Empower Patients and Ease the Clinician Burden

By Sridhar Yerramreddy

In the complex landscape of the U.S. healthcare system, patients and clinicians alike face numerous challenges that hinder effective care delivery and reception. Patients struggle with finding the right providers, navigating insurance hurdles, and enduring long wait times. Clinicians grapple with administrative burdens, insurance complexities, and declining reimbursements. 

Steer Health, a growth and automation company, is leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and innovative solutions to address these issues, creating a more care capacity while reducing busywork for clinicians and delivering patient-centered healthcare experiences.

The Patient’s Plight:

Difficulty in Finding the Right Provider

The Challenge: According to a 2017 survey by Merritt Hawkins, the average wait time for a new patient appointment in 15 metropolitan areas was 24.1 days, marking a 30% increase since 2014. This delay can lead to worsened health outcomes and increased patient frustration.

Steer Health’s Solution: Steer Health offers an AI-powered patient engagement platform that simplifies the process of finding and scheduling appointments with healthcare providers. By matching patient symptoms and preferences with the appropriate specialists and available time slots, Steer Health reduces wait times and improves access to care.

Navigating Insurance Hurdles

The Challenge: A 2019 Kaiser Family Foundation report found that nearly one-third of insured adults had difficulty understanding their insurance coverage and costs^3^. This confusion can result in unexpected medical bills and delayed care.

Steer Health’s Solution: The platform integrates real-time insurance verification and cost estimation tools. Patients receive transparent information about coverage and potential out-of-pocket expenses before appointments, enabling informed decision-making and reducing financial stress.

Overcoming Treatment Delays

The Challenge: Diagnostic errors impact approximately 12 million Americans annually, with one in three errors leading to serious harm. Delays in treatment can exacerbate health conditions and diminish patient trust.

Steer Health’s Solution: Steer Health provides virtual care options, including AI-driven symptom checkers and telehealth services. These tools offer immediate medical guidance and connect patients to the appropriate level of care, mitigating the risk of misdiagnosis and treatment delays.

The Clinician’s Conundrum:

Administrative Overload

The Challenge: Physicians spend nearly 49% of their time on administrative tasks, significantly reducing time available for patient care.

Steer Health’s Solution: By automating tasks such as appointment scheduling, patient reminders, and follow-up communications, Steer Health’s AI-driven tools alleviate administrative burdens. This allows clinicians to devote more time to patient interactions and care delivery.

Insurance and Billing Complexities

The Challenge: Managing insurance prior authorizations consumes valuable time, with physicians handling an average of 29.1 prior authorizations per week.

Steer Health’s Solution: The platform streamlines insurance processes by automating eligibility checks and prior authorization submissions. This reduces administrative workload and expedites patient access to necessary treatments.

Financial Pressures from Declining Reimbursements

The Challenge: 44% of physicians feel inadequately compensated, citing declining reimbursement rates as a significant concern.

Steer Health’s Solution: Steer Health’s revenue optimization tools employ AI to optimize billing and coding. By reducing errors and accelerating claims processing, clinicians can enhance reimbursement rates and improve financial stability.

Bridging the Gap: How Steer Health Creates a Win-Win Scenario

Enhancing Patient Access and Engagement

Steer Health empowers patients with digital tools that facilitate active participation in their healthcare journey. Features such as online scheduling, secure messaging, and personalized health content improve patient engagement, leading to higher satisfaction and better health outcomes.

Supporting Clinicians for Better Care Delivery

By reducing administrative tasks and improving operational efficiencies, Steer Health enables clinicians to focus on what they do best: providing quality care. Access to advanced analytics and patient data supports informed decision-making and proactive health management.

Reducing Costs and Improving Efficiency

The automation and streamlining of processes through Steer Health’s platform lead to cost reductions for both providers and patients. Increased efficiency reduces overhead expenses for healthcare facilities, and transparent pricing helps patients avoid unexpected costs.

Conclusion

The challenges faced by patients and clinicians are deeply intertwined, each exacerbating the other. Steer Health’s innovative use of technology and AI addresses these systemic issues head-on. 

By simplifying access to care, enhancing patient engagement, and alleviating administrative burdens on clinicians, Steer Health is transforming the healthcare experience into a more efficient, effective, and compassionate system. In doing so, it creates a win-win scenario where patients receive better care and clinicians can practice more effectively.

Join us at HLTH 2024! 

Swing by our booth to meet the team and discover how our solutions can help reduce clinician burden, streamline workflows, and enhance patient care. 

Let’s discuss how we can partner to drive efficiency and innovation in your practice. 

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