Authored by: Zach Tabor
Every organization has mundane, repetitive tasks that slow workers and interfere with productivity. While technology can speed up many of these processes, far too many still rely on manual efforts.
RPA in healthcare helps solve this problem and is directly linked to higher profits, according to a recent survey by Frost & Sullivan.
But what is RPA, and how does it help?
Robotic Process Automation, RPA, uses “bots” to emulate human actions. These bots quickly and accurately conduct rules-based processes that are repetitive, time-consuming, and data-intensive if one were to complete them manually. With healthcare organizations managing more data than ever, this offers a critical advantage.
For example, the report explains that:
- Wearables and apps, telehealth, and mHealth, as well as population studies and data from trials, are increasing the amount of information providers and insurers are using.
- The market for healthcare analytics will double to nearly $39 billion by 2023, showing that the industry is moving quickly to modernize and better utilize data.
Understanding the uses of RPA in healthcare and how it’s linked to profitability as well as overcoming common hurdles can help set your organization on the path to greater productivity and profitability.
How RPA in healthcare drives success
The Frost Sullivan survey evaluated the top business goals supported by RPA. Among the most cited were “digital transformation” and “business efficiency.”
The survey revealed that:
- Over half of respondents (57%) included process efficiency as one of their top three perceived benefits of RPA.
- Workflow automation, which is closely tied to process automation, was the most often cited RPA capability.
However, the RPA healthcare benefits go beyond process optimization, with innovation being the third most important goal supported by RPA in the survey. It appears that freeing workers from time-consuming, mundane tasks also creates more time for innovation.
RPA in healthcare, profitability, and potential use cases
According to the study, companies with intense RPA usage across 7+ departments had profits that outperformed other respondents in the survey. However, even those with mild to moderate usage still experienced a 10% profit increase.
But how exactly are healthcare organizations using RPA? The most common use cases include IT information services and claims processing. Other popular uses include:
- Patient billing. Forty-five percent of those surveyed have already implemented RPA for this function, and 19% plan to in the next 24 months.
- Report capture. Forty percent of those surveyed have already implemented RPA for this function, and 18% plan to in the next 24 months.
- File digitization. Thirty-seven percent of those surveyed have already implemented RPA for this function, and 31% plan to in the next 24 months.
- Records management. Thirty-seven percent of those surveyed have already implemented RPA for this function, and 21% plan to in the next 24 months.
- Appointment and procedure scheduling. Thirty-five percent of those surveyed have already implemented RPA for this function, and 24% plan to in the next 24 months.
How organizations get stuck adopting RPA in healthcare
While research shows a powerful connection between RPA medical industry use and profit growth, many get stuck when considering implementation. Common challenges include worries about costs, security, and compliance. The good news is that all of these concerns are addressable when you have an effective partner by your side.
And remember, you don’t need to boil the ocean. You can start small. One of the most common uses of RPA in healthcare is to help with claims processes. Look at some of the more popular use cases, evaluate your workflows, and see where RPA could make sense. Then, test one use case, measure results, and check the impact on profitability.
And if you need help, get in touch. We’d love to guide you.
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