The Logis logistics software builds on ESO’s foundation serving EMS, fire departments, and hospitals and extends ESO’s data-driven insights to dispatch and emergency communication centers, while enhancing mobile integrated health capabilities.

“We are at an inflection point for our industries as technology advancements and data unite,” said Eric Beck, President and CEO of ESO. “We’ve been scaling our technology and services to drive outcome improvements – across public safety and healthcare – for communities, responders, clinicians, patients and researchers across the globe.”

Leveraging ESO’s outcomes, emergency response data, machine learning and AI, Logis and ESO will deliver a transformational set of solutions that drive intelligent resourcing and need-matched care, while unlocking greater value for emergency services and healthcare.

 The new opportunities available through these combined technologies include: 

• Smart Resourcing: Drive enhanced operational efficiency and improve community health and safety outcomes by connecting emergency communications, responders and hospital outcomes to deliver the right resources, at the right time with the right cost.
• Novel Models of Care: Integrated product ecosystem and predictive system status management that enable mobile integrated healthcare, delivery innovation and value-based workflows.

• Revenue Optimization: Seamlessly support billing and EMS revenue cycle management through integrated data, interoperability and automation.

“This integration represents a visionary step towards a future where public safety data isn’t siloed, but rather all sectors of health and safety work together to create a more connected and responsive system,” said René Munk Joergensen, Partner at Logis. “We’ve seen the use of data in this space evolve substantially in recent years. This is the next big step that will transform the industry and our use of technology.

Together, the combined companies will continue innovating for the industry – to improve community health and safety through the power of connected data.

About ESO
ESO (ESO Solutions, Inc.) is dedicated to improving community health and safety through the power of data. Since its founding in 2004, the company continues to pioneer innovative, user-friendly software to meet the changing needs of today’s EMS agencies, fire departments, hospitals, and state and federal offices. ESO currently serves thousands of customers throughout North America with a broad software portfolio, including the industry-leading ESO Electronic Health Record (EHR), the next generation ePCR; ESO Health Data Exchange (HDE), the first-of-its-kind healthcare interoperability platform; ESO Fire RMS, the modern fire Record Management System; ESO Patient Registry (trauma, burn and stroke registry software); and ESO State Repository. ESO is headquartered in Austin, Texas and is part of the Vista Equity Partners portfolio. For more information, visit www.eso.com.

About Logis Solutions

Mission-driven to help emergency responders provide better care, Logis Solutions offers state-of-the-art CAD and billing solutions to 911, fire and EMS organizations, including non-emergency transport and homecare services. The robust, intuitive and customizable products efficiently share data, improving workflows, billing management, resource allocation, location accuracy, and response times. Logis Solutions was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Naerum, Denmark. Learn more at https://logissolutions.net

Media Contact:
Kaitlyn Karmout
Kaitlyn.karmout@eso.com

The post From Call to Care: ESO Acquires Logis Solutions, Reinventing Emergency Response appeared first on Logis Solutions by ESO.

Historically, the positioning of resources in any emergency system is a highly manual decision by dispatchers aided by static post plans. With Dynamic Deployment predictive AI is used to send units into the vicinity of the next incident before it occurs.

This can be achieved by using demand forecast for the next 24-48 hours utilizing a combination of historical data and demand predictions, that are automatically adjusted based on changes in demand over time compared to the actual history. This means that seasonal variations, new settlements and other changes in data over time are considered automatically.

Using AI for demand prediction to narrow down what will happen in the next 40 minutes has shown, that it is possible to pinpoint future incidents in more than 80% of the time to a location within a quarter mile radius and within 3.5 minutes of those calls happening. Applying unit coverage and business rules around how units can be deployed allows for automated posting of units close to future incidents, which in turn decreases response time and ultimately improves patient outcomes.

Increase coverage to avoid level 0 system status

Another area in which predictive AI provides big advantages is in optimizing the utilization of avaiable units. An EMS organization may often have periods of time where the total volume of calls exceeds the number of available units. In those cases there really are not many options, but what if you could use data to reduce the frequency and length of those level 0 situations?

