Automation, RPA, AI… it seems these are the buzzwords of 2019. Many leaders, inside and outside of healthcare, have indicated interest in applying automation as part of their organization’s strategic goals, and why not? Get more done with less, sign me up! As hospitals and patient care organizations are increasingly implementing enterprise EHRs and dealing with ever-changing government, state, and insurance mandates, automation becomes a great partner to bridge the gaps left by the big vendors, allowing more time to take care of patients and manage related services.
Despite the increase in news coverage and conversations about automation, it seems there is still a lot of confusion around what automation actually is, the capabilities of automation, and the myths surrounding it. Let’s take a look at some of the most common myths.
Myth 1: Automation Only Works Well For Simple, Repetitive Tasks
There is no denying automation works great for simple, repetitive tasks, but it doesn’t stop there. Automation can be applied to work across applications, websites, programs, databases, and more, using various inputs, converting data, and even using complex business logic and decision-making to meet the needs of your healthcare organization. At a high-level, automation follows the same process and steps as an employee performing the manual workflow, and is capable of performing just a few steps to several hundred steps. Automation can be leveraged to perform a portion of a workflow or the entire workflow, and can do so 10 times faster and 100 times more accurately, with no down time for nights, holidays, or weekends.
Myth 2: The Majority of Automation Projects Fail
While this may be partially true, the statistics are not the same across vendors or industries. Most studies conclude projects fail because they do not accurately identify a specific business objective that automation can solve. Furthermore, automating poor processes or processes with a low ROI are the ones most likely to fail. At Boston Software Systems, we do things differently. With 30 years of healthcare-focused automation experience, we have a proven track record and thousands of successful automations running every day. We partner with your organization to determine the best projects for automation. Having an exclusive healthcare footprint provides us with a unique advantage over other vendors as we understand your processes, the importance of protecting patient data, and the strong standards necessary for automation success.
Myth 3: It’s Mad Science
This myth is often promoted by automation vendors who claim they invented some game-changing technology in recent years. Truth be told, automation has been used for decades to help organizations increase productivity. It is more capable and more accurate today than at any time in the past. Not mad science, just evolved and proven technology to interact with your applications and perform the same workflows as your employees, but faster and with greater accuracy. With advancements in AI in the next several years, automations will only become more advanced and powerful to accomplish larger and more complex tasks.
Myth 4: Automation Doesn’t Work with Your EHR
This simply isn’t true. At Boston Software Systems we have worked with nearly every EHR vendor large and small, and many other vendors’ ancillary systems in all departments, including revenue cycle and finance, human resources, and operations. Automation helps staff and providers to bridge the gaps left by system vendors who don’t deliver on interoperability claims, leaving providers and staff struggling to complete time-consuming manual workflows. Not only does automation work with your EHR, it maximizes the usability of your applications from day one of go-live.
Myth 5: Automation is Difficult To Manage, Maintain, and Requires Coding Experience
While our automations are based on coding language, advancements in user-facing applications allow for easy scripting of processes and “low code” use for build and maintenance. Most often the best automation builders are those who are close with the business process being automated and do not have extensive technical or coding backgrounds. Our automation platform is scalable and as your organization builds a library of automations, the effort to build new automations continues to decrease. Dashboard integration allows easy monitoring and management of automations from a central point along with powerful reporting that allows your team to always be in control and aware of all automation processing. Should assistance be needed, solutions and support teams are 100% US-based and available to assist with all of your needs.
Don’t be fooled or intimidated by the myths, automation is a powerful tool, enabling you to accomplish more, for less cost, and with greater accuracy. With the right automation partner who understands your healthcare organization’s unique needs and workflows, and has a proven track record for success, you’re just a phone call or email away from boosting your organization’s productivity.
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About Boston Software Systems
Since 1985, Boston Software Systems is the dedicated leader in healthcare automation. Hospitals, health systems, and providers have streamlined data management and improved accuracy while reducing costs and administrative burden. We have worked with all of the leading EHR vendors, while optimizing usability and user satisfaction.
Our exclusive healthcare experience offers a thorough understanding of the unique challenges of HIPAA, PHI, and security. We have thousands of connections working with all applications and vendor systems, and provide 100% US-based support.