Automation, machine learning and generative AI are among the things three Healthcare Financial Management Association MAP-award-winning revenue cycle leaders told Becker's they are most excited about right now.
John Maschger, vice president of revenue cycle at Liberty (Mo.) Hospital, said that automation and machine learning will "enable us to move away from the traditional method of asking for more staff resources to efficiently manage our operations."
"Additionally, it will enable our staff to work more effectively, as we have seen with other industries. While some initial results have been disappointing in the stated deliverables, I still believe we must embrace and evolve toward this technology in order to offset the ever-increasing reimbursement cuts and retain high-quality staff within the revenue cycle," he said.
Girish Dighe, PharmD, system vice president of revenue cycle at Columbus-based OhioHealth, said automation is ripe with opportunities for innovation. Whether it's AI machine learning or other types of algorithms that help drive automation, like robotic process automation, it's about trying to find the right pieces of the puzzle.
"That it's not one-size-fits-all is exciting to me, and I love working with a team that is able to think innovatively with me and think big picture," he said.
Brad Gibson, vice president of revenue cycle and treasurer of Houston-based University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, said he is excited about the possibilities of technologies such as generative AI and assistant tools that help streamline certain processes.
"I think we have to wait to see if those actually play out," he said. "Ultimately, we're here to serve cancer patients and make their journey and experiences better. And we think that these types of tools do have some promise."
More broadly in healthcare, Mr. Gibson said he is excited about the discoveries that MD Anderson's researchers are making and the future of cancer care and treatments.
Dr. Dighe said healthcare is ready to think about the consumer in a different way, such as how they want to be met.
"And to make it very seamless is a truly exciting opportunity," he said. "At the end of the day, patient care, quality and safety are still the primary focus, but I think the consumer has more of a say of what they want to see. And I think it's exciting for us to try to meet those needs. And I think that's why I love what I do."