What is Intelligent Automation and What Does it Mean for Healthcare?

The benefits of technology are broad and far-reaching. In our personal lives, it allows us to communicate more effectively, work more efficiently and enjoy improved access to information that keeps us fully updated with breaking news and events. For businesses, it’s much the same, with the added advantage of technology often offering a fiscal reward. Take a look at how one very specific form of technology — intelligent automation (IA) — is impacting one very specific sector of the business world, healthcare:

What is Intelligent Automation?

Automation refers to the use of technology to perform certain tasks so that the need for human involvement is reduced or eliminated. Intelligent automation is an advanced form of automation that harnesses AI (artificial intelligence) technologies and software robotics to simplify and expedite a business’s operational processes. Unlike other forms of automation, which require programming for each specific task at hand, intelligent automation “learns” as it goes, adapting to changing conditions without the need for additional programming. In this way, IA machines are able to “reason” through and make various decisions rather than simply follow commands.

What Does Intelligent Automation Mean for Healthcare?

Studies show that each year, the healthcare industry processes 30 billion transactions at a cost of 250 billion dollars. That’s a lot of money, as well as a lot of time. Intelligent automation allows healthcare companies and providers to accelerate their operational and administrative processes so that their most valuable assets — human employees — can focus on tasks that better maximize (and capitalize on) their skills. So, what is intelligent automation in healthcare? Put simply, it’s a way to save time and make money.

What are Some Applications of Intelligent Automation in Healthcare?

Here at Amitech, we help clients implement intelligent automation processes for tasks like — but not limited to — these:

• Prior Authorizations and Claims Management — Intelligent automation can be used to verify insurance and authorize services, eliminating the need for humans to manually check the record(s) of each and every patient who needs to be seen. With access to EHRs, an intelligent automation system can review, verify and approve a patient’s eligibility for certain procedures and services at machine speed. It can also substantiate medical insurance coverage and follow claims as the patient moves through the healthcare system.
  
  
• Scheduling and Registration — With intelligent automation, healthcare agencies can quickly match patients with providers, schedule appointments, and issue reminders without the need for human intervention. Indeed, this type of automation software means healthcare providers are able to automatically fill their schedules whenever there are vacancies and unexpected cancellations, not just when an admin has time to make a call.
  
• Medical Billing and Coding — One of the major problems with medical billing and coding is human error. Intelligent automation can be used to glean information from data records and designate the proper ICD code(s) for insurance and billing. Research shows that automation reduces ICD errors, thereby reducing denied claims, avoiding resubmissions, and ultimately increasing revenue.
  
  
• Data Management — Keeping patient records up-to-date is one of the most time-consuming components of healthcare. Intelligent automation allows providers and other healthcare businesses to spontaneously populate data into patients’ EHRs. Information from intake and registration forms, as well as that taken from records compiled by other agencies and providers, can all be consolidated and uploaded into one comprehensive patient record using an intelligent automation system. Furthermore, because IA technology can scan and extract data from images (not just text), records are even more complete!
  
  

The Amitech Advantage

What is intelligent automation? It’s the best way to speed up processing times, reduce errors and, ultimately, improve patient care! The above tasks are just a few of the ways in which Amitech helps clients use intelligent automation to maximize time and money in a healthcare setting. To learn more about using intelligent automation to improve your own processes, please contact Amitech today.