How Outsourcing Facilitates Flexible Healthcare Operations for Phoenix Businesses

A third-party service provider with offshore operations can significantly bolster the operational flexibility of healthcare companies in Phoenix.

But why do medical companies and organizations in Arizona’s primary healthcare hub need flexibility? How can third-party vendors help them adapt to the dynamic, complex, and competitive industry? 

This article explores the healthcare industry in Arizona’s most populous city. It also discusses the benefits of flexibility and the ways local companies can achieve flexible healthcare operations through offshore outsourcing.

Keep reading to learn how a BPO company in Phoenix can help your business thrive!

The Need for Flexibility in Phoenix Healthcare Operations

Medical organizations and systems must adapt and respond effectively to the industry’s changing conditions, needs, and challenges. They require flexible operations to effectively navigate the challenges and demands influencing the Phoenix healthcare industry.

Expanding Population 

Phoenix’s population has increased during the last decade. Based on the U.S. Census Bureau report, the number of people living in the Phoenix metro area rose from 4.2 million in 2010 to  4.8 million in 2020. The group of individuals under 18 declined to 23.5%, while those older than 65 climbed to 16.6%.

These figures indicate a looming challenge for practitioners. Increased demand for healthcare services results from having more residents and an aging population. However, the patient surge might pressure the industry’s assets, infrastructure, and other valuable resources.

Aggressive Marketplace 

The Valley has seen the establishment of more renowned healthcare providers and medical educational institutions, including Barrow Neurological Institute, Banner Health, the University of Arizona College of Medicine, and Mayo Clinic. Additionally, Park Central and Midtown Phoenix were officially designated bioscience centers, drawing more companies of different types. 

With an increasing volume of patients and competition from clinics, hospitals, and specialized facilities, Phoenix healthcare operations must be flexible and innovative to differentiate organizations amidst a bustling and vibrant sector.

Regulatory Requirements

Navigating complex regulations at the federal and state levels can be daunting for medical practitioners. The Affordable Care Act (ACA), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), Medicaid regulations, and Arizona-specific medical plans impact Phoenix healthcare operations. These policies govern patient privacy, reimbursement, delivery, and more.

Following these laws is vital to avoid legal and financial consequences. Phoenix healthcare businesses must maintain compliance with these evolving regulations while remaining flexible to provide superior patient care. 

The Benefits of Flexibility in Healthcare Operations

Flexibility is critical for healthcare operations in Phoenix to survive and grow in a diverse and competitive industry.

Consider some benefits of flexibility in healthcare activities:

• Responsive patient care. Adaptable healthcare organizations can adjust quickly to changes in patient requirements and requests. This capacity guarantees that patients receive prompt care for improved well-being.
• Adjustable resources. The Phoenix population fluctuates yearly due to seasonal factors. Flexibility allows healthcare providers to adjust staffing and resources accordingly, preventing overstaffing during off-peak seasons and understaffing during peak times.
• Cost-efficient operations. Flexible operations allow healthcare businesses to manage resources efficiently, eliminating unnecessary spending. Modifying employee size and services per demand can minimize overspending on personnel and facilities.
• Improved patient satisfaction. Flexibility frequently equates to shorter wait times, quicker access to care, and better patient experiences. Patients who are satisfied with their healthcare providers are more likely to commit to their treatment regimens and endorse their clinics and physicians to others.
• Enhanced emergency response. Adaptable healthcare operations can swiftly handle an influx of patients during an emergency. This ability is critical for public health emergencies, natural catastrophes, and unanticipated epidemics.
• Innovative practices. Thanks to flexible operations, healthcare providers can embrace and incorporate modern technology and techniques into their offerings. These features can potentially boost patient care and treatment alternatives.
• Quick regulatory compliance. Healthcare rules are constantly changing. Flexible operations enable medical organizations to respond quickly to regulatory changes while remaining compliant, reducing the risk of legal challenges.
• High staff morale and retention. Flexible work options can improve staff morale and job satisfaction, contributing to higher retention rates and a more engaged workforce.
• Competitive advantage: Healthcare businesses that adjust to changing conditions quickly and efficiently have a competitive edge. They are more likely to fulfill their patient groups’ changing requirements.