Since implementing Logis’ Dynamic Deployment innovative resource posting feature, we have seen our Med 1 response times improve by an average of 6-8%.

Katie Arens,

Vice President of Customer Access,

Life EMS Ambulance

Using predictive AI to both gain insight into where those near future calls will happen and business rules around unit posting has shown that this is in fact possible. Placing units geographically close to the future calls at the right time will reduce the response time to those calls and hence also reduce the time on task – in effect resulting in more available unit hours.

As shown in the illustration there is a peak demand for emergency services during the morning and afternoon hours, which is illustrated by a decrease in the number of available units. When availability drops, there is normally a decreased coverage of the geographical area serviced, which in turn leads to longer response times.
In the graph the expected average response time using Dynamic Deployment is shown against the average response time without Dynamic Deployment.

Naturally, Dynamic Deployment has the most impact when resource availability is high, which is shown in the graph as a relatively larger difference between normal and Dynamic Deployment enabled response times. When there are very few or no available resources, then Dynamic Deployment does not impact response times, as there are no units to move.

Note, that while Dynamic Deployment does not have a significant impact when there is a very low level of available resources, the benefit is still that the time period where the system experiences low availability is shortened. The reason for this is that when response times decrease then the total time on task also decreases which again increases available unit hours as previously mentioned.

To learn more, download our free whitepaper on Dynamic Deployment

The post Dynamic Deployment appeared first on Logis Solutions by ESO.

If you’re already a Logis IDS user (and we hope you are), you know something about what our Intelligent Decision Support can do. For example, EMS leaders and clinicians get real-time data that drives greater efficiency through the dynamic, automatic posting of resources. If you work in mobile integrated healthcare, you might like that IDS helps you identify, book and track the right service for your patients, making it easier to deliver the care they need when and where they need it. Logis Billing, which also operates with IDS, automates workflows and verifies patient and payer information via a single repository.

Whatever the reasons, we know that you need not just data, but the deep, rich insights that data gives you into the work you do. That’s why we created Logis Clarity, a reporting solution specifically tailored to the data model in Logis products.

What does that mean in practical terms?

You can now build powerful reports quickly and efficiently without needing any special IT knowledge—or even knowing what our data model is.

You don’t even need to know much about reporting. Clarity comes with 15 pre-built reports that cover the most common needs we’ve heard from customers over the years. These ready-made reports tell you, say, if you have adequate staff and ambulances for a shift, or if you can send clinicians home because you have more personnel than you’re likely to need. Or you can see if a patient hand-off at a hospital is generally taking longer than expected, which may require you to investigate further. Plus, you get a wide array of both historical and real-time information about staff, vehicles, supplies and more, all pulled from the Logis data warehouse.

Clarity makes it simple to schedule the delivery of reports as often as you like and create new ones if the pre-built options don’t meet your needs. If you use other reporting tools like Power BI or QlikView, you’ll find that Logis Clarity functions as a powerful (but still lightweight) reporting solution that doesn’t require any SQL knowledge.

Through dashboards, charts and other graphics that refresh data in real time, you can ensure everyone who needs to see key performance metrics can do so, whether it’s on a big screen in the dispatch center, a status board seen by your telecommunicators, or a high-level view for management shown via the web.

If you’re an IDS or Billing customer and interested in adding Logis Clarity or seeing a demo, we’d love to talk. And if you’d like to know more about Logis IDS or Billing, we also hope you’ll reach out to start a conversation.

The post Meet Logis Clarity appeared first on Logis Solutions by ESO.

In this webinar with the American Ambulance Association, I joined our friends at Emergent Health Partners and ESO to talk about implementing technologies from CAD to billing systems. We discussed lessons learned not just about technology selection, but also about the impacts on the people and the processes that support them. We also reviewed what went right, what went wrong, and key takeaways to help your agency embrace change and overcome implementation obstacles.

Speakers:

Alicia Keaton, Director of Patient Accounts at Emergent Health Partners
Sam Brown, Chief Operating Officer at ESO
Gil Glass, CEO at Logis Solutions

The post A Hill Worth Climbing appeared first on Logis Solutions by ESO.

