The hospital ecosystem is indeed a complex and dynamic one, and anything that goes haywire has sweeping consequences and ramifications. The impact is immense and can jeopardise an entire chain of administrative activities that are connected intricately at the grass root level. But fortunately, there is a solution that can prevent both the staff and the patients of the hospital from facing unwarranted consequences. The use of a hospital billing software can serve the very purpose of streamlining the entire administrative process and managing patient discharges meticulously. As a consequence, the patient throughput gets improved, and you also win the trust and confidence of patients.

Why Do Patient Discharges Get Delayed?

It is imperative to understand the reasons for delayed patient discharges, which is also known as bed blocking. Let us understand things practically. There are four primary things that directly influence the discharge process. The time taken for bill preparation, bill settlement, handing over of final discharge summary, and the patient to vacate the room can delay the process. The process of bill preparation requires the user or operator to ensure that all the things advised are covered and nothing is missed. The second step, i.e., bill settlement process involves certain more steps such a processing the payment using different payment methods.

The nursing department takes time to update the billing sheet, and then the same must be reflected when checked in the billing module. The final consolidated bill is then verified by taking into account whatever is advised from the pharmacy, radiology department, and laboratory.

How Discharge Summary Preparation Affects Discharge Time?

Discharge summary preparation adds up to the total time taken and does cause the delay in the discharge process. The physician in the hospital prepares the initial discharge summary. The typing pool then creates a rough draft and then the same is edited to create a fair summary, which is then endorsed by the doctor. The process is repeated in case there are any flaws, or any extra information is required.

This is usual scenario prevailing in hospitals that are making use of an HMS software. But, despite a sincere approach or effort to ensure that the discharges happen on time, there are certain more factors that can drop the ball. It is noticed that there are both assignable causes and chance causes for the delay.

Patient Related Factors That Delay Hospital Discharges

The patients themselves can be one of the main causes for the delay. The slowness or emotionally weak moments or the family members may cause the patient to be discharged late. The processing of insurance claims, where the patients either avail a single scheme or multiple schemes offered by the Government and banks consume more time. The complexity also arises because of patients who make partial payments using monetary methods and multiple schemes.

Billing and Pharmacy Issues That Delay Patient Discharges

The billing department can delay the process as they are not clear on several matters. In some cases, the pharmacy department can be one of the main causes of delay. Unused drugs must be returned to the pharmacy before the patient is discharged and bills pertaining to new drugs are generated at the time of final billing. All these consume time and can slow down the delay in discharge process.

How International Patient Procedures Affect Discharge Time?

Now, in hospitals that admit international patients, there are certain additional procedures or protocols that must be adhered to. In some cases, language barriers may cause delay in making foreign nationals understand or quickly understand certain things. All these add to the delay.

How Delayed Discharges Lead to Hospital Bed Blockages?

Certain hospitals and nursing homes experience bed blockages because they follow a process of sending a billing card to the billing department. The delay in sending or receiving a billing card can stretch things longer.

How Staff Shortages Affect Hospital Discharge Time?

The shortage of manpower in the billing department can delay the billing process. The duty doctor may not have adequate information to write the discharge summary, as the consultant doctor engaged in operation theatre was on rounds at the time of discharge. The shortage of nurses or inadequate computers in the hospitals is also noticeable causes for delays.

Other Common Causes of Hospital Discharge Delays

Patients seeking their own convenience or vehicle to leave the hospital, can cause discharge delays. Sometimes, patients have to be transported home in an ambulance. The delay in the arrival of the ambulance can cause delay in the process of discharge.

We have situations, where the patient was admitted initially as an OPD patient, and later converted as an IPD patient. So, there will be two separate bills generated, as certain things were advised when the patient was in OPD phase, and few other tests or procedures were advised when the patient was in the IPD phase. So, consolidating the final bill for such patients requires more time, in contrast to patients who were admitted directly to the IPD wards.

How Ashwa Dazzle Helps Streamline Hospital Discharge Processes?

The use of a software such as Ashwa Dazzle can bring a practical solution to this problem. Ashwa Dazzle is a clinic management software offered by Spigot Technologies, and a part of AlphaRxPro’s healthcare product offerings that can streamline your hospital operations and optimise your workflow. The software helps you come up with coherent strategies that can decrease time gap between bill clearance and patient vacating, thereby minimising the delay in discharges without any discrepancy. You can feel free to contact us anytime to enhance the operational efficiency of your hospital, nursing home, clinic, or pharmacy.

With AI driven technologies gaining momentum, our AI powered HMS software can unleash new opportunities, as it can automatically generate discharge summaries based on the available data and patient history. In addition to this, we offer AI based prescription module and support the booking, rescheduling, and cancelling of appointments. All these can make life easier by eliminating human errors and minimising bed blockage, while taking your organization on the coveted path of success.