Achieving Flexible Healthcare Operations Through Outsourcing

Medical companies can attain flexible and agile healthcare operations through outsourcing, enabling them to address market, demographic, and regulatory challenges while concentrating on patient care. 

Healthcare process outsourcing encompasses many services, each critical to medical practices’ operation. Let us examine the areas in which medical organizations can have flexible healthcare operations through outsourcing.

Compliance and Regulatory Assistance 

Phoenix companies can accomplish flexible healthcare operations by outsourcing compliance support, which includes monitoring and maintaining adherence to relevant legislation. Noncompliance can result in punishment, legal issues, and reputational damage. 

Assigning compliance and regulatory aid to service providers benefits clinical practitioners in the following ways:

• Stay current on developments in healthcare law and regulations
• Identify and correct compliance issues via regular audits
• Establish and enforce compliance policies and procedures
• Reduce the possibility of legal or regulatory complications

Credentialing and Provider Enrollment

Credentialing and provider enrollment are critical for healthcare professionals. These processes involve evaluating medical providers’ qualifications and competence when billing for services through insurers and government initiatives.

Subcontracting credentialing and provider enrollment can allow healthcare providers to accomplish the following:

• Handle the lengthy and complex certification process
• Check if providers are permitted to bill for services
• Reduce reimbursement bottlenecks caused by credentialing issues
• Follow the insurance company’s guidelines

IT Services and EHR Management

Phoenix organizations can carry out flexible healthcare operations through information technology (IT) outsourcing. As the industry becomes more digital, effective administration of IT platforms and electronic health records (EHRs) grows more complex. The same IT infrastructure must support medical operations, data security, and legal compliance.

By outsourcing IT services and EHR administration, healthcare companies can:

• Safeguard IT systems and ensure operability
• Guarantee HIPAA and other data security rules are followed
• Obtain assistance from healthcare technology professionals
• Reserve in-house IT personnel for more valuable tasks

Logistics and Transportation 

Adequate transportation and logistics management is integral to patient care in specialized healthcare situations, including transportation services or home care.

Healthcare facilities achieve the following benefits from outsourcing transportation and logistics:

• Facilitate the scheduling and dispatching of transportation services
• Ensure that patients attend and depart from medical appointments on time
• Optimize the overall efficiency of healthcare logistical operations

Medical Answering Services

Hospitals and clinics in Phoenix can maintain flexible healthcare operations by outsourcing medical answering services. Patients want healthcare assistance outside regular business hours; medical answering solutions fill that void. Patients can utilize these 24-hour services to book appointments, inquire about services, or reach service providers in a crisis.

Outsourcing medical answering services to a BPO vendor for convenience can benefit healthcare providers in the following ways:

• Assure that patients can call healthcare providers anytime
• Make appointments and answer inquiries as soon as possible
• Attend to urgent questions professionally and sympathetically
• Improve patient well-being by being approachable and helpful

Medical Billing and Coding

Medical billing and coding are critical components of healthcare administration. Medical organizations earn adequate reimbursement for services when invoicing is accurate and timely. These complex operations, however, require a complete understanding of coding systems, insurance standards, and payment procedures.

The duties can be outsourced to BPO firms for efficiency, allowing healthcare providers to:

• Maintain accurate coding and billing reports
• Cut down on claim denials and reimbursement delays
• Adapt to changing billing requirements
• Empower in-house personnel to focus on patient care

Medical Equipment Maintenance

Phoenix-based medical practices can achieve flexible healthcare operations by outsourcing medical equipment maintenance. This function is vital to preserving the safety and effectiveness of healthcare services. It includes regular inspections, repairs, and compliance with regulatory standards.

Allowing a BPO business to manage medical equipment maintenance has several advantages, including:

• Supporting the safe and seamless operation of medical equipment and machinery
• Observing mandatory maintenance and service standards
• Minimizing equipment downtime and disruptions in patient care
• Increasing the utility of sophisticated medical equipment

Medical Records Management

Dealing with medical records is an indispensable duty for healthcare providers. It securely stores, maintains, and utilizes patient records, including EHRs and physical documents.