No longer the stuff of science fiction, the Harvard Business Review reports that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) is skyrocketing. In fact, in a recent survey 86% of respondents called AI “mainstream technology.” Of course, people may still be leery due to Hollywood’s parade of movies with robots taking over the world. However, the AI of today is designed to assist humans with everyday tasks. And when it comes to public safety, it can make responders’ lives easier and safer while also improving patient outcomes.

What is Artificial Intelligence In Public Safety?

Computer scientist John McCarthy first used the term artificial intelligence in 1956. He defined AI as “the science and engineering of making intelligent machines.” Today, AI is known for its ability to mimic human thought to perform routine tasks. Every time you plug a destination into your car assist, unlock your phone using facial recognition or ask Siri to add to your grocery list, you’re using a form of AI.

AI is playing an important role in public safety. PSAPs can now receive notifications well before a voice call for help comes in. Strategically placed listening devices and an AI algorithm can continually listen for and recognize the sound of a gunshot and triangulate where it came from. Audio and video surveillance can recognize a motor-vehicle accident  and ask for the right type of assistance before a call for help is made, cutting down on the time for help to arrive.

5 Ways AI Can Benefit EMS and Fire-Rescue

AI is also helping to  support EMS and fire-rescue. This technology has been shown  to greatly benefit PSAPs when every second counts, decreasing ambulance response times and patient mortality. Here are some of the ways artificial intelligence is helping responders and improving public safety:

1. Assisting and Predicting

Being agile and efficient is critical in this industry. The smallest of delays or the slightest bit of misinformation can have significant implications for the communities telecommunicators and EMS teams serve. With assistive AI, software can provide greater insight during critical situations, giving 911 personnel better situational awareness during the incident and improving outcomes for emergency response.

For example, AI gathers data over time and offers predictions that help 911 responders optimize coverage and response time. It can inform personnel as to when and where calls are likely to happen, recommend the placement of resources to reduce how long they may take to arrive, give the most efficient route to get there by avoiding traffic, and provide the best resource to respond to the call based on call type and system workload.

2. Managing Data

At any PSAP, managing the flow of data is critical. Using AI, call centers are able to build systems and models that will help telecommunicators see a more accurate picture of any given situation to better inform the right responders. Based on the information provided, it may even recommend a different type of response, predict who will clear from a call next, and start the movement of resources to provide the best response for the next call.

AI is helping dispatch to plan on-scene service, offering considerations based on the patient’s condition, age and weight; the necessity of IV fluids, antibiotics or oxygen; whether the patient needs a stretcher or wheelchair; and much more. This all helps them send the right response team to the scene and get the patient the care they need quickly and efficiently, reducing over-triaging of patients and decreasing the cost to operate a fleet of resources.

3. Handling Call Volume

The National Emergency Number Association (NENA) reports that there are approximately 240 million calls made to 911 each year. This volume of calls, especially during times of staff shortages, can be a lot for call centers and their telecommunicators to respond to. AI–in the form of chatbots–can help gather caller information, assign priority and notify dispatchers.

The Austin Police Department is a great example of how this can work. Their team is exploring how AI can help support handling call volume during staffing shortages. Electronic Data Management System (EDMS) reports that when a voice request call comes in, an AI component kicks into action with a “virtual officer” that records basic caller information. The AI also provides automatic transcription and translation of non-English languages, which is especially important in diverse regions. It’s easy to see how this AI technology could be applied more broadly to dispatch.

4. Decision-Making Support

Decision-making support is a recent development benefiting responders in a variety of ways. Corti is one new tool in the market; their AI-powered technology listens to emergency calls and prompts the telecommunicator with suggestions, acting like a real-time second opinion helping them to triage calls.

The customizable tool can even be configured to identify a set of keywords associated with a topic and then set up a corresponding alert. A common application for this is the ability to remind telecommunicators to consider specific responses for keywords relating to homelessness, risk of suicide or drug use. Agencies can also hyper-localize the alerts to suit their region and include locations or street names.

