Five Questions to Ask When Evaluating Workflow Solutions for the Modern Mammography Business

Women’s imaging has come a long way. Film-based mammograms upgraded to 2D digital mammography. Now, 3D mammograms, also known as digital breast tomosynthesis, are helping clinicians diagnose possible breast cancer better than before. In addition to advancements made in imaging quality, exams are less painful than your grandmother’s first mammogram, thanks to imaging equipment features like Fujifilm’s patented comfort paddle for the ASPIRE Cristalle mammography system.

Although there is no doubt that women’s imaging has advanced for the better, operational efficiency remains a challenge for women’s imaging facilities.

Maintaining administrative efficiency can be a burden for any practice, but the challenge is often more significant in women’s imaging. A women’s practice must serve a high volume of patients to be successful. Therefore, keeping in touch with them to increase annual screenings is a top priority.

Add to that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic put women’s health screenings on the back burner. National estimates project COVID-19 negatively influenced cancer screening, leading to an estimated deficit of 3.9 million breast cancer screenings among US adults.

So now, both women and providers are playing catch up. Women who put off their mammograms are trying to schedule their appointments. As a result, many imaging centers are overburdened with a backlog of patients. But let’s face it, efficiency isn’t easy! Scheduling, billing, patient tracking, and communicating results can consume staff time, or worse, not get handled, costing practices money and possibly clients.

What should practices do? Put the power of a comprehensive workflow management solution on your side. Here are five key questions I recommend women’s health facilities ask when evaluating workflow management solutions and information systems:

1. How will this platform streamline operational efficiency? To keep your practice organized, you’ll want access to many business management tools like actionable analytics dashboards, threshold notifications, and instant messaging. In addition, make sure you dig into whether the platform enables streamlined scheduling by leveraging business logic, accelerated data collection with global, modality-specific, or exam-specific screening questions, digital forms and e-signatures, and automated insurance eligibility, benefits, estimates, and authorization verifications.
2. How will this platform optimize business operations? Your platform should deliver actionable analytics, helping you quickly and accurately identify business trends and track performance and profitability across facilities with easy-to-access, data-driven KPIs. Also, consider financial tools like real-time demographic updates, automated insurance benefits, cost estimates, and time-of-service collection to keep your bottom line healthy.
3. Does this platform help improve patient experiences? Smooth and clear communication with patients is critical if you want your practice to thrive. Choose a platform that puts patients in the driver’s seat – give them access to a portal where they can set up appointments, receive an annual mammogram and other appointment reminders, get information on how to prep for their exam, receive notifications when results are ready, review costs up-front and more. Also, look for tools that enable patients to pre-register for their appointment from their device, providing faster and contactless check-in and check-out processes.
4. Can we seamlessly and securely engage with community and referring physicians Your patient’s care teams should be on the same page, and referring physicians should have 24/7 secure access to patient information and results. Choose a solution that enables secure, remote web access to patient information and real-time dashboard notifications.
5. Will this platform support inevitable growth and expansion? Choose a platform that allows scalable deployments as your practice grows without sacrificing speed or performance..

Fujifilm’s Synapse Enterprise Information System (EIS) is one of the most robust workflow management solutions on the market and is a solid answer for each question posed above.

With Synapse EIS, women’s imaging practices enhance workflows to more effectively engage patients, empower referring physicians, boost staff productivity, increase practice profitability, and improve the overall care experience. That’s important because women’s imaging has come a long way—making it more competitive than ever. With more than 8,600 certified mammography facilities nationwide, now is the time to take control of your women’s imaging business.

If yours is like many of today’s women’s imaging facilities, you run a thoroughly modern practice. Your diagnostic imaging equipment is state-of-the-art, and your facility setting is fresh, comfortable, and contemporary. Now, make sure a modern, cutting-edge solution like Fujifilm’s Synapse EIS drives your operational efficiency.

To learn more about practice problems you have the power to fix, read this article published on Diagnostic Imaging, which I co-authored with my Fujifilm colleague Christine Murray, senior product manager of women’s health.