Delegating medical records administration tasks to a third-party provider is advantageous to clinical practitioners in the following ways:

• Make more physical space available in hospitals and clinics
• Protect the confidentiality and security of patient records
• Enhance the structure and accessibility of patient data
• Contribute to the digitalization of documents

Medical Research and Data Analysis

Valley clinics can run flexible healthcare operations by outsourcing medical research and data analysis. These services must keep up with recent drugs, treatments, surgical techniques, and healthcare developments. Experimental studies, outcome analyses, and data-driven choices are essential for research projects.

Transferring medical research and data analysis to BPO firms enables healthcare practitioners to:

• Learn about medical research and get specific knowledge and experience
• Conduct clinical trials and studies effectively
• Examine patient data for improved outcomes
• Build evidence-based patient care methods

Medical Transcription

Reliable and systematic patient documentation is necessary to deliver high-quality care. Medical transcription is the process of converting physician dictations and notes into written records.

Outsourcing transcription services to BPO companies provides medical professionals with the following advantages:

• Keep accurate and well-organized patient records 
• Reduce the amount of time and effort required for manual transcription
• Offer HIPAA-compliant, secure data processing systems
• Allow client companies to zero in on patient care rather than administrative tasks

Medication and Pharmacy Administration

Phoenix medical organizations can attain flexible healthcare operations through outsourcing pharmacy and medication management. Some healthcare firms, particularly those in long-term care facilities, might be obligated to provide pharmaceutical services to patients. Medications must be delivered accurately and on schedule to ensure patient safety.

Delegating pharmacy and drug management tasks can help medical organizations in:

• Raising medication dependability and adherence
• Preventing medication errors
• Ensuring that patients’ medications are administered on time
• Strengthening patient safety and treatment quality 

Patient Feedback and Assessments 

Collecting and understanding patient feedback improves healthcare operations. Patient input and polling techniques give information on their experiences and future possibilities.

Allowing a service vendor to administer patient surveys and gather feedback can benefit medical organizations and healthcare providers by:

• Capturing pertinent patient feedback 
• Examining areas where care delivery can be enhanced
• Improving patient happiness and commitment
• Gauging performance using defined parameters

Revenue Cycle Management (RCM)

Phoenix medical companies can fulfill flexible healthcare operations by outsourcing RCM tasks. The revenue cycle covers everything from patient registration and appointment scheduling to claim processing and collection. Proper RCM must be implemented so that medical practices remain financially stable.

Third-party vendors assist healthcare providers in simplifying RCM procedures by:

• Decreasing administrative staff work volume
• Boosting cash flow by quickly handling claims 
• Reducing claim errors and rejections

Staffing Services

Healthcare professionals might need assistance with staffing concerns due to unexpectedly high employee attrition or patient demand. Outsourcing human resources (HR) requirements can help providers function with less difficulty.

Medical providers can reap the following advantages by outsourcing staffing solutions:

• Fill open roles immediately with experienced third-party workers
• Sustain service continuity in the face of labor shortage.
• Hire temporary nursing, medical, or administrative workers, if necessary
• Ensure high levels of care delivery

More Flexible Healthcare Operations Through Offshore Outsourcing 

Working with a Phoenix-based healthcare business process outsourcing (BPO) provider can improve flexibility in one or more of the critical back-end functions listed above. This statement is especially true if the chosen BPO partner has offshore operations.

An offshore BPO team works on another continent far from the Phoenix healthcare organization. For example, an elderly care center in downtown Phoenix outsources administrative chores to third-party professionals in the Philippines.

Third-party vendors offer healthcare BPO services. They hire competent virtual medical specialists, assistants, and other professionals to assist client companies with numerous back-office activities.

Check the following advantages when considering the healthcare processes in BPO:

Minimal Medical Coding and Billing Mistakes for Improved Collections

Phoenix medical organizations can achieve more flexible healthcare operations by outsourcing coding and billing services offshore. Third-party professionals are trained to tackle intricate and time-consuming insurance claims. They work on these receivables precisely and adequately to enable healthcare providers to receive timely payments.