5. Gathering Information

AI is always learning, and with each EMS-related interaction, it becomes smarter. Every time a responder inputs information, the AI grows its knowledge to better assist responders and improve patient outcomes. “Through the documentation of patient encounters, today’s EMS providers are essentially the coders of tomorrow’s AI technology,” writes Joe Graw in EMS Technology. “The next time you arrive on scene, remember you’re helping to write the curriculum that will be used to train these AI models of the future.”

Another benefit of AI in healthcare applications is reducing cognitive load on the provider. Research shows that too high of a cognitive workload increases stress, increases failure rates and has a negative effect on work satisfaction. The National Library of Medicine reports that one of the six main causes leading to burnout includes the use of Electronic Health Records (EHRs). However, AI is now doing some of the heavy lifting when it comes to EHR documentation and related tasks, making the EHR more accurate and increasing the quality of care given and overall patient safety and satisfaction.

Why Do We Fear Artificial Intelligence?

Research indicates that approximately one-third of people say they’re afraid of AI, while about one-quarter believe it will be harmful to society. Much of this comes from people’s fear that AI will replace them. While it’s important to always consider the ways AI is used, its main benefit is to support people. Many in public safety have begun to come around. In fact, Police1 reveals that in a recent survey, the majority of public safety leaders now feel very receptive to using AI in their job and 88% of citizens want to see public safety transformed through AI-related technology.

Plus, despite the adoption of AI, jobs aren’t going away. According to the McKinsey Global Institute, 30% of jobs created in the U.S. over the past 25 years have been linked to AI, and companies that employ AI and robotics technologies are creating millions of new openings across the country.

How Logis AI Helps Support 911 Centers

At Logis Solutions, we use artificial intelligence to support the work you do every day. Our goal is to reduce manual and repetitive tasks using AI in order to improve human decision-making and allow responders to focus on higher-priority tasks. This, ultimately, leads to better patient outcomes.

Our customers understand that our technologies are not meant to replace personnel, but to support them, helping them to do more with less. With budgets becoming tighter and resources dwindling, AI just makes sense.

Our cutting-edge CAD technology has been a game-changer for many PSAPs. Available on-premise, in the cloud or via a hybrid solution, Logis software automates important aspects of decision-making for computer-aided dispatch, billing and resource management.

But don’t just take our word for it. “Logis IDS delivers more than what you’d expect in a CAD,” says Kenneth Simpson, COO, MedStar Mobile Healthcare, in Ft. Worth, Texas. “With reliable analytics and detailed reporting, we’re able to confidently provide deployment recommendations to dispatchers based on meaningful data. The ability to support that decision-making really makes a difference in how we serve our community.”

If you’re interested in advancing your organization through AI, Logis Solutions is here to help. Our AI gathers data over time, providing predictive data that will help your team optimize coverage and reduce response times. Our technology will let you know when and where calls are likely to happen, how long they may take, and provide valuable suggestions based on drive times and workload distribution. All this sets you up for continued success, making your operation more efficient and effective and helping you become a leader in EMS.

Want to learn more about Logis Solutions CAD? Contact us today.

The post The Importance of AI in Public Safety appeared first on Logis Solutions by ESO.

The Emergency, Transport and Triage Model, universally known in EMS as ET3, shows strong potential to better provide emergency services to patients at the right place and time. The model also promises cost savings to EMS agencies as insurers would cover alternative pathways to care outside of the emergency department.

While ET3 is in trial and proven results are pending, EMS agencies across the country can still replicate this approach in their own systems to help accelerate its adoption nationwide. Our Gill Glass, Logis Solutions CEO, and Rob Lawrence, Pro EMS Director of Strategic Implementation, make the case for creating an ET3-like system right now in this EMS World article.

View the article at the link here: https://www.hmpgloballearningnetwork.com/site/emsworld/feature-story/create-et3-system-now

The post The Benefits of ET3 appeared first on Logis Solutions by ESO.

But now you’ve got more options.

