Clean Data = Accurate Outcomes
Health Systems allocate an incredible amount of dollars when integrating new software technologies to support various functions within their institutions.:
- New operating systems
- New accounting software
- New software to track preventative maintenance schedules on equipment
- EMR systems
These software systems are purchased to run the hospital more efficiently and manage the integrity of data. With this cost comes the need for “clean data”. To ensure that new software systems are maximizing output, the hospital needs to ensure the data they enter software systems is accurate. To achieve accurate data, the hospital needs to conduct an inventory audit of the assets managed by the new operating systems/software. This can include capital equipment, IT, Furniture etc.
Questions arise on who will conduct the inventory and what information currently exists that can be leveraged to assist with verifying data that needs to be integrated into the new software. In our years of experience working in facilities and assisting hospitals with audits, MRG has identified challenges and best practices that help accomplish goals associated with these types of projects. Following are a few challenges and best practices we have identified.
Challenges:
- Often hospital data (general ledger) doesn’t accurately reflect what is physically in the building
- General ledgers may have equipment, operational expense, lease hold improvements, labor and many other expenses grouped together on the accounting ledger (it’s not uncommon for a facility with 4,000 assets located on the property to have a general ledger showing 15,000-line items)
- General ledgers often group multiple identifiers into one field eliminating the ability to properly sort or reconcile data (asset description, make and model are all in one field on the ledger)
- Hospital departments are extremely busy with patient care and can feel threatened by a third-party company conducting an audit or overwhelmed if required to do themselves
- Minimizing disruptions to daily activities
- Increased stress and accuracy from engaging hospital departments to conduct an inventory of their area’s
- Attempting to reconcile assets with an old ledger/old data
- Clearly defining goals and objectives for an asset inventory with staff or third-party vendors
Best Practices
- Have clear top down communication from administration to all departments impacted by an audit
- Define goals of the audit with hospital personnel and third-party vendors hired to do the inventory
- Why are we doing an inventory? What information are we gathering and how will that data impact operational system that are in place (information gathered for accounting may be different than information gathered for clinical engineering)
- When utilizing a third-party company, have a single point of contact from the facility act as the hospital liaison and properly introduce the vendor to personnel that will be involved at the facility level
- Define demographics that need to be captured in the audit and define specific timelines the inventory team will be at each department within the hospital
- Identify ways to minimize disturbance for both patients and hospital staff (some areas of the hospital will need to be inventoried after hours or on weekends)
- Utilize barcode tagging during the audit for tracking and future reconciliation
- Formulate policies and procedures for future data add/deletes to the asset ledger
- Reconcile ledgers every 2-3 years to ensure data integrity
Hospital audits by nature can be somewhat intrusive. Establishing action plans to challenges before they happen and utilizing best practices will ensure intended outcomes and proper data collection while minimizing disturbance to patients and hospital staff.
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