ROI with Automating the Documentation and Coding Process

As medical practices make the jump towards electronic medical records, they will notice a temporary decline in the ability to see the same number of patients as before. Many factors go into the decreased number of patients, ranging from the physicians' ability and knowledge of computers to the way they govern their patient workflow. All new aspects of your EHR system flow downstream and affect the efficient of your billing and reimbursement.

Even if a physician is very comfortable with computers and has fully grasped their new EHR system, a key hindrance to efficient charting is rooted in the requirement of manual input during and after the patient interaction. Accurate documentation and coding is essential. Unfortunately most documentation systems are manual and even after the documentation is complete the physician must apply the proper CPT and ICD codes to send to the billing office.

Automation can reduce the inefficiencies and human errors that plague most documentation and coding processes, mitigating the risk of lost revenue, and speed the revenue cycle by eliminating the delays that occur due to missing or incomplete documentation. Automation can also reduce costs associated with transcription, chart storage, and streamline your documentation directly to your billing office.



Although there are a number of EHR systems on the market, many do not automate physician documentation at the point of care nor do they automate the plan or coding process. Those that do offer physician documentation modules usually are difficult to utilize, integrate, or just plain don't function with your workflow.

Automated documentation and billing is a complex beast to combine and we shouldn't expect it to be an easy process. Greenway Medical Technologies, a leading EHR system, has started to implement such a system. It has taken strides to automate documentation through templates and link automated plans and instructions to ICD codes selected by the physician. The end result is documentation compliance, coder-readiness, and fewer days to drop a bill. Because the documentation supports the codes the software also provides added protection against coding audits.

The best news about automating the documentation and coding process is the rapid return on investment. Between the cost savings generated by eliminating transcription, time spent documenting, and revenue gains realized by capturing all charges to which a practice and facility are entitled, the typical payback for a documentation and coding software solution is 12-18 months. By automating procedure documentation and coding with a physician-friendly solution, both hospitals and practices can streamline the overall process and remove the weakness from a manual documentation system.