It’s very clear to us that our clients want their infrastructure delivered how they want it. That could be in an on-premise server, but it could also be in the cloud. Meaning a public cloud, private cloud, hybrid or some other flavor. Which is why we’re introducing Logis Intelligent Decision Support (IDS), our CAD software, and Logis Billing for the cloud.

A number of trends are driving cloud adoption in emergency communications and operations. For starters, more agencies want to get out of the business of managing their IT infrastructure and the need for IT teams to always balance competing demands for their time and attention. Many also like the pay-as-you-go approach with purchases like ePCR solutions. This alleviates the need for lengthy, complex approvals on large capital spend projects and allows organizations to get up and running much more quickly. And not only is implementation in the cloud far faster, but upgrades are seamless and security, reliability and resilience are typically improved.

So it makes good sense for us to offer our SaaS products in ways that make sense for you, our customers, and with a pricing model that gives you plenty of flexibility, too. Both Logis IDS and Billing in the cloud offer you three tiers to choose from, from the basics to more features, as well as our Enterprise model, which is completely custom to whatever you need.

Logis IDS in the cloud

Our CAD software in the cloud has four options:

Each tier for IDS in the cloud or on-premise also comes with options for on-boarding and implementation, support for your go-live (remote or in-person) and training and ongoing support.

Explore Logis IDS tiers

Logis Billing in the cloud

Our billing software in the cloud has four options:

Each tier for Billing in the cloud or on-premise also comes with options for on-boarding and implementation, support for your go-live (remote or in-person) and training and ongoing support.

Explore Logis Billing tiers

Personalization and customization is a huge and growing part of customer experience, which makes us even more excited to offer Logis’ clients more and better options to “have it their way.”

If you’d like to learn more about Logis IDS or Billing in the cloud, we’d love to talk. You can also schedule a personalized demo of any of our products.

The post Meet Logis for the Cloud appeared first on Logis Solutions by ESO.

Multi-Incident

With this new feature, users can now link together large, geographically distributed incidents under a parent incident. So when, for example, a fire covers multiple areas and requires multiple staging areas, departments now have visibility into all related incidents within a single workset, including law enforcement and EMS units.

Strike Teams

With the introduction of the Strike Teams feature in Logis’ CAD, you can now logically group a strike team leader and different apparatus associated with that leader. This, again, is especially useful when a number of responders are responding to the same call for service, as in the case of a large forest fire (though this tool works for any response that is Strike Team-based). As the strike team leader changes status, the status for the rest of the team is also updated automatically, without the need to manually update each team member individually.

The user has the ability to preconfigure and manage a strike team, create different types of teams and add in apparatus as needed, all united under the same group(s). For example, an incident commander may decide to call up 10 engines and five brush trucks, which he then divides into three strike teams that are then deployed.

Station-Based Dispatching

Especially for volunteer,  partially-paid and smaller fire departments, firefighters are very often on call, not in the firehouse waiting for the next alarm. The new Station-Based Dispatching feature in Logis IDS version 4 means that departments can manage the call for whatever resources are needed themselves and immediately locate resources that can actually respond to a call for service.

Station-Based Dispatching shows you which units and crews are available, making it easy to alert resources at the same time so you can assemble, let’s say, a command vehicle, ALS unit and an engine. By clicking “Auto-staff” in the interface, the system will assign whatever is required from available units. This feature can also notify non-defined apparatus–such as someone who is currently off-duty–to request that they meet up with a resource at the scene. Once that individual is on-scene, he is added to the crew, creating a full, real-time picture of all resources you have on hand to meet the requirements of that call for the duration of the incident. This feature works in conjunction with Logis Provider Mobile, allowing on-call providers to run the Logis Provider Mobile application directly on their personal iOS or Android phone.

Station-Based Move-Ups

To ensure adequate coverage at all times, fire departments typically use station-based rules that address a variety of scenarios. For instance, fire station #1 may establish a rule that if it ever has less than one engine available, another engine must be sent from fire station #2 to #1. Or, if #2 doesn’t have an engine to spare, a third station with whom the department has a mutual aid agreement can supply the engine to ensure that station #1’s area isn’t without a resource if a call comes in. Logis IDS version 4 now makes it much easier to define and set the parameters for a wide range of move-up rules encompassing very granular, complex situations.

