If you are interested in taking your medical practice to the next level and want to employ the best hospital charge capture practice available in the industry, come visit our website at www.hybridchart.com, call us at 1-877-977-5544, or click here to schedule a demo today!