HIM Services Performance 2015
Coding, Transcription, Release of Information

1. OUTSOURCED CODING OXFORD HIM AND UASI EXCEED QUALITY AND PROBLEM-RESOLUTION EXPECTATIONS

Oxford HIM tops the market with exceptional coders and attentive customer service. UASI demonstrates scalability, effective problem resolution, and a deep bench of resources, exceeding quality expectations. Although himagine has the largest bench in coding services, one-third of customers report coder inefficiency. Optum360 has a high percentage of clients using offshore resources with high productivity. Lower performer Peak receives rave reviews for accessible leadership, but several clients report poor quality coders. IOD serves many large organizations but struggles to deliver high quality coders to all.

State of Outsourced Coding

"It is a challenge to find really good, experienced coders. They are very hard to find; there isn't enough of them. So if one of my hospitals needs a lot of coders and IOD has 90 days because these people just are not out there. I am not happy that that happens, but I can't really ding IOD for that because if I posted the jobs, I wouldn't find anybody either. Coding is a very scarce skill set. I guess that is more of an industry problem than IT problem." -HIM Manager

2. TRANSCRIPTION EXCEPTIONAL QUALITY ASSURANCE SEPARATES PRECYSE FROM OTHERS

Frequent communication, strong partnership, and a QA process that highlights potential discrepancies propel Precyse as a performance leader. “I don’t even follow transcription anymore because we never have any problems.” Precyse is considered a strong HIM partner for their multiple service offerings. iMedX is both the second highest and the lowest performer. TransTech clients report little negative impact from the iMedX acquisition due to TransTech’s proactive client focus, but Superior customers have experienced a disruption in service, leading to a significant drop in satisfaction and trust. Nuance clients praise consistent delivery and the value of getting services and speech technology from the same vendor. Acusis delivers fast problem resolution, and while TAT is met for all clients, 20% struggle with quality due to language barriers with offshore resources. MModal delivers on TAT and quality, but the number of blanks in transcripts is higher than expected. FutureNet demonstrates a highly personal touch, attentive customer service, and excellent QA.

3. RELEASE OF INFORMATION (ROI) HEALTHPORT AND IOD MERGING; MARKET SHARE UNDERDOG MRO LEADS IN PERFORMANCE

MRO leads in ROI performance, though they have a relatively small industry footprint. Their clients praise their exceptional quality and have confidence in MRO’s industry knowledge. MRO and IOD both provide technology that integrates well with EMRs, and IOD is praised for effective training and flexibility in replacing resources on short notice. HealthPort, who will merge with IOD in 2015, holds by far the largest market share and engages with much larger clients. Most customers receive knowledgeable resources and report very high value from their services. However, 20% of HealthPort clients report unmet quality and turnaround time expectations stemming from high resource turnover, improper releases, and missed information on records.

Designer
Natalie Jamison