Outsourcing medical coding and billing leads to the following upsides: 

• Elevated patient experience. Correct billing entices patients and motivates them to agree to service prices. Patient satisfaction increases profitability by decreasing payment defaults. 
• Faster growth. A larger capital enables medical institutions to expand their facilities and enhance patient care and service.
• Improved staff morale. Better payment collection results in additional revenue. It also reduces work for the in-house staff, lessening the need for overtime. Better work-life balance and extra rewards reduce employee attrition.

Low-priced, Dependable Remote Workers to Enhance Income

Phoenix medical institutions can accomplish more flexible healthcare operations by outsourcing third-party remote professionals offshore. For example, third-party teams from the Philippines have lower labor costs, allowing them to offer cost-effective services and a skilled remote workforce proficient in healthcare outsourcing tasks.

The table below shows the medical assistant wages in the Philippines and Phoenix, Arizona (U.S.) and demonstrates the significant cost savings of offshore outsourcing.

The Philippine data is sourced from Salary Explorer, and the Phoenix, Arizona (U.S.) figures are from Indeed. For consistency, the Salary Explorer amount was changed from Philippine pesos (PHP) to U.S. dollars ($).

Compare the Philippine and Phoenix wages. Based on the data, outsourcing a medical assistant from the Philippines can save $2,885.03 monthly. Note that these figures are approximations. For precise cost breakdowns and fees, consult a BPO provider.

Lower Ongoing Expenses to Increase the Main Budget

With decreased operating costs, businesses in Phoenix can achieve more flexible healthcare operations through offshore outsourcing. In contrast, running an internal back-end group can be hectic, costly, and stressful. 

Discover how offshoring can control running costs and channel the extra funds to core initiatives: 

• Office spaces, physical assets, and digital resources. With outsourcing, you no longer need to acquire equipment, applications, and upgrades or expand facilities to accommodate additional staff.
• Hiring. Obtaining BPO services for healthcare diminishes staffing expenses. The BPO provider shoulders costly and extensive recruitment activities (e.g., job advertisements, applicant screening, employee orientation, and training).
• Salary and other compensation. Full-time medical staff receive fixed salaries regardless of the organization’s financial health. They cover overtime pay, taxes, and non-monetary benefits, including holidays and sick leaves.

Firm Policy and Standard Compliance to Avoid Severe Sanctions

Updates in federal rules and industry standards impact Phoenix healthcare organizations. Regulation violations mean facing sanctions, restrictions, lawsuits, and reputational harm. 

Working with an offshore BPO team enables data security and compliance. It is one way Phoenix medical institutions can obtain flexible healthcare operations through offshore outsourcing.

A third-party provider monitors the following medical rules:

• The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the most stringent ruling, compelling organizations doing business in the European Union to keep customer information safe for up to five years.
• HIPAA is a federal statute that prevents the unauthorized sharing of patient health information and ensures individuals’ data privacy. Recent HIPAA infractions have occurred in Phoenix.

Intensified Cybersecurity Processes to Safeguard Critical Data

Medical organizations likely use modern healthcare IT solutions to facilitate patient care. However, they might lack competence in data security to manage IT systems properly.

When partnering with an offshore third-party team, protecting private medical information is possible owing to its technical expertise. Thus, Phoenix clinical providers can receive secure and flexible healthcare operations through offshore outsourcing. 

BPO companies utilize the following to safeguard healthcare data: 

• More knowledgeable IT professionals. Third-party specialists are often called to address threats, including scams, data theft, and breaches. In-house IT staff can collaborate with them to grasp new cybersecurity tactics.
• Nonstop cybersecurity monitoring. 80% of small business websites in Phoenix have unknown vulnerabilities due to weak protection. BPO firms employ round-the-clock cybersecurity measures to defend against unexpected cyberattacks.

The Bottom Line

Outsourcing is now a strategic need for Phoenix healthcare organizations aiming to broaden operational flexibility. 

By harnessing the expertise of BPO providers and their cost-effective remote professionals, medical organizations can navigate the complex and competitive healthcare landscape with better flexibility. 

Outsourcing also empowers these businesses to focus on their core competencies while enhancing the quality of patient care. It remains vital for maintaining flexibility amid the healthcare sector’s ongoing evolution.

Let’s connect if you want to learn more about achieving flexible healthcare operations through outsourcing for Phoenix medical businesses!