Think First Chooses Integrify® to Automate Physician Referrals, Improve Customer Service

By Integrify | Published April 20, 2010

Chicago, IL – April 21st, 2010 - Integrify® Software, Inc., a leading provider of Web-based Enterprise Request Management software, announced that Think First, a revenue cycle services company that serves healthcare providers, has chosen its Integrify® OnDemand request management solution to automate the task of physician referrals.

Think First delivers dramatic improvements in the financial performance of hospitals and physician practices through operational improvement and technology projects. Integrify®'s product was intriguing to us because we go into a lot of facilities with workflow challenges and process problems, said Chris George, founder and CEO, Think First.

Think First is deploying the Integrify® system at The Hospital of Saint Raphael, a 511-bed community teaching hospital affiliated with Yale University School of Medicine. Previously, the hospital had been manually processing doctors' referrals to specialists, requiring the primary care physicians' offices to fill out paper forms, submit them to the hospital, and wait for the hospital to process the form, set an appointment and notify the patient. The manual methods required many steps—often being touched by 20 to 30 people within the organization—and doctors were complaining that the requests were not being processed in a timely fashion or that some requests were falling through the cracks. More importantly, said George, the hospital staff was never quite certain how many requests were currently in queue at any given time. Think First recognized a need for automating the process to allow for faster throughput and better tracking capabilities.

The ultimate goal is to give the hospital some technology to manage the process so that at any point in time we'll know the number of referrals that have come in, said George.

After implementing Integrify® OnDemand, the referral process will be completely paperless. Additionally, it will allow users to see where in the process each individual request is in real-time, which will allow Think First to do Six Sigma analysis and time-and-motion studies on the process to determine which steps are taking more time and how that step could be revised to save time.

Integrify® is a flexible Enterprise Request Management (ERM) system that allows companies to automate requests and streamline processes. The solution provides form creation, routing definition and tracking tools to those responsible for processing requests, minimizing data entry and simplifying requests for approval and fulfillment. Integrify® is web-based, allowing for easy user accessibility and management of business processes. The solution eliminates problems typically related to labor-intensive processes such as manual paper handling and email requests, and can reduce costs per transaction 60 to 90 percent as opposed to paper-based processes.

By allowing a company's employees the most efficient means to access, submit and obtain fulfillment for requests, an organization can offer the best possible level of service to its customers. With Integrify®, efficiency gains are immediate and most companies can expect a return on investment (ROI) in three months or less. For Think First, the ROI of implementing Integrify® will be multi-fold—improving customer service, allowing for tracking to meet compliance requirements, and providing data that can be used in future planning.

The Integrify® OnDemand solution provides the full functionality of Integrify® via the Internet without the need to install and maintain software. It reduces the risk, cost and time when implementing a solution for process management. Instead of installing the software on its own site, a company can directly access the software, updates, and infrastructure, which are all maintained by Integrify®, freeing up time and resources to focus on business.

According to George, Think First chose Integrify® OnDemand because of the superior service and technology expertise provided by the company as well as the fact that there was no IT infrastructure required to get the system up and running. We knew that going with Integrify® OnDemand we would see the return and the value quickly.

About Think First

Think First is a revenue cycle services company, delivering dramatic improvements in the financial performance of hospitals and physician practices. Benefitting from the extensive revenue cycle and IT expertise of Think First staff and analytics powered by Instant Informatics, Think First clients successfully achieve, sustain and accelerate operational and financial improvement. For more information about services and products, visit www.thinkfirst.us or call 978-887-0880. The corporate offices for Think First are located in Danvers, MA.

About Integrify®, Inc.

Integrify® is based in Chicago, Illinois. Integrify® is a premier enterprise software provider of next-generation process improvement software for managing internal controls, request and authorization management processes and corporate compliance initiatives. The company, which focuses on improving corporate productivity with web-based software and superior service, has created software that enables enterprises to comply with corporate governance, legislation and realize cost savings by optimizing business processes.

Integrify®'s customers include GlaxoSmithKline, BP, Staples, Beal Bank and Stewart Lender Services. Integrify® and the associated Integrify® logo are registered trademarks of Integrify®, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries.


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