Robotic Process Automation (RPA) of Office Tasks in Healthcare
Search For Schools
When you click on a sponsoring school or program advertised on our site, or fill out a form to request information from a sponsoring school, we may earn a commission. View our advertising disclosure for more details.
“Ultimately, [RPA] is a redeployment of resources. You still need that human element to manage the exceptions, but it certainly can increase job satisfaction for staff as well as improve patient outcomes.”
Howard Rosen, MBA, CEO and Lead Solutions Architect at Nova Insights
Robotic process automation (RPA), a transformative tool in the realm of healthcare, carries the potential to revolutionize back-office tasks. Emerging as a digital ally for healthcare professionals, RPA significantly reduces the administrative burden, allowing for a larger focus on patient care. This technology automates repetitive and time-consuming tasks, enhancing efficiency, reducing errors, and offering a more streamlined approach to healthcare management.
While the use of RPA in the healthcare sector may seem novel, it has actually been around for decades: “Automating tasks in healthcare been around for a while,” says Howard Rosen, CEO and lead solutions architect at Nova Insights, a consulting firm that helps major healthcare industry companies. “For a long time, healthcare offices were using macros. So as long as Excel has been out there and even before that, people have been automated input sequences that can accomplish tasks.”
However, RPAs differ from singular automated sequences in Excel because they are not limited to one specific software or predefined tasks. While Excel macros operate within the confines of the spreadsheet tool itself, RPAs can navigate multiple software interfaces, interact with different types of data sources, and execute a sequence of tasks that cut across various applications. “RPAs automate lots of processes that otherwise might fall on a medical assistant, such as gathering information in a database on a patient. This happens all behind the scenes automatically,” says Rosen.
RPAs follow a prescribed workflow and execute tasks accurately, swiftly, and tirelessly, making them an excellent tool for administrative tasks in healthcare. They are not AI, which is designed to mimic human intelligence, making decisions based on data analysis and learning from experience: “One of the biggest problems is the unfortunate use of the word ‘robotic’ in the name. People take the connotation wrong and think there are robotic processes, but it is really just automation,” explains Rosen.
Keep reading to learn more about RPA’s application in back-office tasks within the healthcare sector, the limitations it faces, and the benefits of using an RPA.
Meet the Expert: Howard Rosen, MBA
Howard Rosen is the CEO and lead solutions architect at Nova Insights, a consulting firm transforming major healthcare companies in North America. With over 20 years as a health sector innovator, he was awarded seven patents and seamlessly blends engagement, innovation, and business development expertise.
As a founder and thought leader, he’s pioneered novel health tech solutions across diverse domains, contributing to health informatics and innovation governance. Rosen’s mission is to enhance healthcare accessibility and affordability using mobile, digital, and emerging technologies.
Applications for RPA
Many back-office tasks in a healthcare office can be automated using RPAs. “A great example of how we use it when a doctor has an upcoming appointment. An RPA can scan the schedule, identify a patient, and then scan the entire healthcare system to see if there have been any changes. Have they had any tests? Do they need more prescriptions? Has there been any change in wearable information from a watch or glucose monitor? It will then gather those updates for the doctor to know the patient’s status,” says Rosen. “At the same time, if it sees any gaps, it can give the doctor a recommendation such as perhaps there are some tests that are due, medication changes upcoming, or concerns to be addressed.”
He continues, “It’s replacing very routine steps that would happen in any office, and instead of using human resources, it is automated.”
Currently, RPAs can complete many different tasks. For example, it can automate the processes of billing, claims management, and payment processing, thereby reducing errors and improving accuracy. It can also do patient scheduling, including appointments, sending reminders, managing rescheduling, enhancing patient experience, and improving adherence to appointments.
Many offices also use RPAs to help with supply chain management, automating procurement processes, inventory management, and vendor communication, leading to cost and time efficiency.
Limitations of RPAs
Like with any software, RPAs have their limitations: “It is still just programming. It doesn’t replace the human mind,” says Rosen. “People provide a whole other dimension in terms of insight and perspective. All these tools are just number-crunching. It is essential to know how it has been programmed and coded to ensure you’re getting the information you need, and it isn’t missing anything. Sometimes you don’t know what you don’t know.”
Also, RPAs cannot respond to unexpected situations or changes in the work process. Consequently, if there are changes in the interfaces or applications with which the RPA interacts, the automation could fail unless it has been appropriately updated or programmed to handle such changes.
And while RPA can substantially reduce errors in tasks such as data entry, it is not entirely error-proof. Anomalies can occur if the bot misinterprets data or if the data itself is flawed. Thus, a level of human oversight and occasional audits are required to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the automation.
Benefits of Using an RPA
In the context of healthcare, RPAs are not only a tool for improving efficiency but also a substantial resource saver. By automating tasks previously performed manually, RPA frees healthcare staff to focus more on patient-centered responsibilities, thereby enhancing overall patient care: “With the limited staffing that exists, RPAs can replace one or two FTEs depending on how it’s structured,” says Rosen. “One medical group I am working with right now is replacing, on average, 1.7 FTEs. In most cases, these FTEs they are replacing aren’t losing their jobs. It’s often shifting that individual to working at the top of their license. For example, an RN working in the office can concentrate on their patients rather than doing routine work.”
In terms of financial resources, the implementation of RPA results in a reduction in labor costs as fewer staff hours are required to complete administrative tasks. Furthermore, RPA minimizes the risk of errors in tasks such as data entry, which can lead to costly corrections and rework. By yielding higher accuracy rates, RPA also contributes to savings in resources. “Ultimately, it is a redeployment of resources. You still need that human element to manage the exceptions, but it certainly can increase job satisfaction for staff as well as improve patient outcomes,” says Rosen.
Privacy and Bias Concerns with RPAs
Unlike AI, there are not the same bias concerns with RPAs since no decision-making is happening. RPAs follow predefined rules and procedures without subjective judgments or predictions: “ChatGPT relies on large language models, so there is the question of where those databases are from. The data gathered will influence the outcome and present biases,” says Rosen. “The databases RPAs use are the health information they have access to. It is strictly process-oriented.”
Because RPAs access health information, they must follow Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations. These rules mandate the privacy and security of patient health information, and any RPA application that interacts with such data must be designed to be compliant. This includes only the minimum necessary information that should be accessed by RPA bots to perform their tasks, reducing the risk of accidental exposure or breach. Data encryption is enforced both in transit and at rest, and access controls must be in place to prevent unauthorized access to patient data.
Future of RPAs
Looking ahead, RPA will continue to be essential in healthcare, and as healthcare organizations continue to digitize their operations, the demand for RPA will likely surge.
One potential area of expansion is telemedicine, where RPAs can automate the process of patient onboarding, follow-up reminders, and patient feedback collection. RPAs also have future applications in clinical decision support where they can aid in the extraction and analysis of patient data, enhancing diagnostic accuracy and reducing the time to treatment.
However, with advancements in AI and machine learning, the capabilities of RPA are expected to evolve beyond rule-based tasks: “RPA will continue to be integrated with all the other changes in healthcare. There are a variety of tools that enable physicians to do more for their patients as well as personalized medicine,” explains Rosen.
