IPE Streamlines Outpatient Services

The Ideal Patient Experience (IPE) Project established the ambulatory patient experience as a focal point of a front-end redesign to enhance outpatient revenue. IPE, designed to streamline front-end administrative processes surrounding outpatient appointments, is now known as “Improved Patient Experience,” to better signify ongoing improvement of customer service and patient flow through a more flexible approach adaptable to various specialties and subspecialties.

The IPE team, comprised of BWH and BWPO operations, information technology, and finance employees, is deeply committed to partnering with the outpatient practices to create a patient encounter that is more standardized, pleasant and consistent with the world-class health care for which BWH is known.

IPE is enjoying increased momentum thanks to several new technological tools including IDX Front Desk, practice cash collection technology that enables direct input of point of service cash collections into the IDX physician billing system, all of which allows for more timely account updates and less reconciliation. Another new tool is the Brigham Referral Registration System, (BRS), a Web-based reconciliation system that provides the Patient Service Center and practices with online tracking and resolving outstanding patient registration and referral issues. The Mini Web Registration System allows users to easily capture key demographic and insurance information for new patients and to update information for existing patients without data entry.

This fall, PHS has brought together four teams to discuss the revenue cycle and how a common revenue system could improve the process. Standardization will include a common revenue system, vision and corporate standards.

Successful implementation of the IPE program depends upon physicians, staff and hospital leadership working together to provide the best possible ambulatory experience for our patients.