Introduction to Workflow Templates

Create repeatable and predictable processes.

• A Workflow is a set of Tasks.
• A Workflow Template determines the Tasks that will be in the Workflows after they get triggered.  
• Configure Workflow Templates related to business processes you want to track and manage. 
• Workflows let you track and manage almost any process in your company.  And creates a repeatable and predictable process where all staff know what to do, when and how.

Incremental roll-out

• We recommend creating 1 or 2 Workflow Templates to get started.  After you and your staff are comfortable, go ahead and create 3+ workflows.  This is an incremental roll-out approach.
• With a slow roll out you understand how Workflows work.  And your staff can start to use them.  If anything in needs to be improved, you can do that in the next workflows. 
• Use the Workflow in only a few, selected facilities to get started.  Get feedback from users, make improvement, and only then, roll it out to all facilities. 
  
  

Which Workflows should I create first?

Start with Workflows that relate to Cash Collection and AR.

Think of all the efforts and processes in your AR Department, RCM team and company. Divide them into the following categories.  Start with workflows related to:

• 1. Improving cash and AR ... then ...
  2. Improving Back Office, Operations, and Processes ... then ...
  3. Improving Reporting and visibility
• The reason for this order is that management and staff feel good about collecting extra cash, and usually it's critical to the business's bottom line. 
• Within Cash Collection and AR, pick a larger payer or AR bucket, and you're pretty confident it can be improved/collected.  
• Find your company's existing "workflows" by looking in shared Spreadsheets or other ad-hoc "trackers".  Then convert them to a Workflow Template.
  
  

Tips for Configuring Workflows

Tasks

• Write Tasks as commands.  Write “Submit auth request”, not “Auth request is submitted” 
• Consolidate Tasks to keep the Task count low.  
  • For example, these 3 steps “Complete Auth form, submit on Portal, enter verification number in PCC” can all be in 1 Task called "Process Auth Form"
  • If you need, add the extra detail in the “Task Description (How to)”.  This will help new hires quickly what to do, and how.
    
  • Also, by keeping the Task count low will prevent Staff feeling overwhelmed with "too many Tasks"
• Break apart Tasks if you need to... 
  • Track each step separately.  If you need to monitor the status of each step in a process, then break apart the Tasks.  This way, Task 1 can be in "Working" status. Task 2 can be in "Done" status. And Task 3 can be in "Stuck" status for example.
  • Assign each step to a different person.  If each step must be performed by someone else, then create a Task for each step, so that you can assign each Task to a different Owner.
  • Assign a different Due Date for each Task.  Each Task can have it's own Due Date.  

Owners

• Use positions for Owners, rather than individual names.   
  • For example, when configuring an Owner rule, use "Biller for the Facility" rather than "Sally Smith".  
  • And use role-based emails (or email aliases) to identify staff, rather than an individual email address. For example, biller1@company.com, not sally@company.com. 
  • The benefit is that if Sally Smith leaves your company you will not need to re-assign her Tasks to her successor.  Instead, her successor will just take over the biller1@company.com email address (or alias) and continue where Sally left off. 

Trigger Rules

• Use the exact Payer Type and Payer Description as it appears in the AR Aging.
  • Copy the Payer names exactly as their appear in your EMR or copy from your AR Aging.  And paste them into the Trigger rule.  This way our developers will know exactly which payers you're talking about. 
  • Be sure to paste and include special characters and trailing spaces, like "BCBS Florida*" (trailing star), "BCBS Florida " (trailing space)

Examples of Workflow Templates

Below is a listing of sample Workflow Templates that other customers have used.  Use this list to inspire you about the Workflows you can configure.

1. Accounts Receivable Training
2. Action Summary Report
3. Adjustments
4. Admissions
5. Admissions IL
6. Admissions MT
7. Admissions SD
8. AR 121-150
9. AR 151-360
10. AR 361+
11. AR 91-120
12. AR Commercial
13. AR Litigation
14. AR Motor Vehicle
15. AR Workers Compensation
16. Assessment Workflow
17. Assisted Living Aging (Managed)
18. Authorization
19. Authorization issue
20. Benefits
21. Check Register Review
22. Clean up balances
23. Co-Insurance Aging
24. Co-Insurance Census
25. Commercial
26. Commercial Flat Rate
27. Credentialing
28. Eligibility Transaction Report
29. Get Continuing Auth
30. Hospice Billing
31. Insurance Co-Insurance Aging
32. Intake Workflow
33. Lead Workflow
34. Managed Care
35. Managed Care (OT Part B)
36. Managed Care (Part B)
37. Managed MCD Aging
38. Managed Medicaid Aging
39. MCD Aging
40. MCD Hospice
41. MCD Pending Aging
42. Medicaid Aging
43. Medicaid Census
44. Medicaid Pending Aging
45. Medicaid Pending Census
46. Medicaid Pending Tracking - FL
47. Medicare (A and B) Aging
48. Medicare Aging
49. Medicare Census
50. Medicare Replacement
51. MMAI
52. Month end close
53. NOMNC Form
54. Patient AR
55. Patient liability
56. Patient Liability Aging
57. Payer change
58. Private Pay Admission
59. Private Pay Aging
60. Private Pay Census
61. Private Pay Refund
62. Staff Onboarding
63. Therapy Aging
64. Timely filing
65. Timely Filing Followup
66. Timely filing Medicare
67. Triple Check
68. Vent Admission
69. Vent Discharge
70. Waiting for payment
71. Weekly Eligibility Check
72. Writeoff Consideration