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Last year, researchers looked at the directories of the nation’s five largest health plans and found that four out of five entries were inaccurate. This is more than a minor inconvenience. It’s a financial blackhole for all stakeholders and a disruption, if not a complete obstruction, to patient care.
Over 50% of all patients use a health plan’s provider directory to select a physician, yet persistently incorrect provider data undermines the entire system. Value-based care puts patient health and well-being front and center, but when patients can’t find the provider information they need, whether it’s a phone number or address, it causes them to delay or forgo care altogether, face unexpected medical bills, and struggle to find the appropriate healthcare services.
Healthcare is a data-driven industry, but it’s held together by incompatible, siloed data systems. Providers and payers need the ability to exchange data and update directories in real time; otherwise, they cannot ensure patients will access the high-quality care they deserve. Automation isn’t just about decreasing administrative spending and improving operational efficiency, although it does that in spades. It helps clinicians provide high-quality care by correctly matching patients with the appropriate providers.