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HIT in the Business and Management aspects of Healthcare

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As mentioned above, billing is an important facet of the emerging HIT market. Clinics both large and small want fast turnaround time when claims are made to insurance companies for medical procedures and care. Correct coding—that is, writing out a number that correctly corresponds with the diagnostic tests, treatments and diagnoses—is crucial in order for the clinic or hospital to be reimbursed for the maximum amount of money that they can for the services. The insurance companies don’t take the time to read the long descriptions of what happened in the clinic or hospital. They simply read the numbers, which represent what happened in the clinic or hospital. Most insurance companies don’t pay the full amount charged for the service. But proper coding with computerized claims that aid the coding process is much faster than old fashioned paper claims and insures a better profit for the clinic or hospital.

Management-wise, HIT helps navigate the maze of scheduling appointments and procedures for patients. This could mean that the person in the office is using scheduling software as you leave the exam room and need to plan a follow-up appointment. Instead of an appointment book, she or he opens up a computerized one to find the next available slot that suits the patient’s needs. Or, the patient, in some cases, goes online from the convenience of home to schedule his or her own appointment without the help of a receptionist. The scheduling that is required for seeing patients is somewhat similar to the scheduling required for staff working in the clinic or hospital. Consider the many variables: some physicians are multi-specialty and provide certain types of services on certain days. Schedules for being on-call at night and during the weekends can be a challenge to organize with both small and large physician staff teams. Or, analysis reveals that demand for specific services or procedures is changing. Overall, the idea is to avoid being over-staffed or understaffed in any given setting.

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