Response Plans

Response Plans have been enhanced to enable the configuration of checkup intervals–a sort of safety touch-base on the welfare of all crew assigned to a call. For example, you may set a checkup interval of every 30 minutes; in that case, every half-hour the dispatcher will make sure whoever is assigned to a call is okay until the incident is closed. Response Plans have also been extended to allow for seasonal plans that are only triggered during a set time period(s) you decide.

To see other Spring 2022 updates to Logis IDS, see Software Updates. And to learn more about how Logis IDS can support your agency, or if you’re a current customer and have questions about these or other software updates, please reach out.

The post Logis IDS Software Updates for the Fire Service appeared first on Logis Solutions by ESO.

UI CHANGES

Map: The new map in Logis Portal Operations uses the same map as what you find in Logis IDS.  You’ll find the same HERE maps, including point addressing and satellite view, and the menu now supports additional filtering for Incidents and Resources.

NEW FEATURES

The fully updated Logis Portal Operations delivers improved performance and more functionality to users.  Another key feature is the ability to create a new Incident from Operations and then dispatch it. Other improvements and new features include:

• Activities: Users now have a view of all active responses in Activities. This view is a one-to-one display of the active response and the resource assigned to that response. The Activities feature provides status information and the ETA to the next status. If dispatching is enabled, a non-assigned response may be dispatched from the Activities view. The view provides the user with the ability to quickly open details of the response, incident or resource.
• Incidents: The new Incidents view provides the top-level view of all Incidents, including the ability to find an historical incident. An Incident in IDS may contain one or more individual responses.  This view gives the user the ability to see the overall status of the incident, create new incidents or edit existing incidents. Clicking on an incident allows you to see details of the incident, including all responding resources.
• Resources: The Resources view of Logis Portal Operations provides an overview of all resources. This includes resources that are assigned to responses, stations or post moves. This view includes current status and ETA. Selecting Resources in Logis Portal Operations provides a detailed view of the current status, map view of current location, unit and crew information, all moves and responses for the shift. The map includes the AVL trail for the day as well. Finally, the ability to send and receive chat messages via Logis Portal Operations is now possible via any communication device assigned to the resource.
• Events: Logis IDS provides a unique approach to managing events/standbys where the time is tracked on the event along with the individual responses within the event. Logis Portal Operations now brings that same functionality to our customers.
• Phone Book: The new Phone Book feature allows you to access phone numbers created in IDS and create new entries from Logis Portal Operations that also appear in Logis IDS. If you’re using Operations from a cellular-capable device, anywhere you see a phone icon will enable you to simply click to dial.

To learn more about how Logis IDS can support your agency, or if you’re a current customer and have questions, please reach out.

The post Logis IDS Software Updates: Portal OpsActivity Becomes Portal Operations appeared first on Logis Solutions by ESO.

Our team came away with several highlights from the conferences:

1. New ideas for improving the documentation process

Documentation was a key topic at abc360, with a particular focus on how more effective training can improve reimbursement. We all know that accurate clinical and billing documentation is critical, but many users are EMTs and paramedics who prioritize running the call but not so much the paperwork that follows. This is understandable, but these busy professionals need to know how important documentation is.

Suggestions we heard for helping to improve documentation included offering incentives to users who transmit their PCRs by the end of the shift and making sure your entire organization understands the financial impact of poor documentation. Another idea: Have paramedics and EMTs do a billing “sit-along”—just like billing people often do in the ambulance—so they get a first-hand look at the importance of accurate and timely documentation.

2. How the “No Surprises” Act will affect reimbursement

The “No Surprises” Act protects people covered by group and individual health plans from getting surprise medical bills when they receive most emergency services, non-emergency services from out-of-network providers at in-network facilities, and services from out-of-network air ambulance service providers. Right now, the act applies only to air ambulance but it’s only a matter of time before it will include ground ambulance as well.

