Behind on PCRs? Focus!
Frustration
Frustration reigns in the billing office when there are an x-number of your EMS agency’s runs that have yet to be turned into Patient Care Reports (PCRs) for billing submission.
As we think about our own field experiences and we watch our colleagues, we find the problem of unwritten Patient Care Report saga for many providers comes down to a lack of focus on the part of many providers.
Today we’ll explore this phenomenon and offer a suggestion or two along the way.
Determination
First, it is extremely important that you are determined following each run to complete the Patient Care Report as quickly as humanly possible.
We have written in this space, many times, concerning the importance of complete the PCR as quickly as possible following your EMS incident, not only because it’s a good practice, is probably mandated within a specific timeframe by your EMS authority and helps you to best chronicle the event while it’s fresh in your memory, but also so the PCR can be quickly forward to the billing office.
Each Patient Care Report author must be determined to cut the time lapse between incident and PCR completion down to a bare minimum. The shortest amount of time that lapses from date of service to claim creation, generation and submission to the insurance payer source, the greater the likelihood that the trip will be considered for payment soon thereafter.
More dollars and less time between incident and dollars is the desired result.
Minimize Distractions
It’s difficult to complete any task when distractions interrupt your focus. PCR generation is no different.
We always remind readers of this space how important Patient Care Report writing and completion is in these times. No detail can be missed. Every facet and fact of your EMS incident must be included in the report. Miss something that may be important and it could return in many ugly ways.
But, how can you really tap out a good Patient Care Report with a million distractions surrounding you?
Turn off the mobile device (unless…)
First… turn off the mobile device (unless it’s the mobile device you are using to complete your PCR)!
You know the routine, you sit down to begin writing your PCR and the phone chimes out the Chicago Fire claxon and you just have to pick-up the phone to learn of the latest baking recipe your friend posted to your Facebook wall. Ten minutes later you re-engage to continue your PCR and the tones drop for real this time and out the door you go.
In that ten-minute interruption time you may have been able to complete at least one or two pages of the PCR you were working on and then have the ability to log back in to complete the PCR when your return.
Movies and PCR Completion Don’t Mix!
How can anyone write a PCR watching a YouTube or Netflix movie?
Trust me, we’ve witnessed it. The short answer is no one really can and so instead of making the most of your down time to bang out those five PCRs that your being beat-up for by your supervisor, you complete just one because the remainder of the time you were glued to your screen in video fantasyland.
Good writing requires good, clear thinking and you can’t think when your mind is pre-occupied in “video mode.”
Politely shut down personal interactions…
Just when you sit down to write those PCRs, in walks that one guy that just has to relay all the events of the past 48 hours of his life to you. He’s talking, you’re not writing and PCRs aren’t being completed.
Don’t hesitate to politely say to that person; Can you hold that thought for a little later? I’m very interested in your story but right now I need to finish this PCR so I can get it turned into the billing office.
The right person will understand and give you the space you need. The wrong person will get upset and that’s their problem. Most likely he/she has outstanding PCRs too and is procrastinating by this latest round of small talk.
That also goes for texting and e-mail. That last emoticon your honey sent to you to express his or her eternal love can wait for just a few more minutes while you finish-up your last PCR.
Remember!
Remember…completing your PCRs in a timely fashion is extremely important for many reasons. We hope you adopt some of the behavior modifications we have suggested above to help keep your open charts total to a bare minimum!
