EDI X12 affects billing processes throughout the healthcare industry, and just like with any other business, making it easier for doctors and providers to get paid is a win-win for everyone involved. In the first part of our series, “Common Issues Healthcare Organizations Face with EDI X12,” we explored what the standard is in a bit more detail, as well as some of the common issues organizations face when implementing it. 

In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the benefits you can expect when you bring a third-party consultant on board to help with your implementation. Let’s get started. 

Custom EDI X12 Training

Even without a consultant, it’s not too difficult for your healthcare organization’s IT people to get training on a specific topic, such as a programming language, for example. Let’s imagine one of your tech people goes to Microsoft for a class on what a specific programming language is and how to use it. That’s not too difficult. The tricky part comes after the course—how does your IT person figure out how to apply the generic information they learned during their course to what makes the most sense for your org’s specific (and unique) needs?

With a third-party consultant, you can nip that problem in the bud. A skilled consultant can come in, learn how your organization operates, and then develop a training plan customized for your teams on your technology. Even better, a consultant can cut through the technical jargon so that even non-IT folks walk away from the training without any lingering questions. 

Ongoing Support 

Now let’s imagine you’ve gotten EDI X12 implemented successfully and everyone on the team is trained on the technology. That’s wonderful, but remember, smooth sailing never lasts forever. What are you supposed to do when an issue arises a few months down the line, and despite the best efforts of your team, you absolutely cannot solve the problem? Luckily for you, you hired a third-party consultant with a support agreement who you can call to get the information to work through the issue quickly. 

We find that, more often than not, clients can figure out a lot of stuff themselves (thanks to the excellent training they received from the consultant in the first place). The other thing on their side is proper documentation, which leads us to the next benefit. 

Thorough Documentation 

We really cannot stress the importance of good documentation when it comes to any implementation in general, but also EDI X12 specifically. And we’re not talking merely about written words. The most successful kinds of documentation are multimedia and include pictures, examples, and structures for different scenarios. 

Partnering with an expert consultant who knows the gold standards for documentation will ensure you establish good habits at the beginning of your project as they help you draft your docs. And even once the consultant leaves and your team is navigating things on their own, those habits will ensure documentation continues to happen as you learn more about the system works within your specific organization. 

Experience from Other Facilities 

Another benefit of bringing an experienced consultant onto your EDI X12 implementation project is that this isn’t their first rodeo. The fact that they’ve worked on other projects similar to yours means you get to learn from other people’s mistakes rather than making them yourself. A third-party consultant can help bring a fresh perspective to your project, especially when you have blinders up without realizing it. 

Plus, as you share ideas and talk them through with your consultant, you may find that they’ve used a particular variant of a structure in another hospital that might work perfectly for yours with a little tweaking. Why reinvent the wheel, right?

Expert Advice from Anywhere

With technology like Zoom and Microsoft Teams, a great consultant is just a click away. That’s especially useful during the pandemic when you want an expert on your side without actually having them inside your office.

While there are plenty of benefits to in-person implementations, it’s tough to beat having a consultant that can Zoom right in to save the day if you need support through a difficult situation.

Getting Started with an EDI X12 Consultant

If you recall from the first part of our series, “Common Issues Healthcare Organizations Face with EDI X12” there’s a significant shortage of EDI X12 experts in the industry. But here at Surety Systems, we have consultants that not only have more than 15 years of HL7 and X12 experience, they also understand the unique accounting and billing processes found in a healthcare environment.

Our team of senior-level healthcare interoperability consultants can help you no matter what EHR system or platform you require. There’s no situation too challenging for us. Let us focus on handling your technical problems so that you can get back to doing what you do best—providing first-class patient care. 

Contact us today to get started.