One significant change still to come: The bill will require that ambulance services contract with insurance companies to be paid, something that doesn’t happen today. This will mean that agencies need to come to an agreement with insurers on what is fair compensation for their services—always a difficult discussion. This will be a big adjustment for both industries when the time comes.

The speakers we heard at abc360 emphasized that ambulance companies will need to focus on optimizing their billing and collection departments when it comes to balance billing. If your company doesn’t have a contract with an insurance company, there’s no real incentive for the insurer to pay an outstanding bill. Their members won’t be billed for any remaining balance outside of their co-pay deductible, so the burden falls on the ambulance companies to collect. That will require an increased focus on managing and processing those claims quickly and accurately to collect on them if you want to keep your revenue stream flowing. At Logis, we’re already working on ways to include contracts into the system to make the process of connecting ambulance services and insurance companies much easier.

3. The best way to achieve a clean claim

There was also a lot of lively discussion around the importance of getting clean claims out the door the first time around. We’re big believers in automation and most of those we talked to agreed that the best way to ensure clean claims from the outset is to automate as much of your billing operation—invoicing, auditing, report generation—as possible. Automating the flow of data in and out and being able to report on what matters to your organization’s executives are critical.

After all, reimbursement hinges not only on making sure you’re taking care of the patient but streamlining the entire process so that it’s fast as well as accurate. When you do this well, you’ll have enough money to keep ambulances on the streets.

Automated billing software is a good first step toward producing claims without error. Every chance you have to auto-populate fields like level of service and other data entry inputs removes the chance for human error and prevents undercoding and overcoding.

These are tough times for recruiting, and automation can also help with staffing. With so many new employees in many billing departments, automating routine processes helps them get up to speed quickly and prevents a number of mistakes new employees are likelier to make. It also helps free up staff from mundane tasks to focus on more value-added work on the back end, especially collecting payment.

Also important: Staff time spent verifying information in the prebill process is an inefficient use of resources. An automated software billing solution that transfers information directly from the CAD and patient care reports makes it simple to match them up—one less thing your staff has to look at.

4. Getting actionable insights to key decision-makers

A recurring theme at abc360 involved reporting. Executives ask for reports on total billing dollars, unreimbursed claims, continuous Quality Improvement (QI) data, productivity, denials, and time from claim submittal to payment receipt. This is the essential information needed to run an organization efficiently.

Our Logis Clarity (more details coming soon) solution is a report-builder that provides dashboards and the ability to drill down into specifics like payers and cost reporting. Reports can be tailored to your specific needs, unlike the typical canned reports. In the current environment, ambulance agencies have to find a way to cut costs, and running these kinds of detailed reports is essential to achieving that goal.

5. Where EMS is headed

One of the most exciting aspects of the conferences were the conversations we heard around the need to reclassify ambulance as a healthcare provider as opposed to a transportation service. After all, it’s not always going to be about going to the ED; more and more, patients are being taken to alternate destinations, like an urgent care facility or a clinic when these are the best options to deliver the care they need, as well being treated in place when appropriate.

As our CEO Gil Glass has said, it’s time to put more emphasis on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS)  ET3 model (Emergency Triage, Treat, and Transport) and other new and innovative approaches to ensure fair reimbursement and appropriate care. Right now, ambulance is considered just a transport provider, not a healthcare provider. While CMS and others are working to change that, there’s plenty of room for great ideas to be heard.

As with any industry, getting together in person to discuss important ideas is critical to the future of emergency medical services. The final message coming out of the abc360 conferences was that we all must be thinking ahead in ambulance billing because with the ever-changing insurance industry, if you don’t, you’ll be left behind. A sobering thought perhaps, but one that should be seen as a call to action. Innovation and automation are the ways to stay ahead.

If you’d like to learn more about how Logis Billing can help streamline your billing operation and accelerate your revenue cycle, we’d love to start a conversation.

The post 5 Takeaways from the abc360 Conferences appeared first on Logis Solutions by ESO.