Robotic process automation streamlines tasks, shortens DAR

APDerm is a physician-led, patient-centered dermatology network in New England. Through its network of over a dozen renowned brands, including Adult & Pediatric Dermatology, Boston Dermatology & Laser Center, and Mystic Valley Dermatology Associates, APDerm delivers a comprehensive range of services combining expertise, innovation, and community-focused care.

Central to APDerm’s mission is empowering its practices to focus on what matters most: patient care. By providing robust operational support, cutting-edge technology, and a platform for professional growth, APDerm ensures its physicians can deliver unmatched care.  

As an enterprise organization with 37 locations across several states, APDerm faced increasing operational complexities, especially in their billing department, due to a high volume of claims. Managing these claims required significant manual input which put a strain on resources as the organization expanded.  

Challenge: Manual tax ID selection process caused slow, error-prone claims

As APDerm’s business grew, so did the challenges within their billing workflows. Billers had to manually select and update the Tax Identification Number (TIN) for each claim, which required a complex evaluation of payer and provider data points. This cumbersome process was both time-consuming and often introduced errors that lengthened accounts receivable and charge lag. Training new staff on the complicated TIN selection process introduced additional challenges, making onboarding more difficult and limiting the ability to scale efficiently.

Solution: Implementing a Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Framework

Recognizing the need for a streamlined process, APDerm partnered with athenahealth’s Advisory Services team to design an RPA solution tailored to their business needs. The RPA solution uses logic-based workflows to identify the correct TIN from a set of 27 options. This automation eliminated the need for manual selection, reducing human error and ensuring claims are processed faster and more accurately.  

• $400K generated in annual savings by reducing 5 full-time employees
• 20% reduction in overall Days in Accounts Receivable (DAR)
• -3 Days reduced TAT claims submitted from 5 to 2 days
• 80% reduction in Client Days in Accounts Receivable (DAR)

Scaling for Success: Supporting Tools for Long-Term Efficiency

To ensure APDerm’s RPA solution grew with the business, the athenahealth Advisory Services team built additional tools to support operations with integrated insights and enhancements:

• Cross-Reference Matrix: a dynamic, easy-to-update file containing critical payer and provider data that allows APDerm’s billing team to manage and refine the automation as needed
• Daily Results File: A comprehensive summary report that tracks processing statistics and identifies claims exceptions. This file equips APDerm’s team with actionable insights to monitor performance and address potential issues proactively.  

“The RPA software has created significant efficiencies by automating tasks that improve the accuracy of data submission for claim submission. This has led to substantial cost savings, reductions in time to collections, and an overall improvement in revenue cycle performance and cash collections on initial claim submissions.”

-John Rampone – Chief Operating Officer at APDerm

athenaOne advisory services can help improve your healthcare organization’s ROI

For healthcare practices looking to maximize performance and enhance return on investment, our Advisory Services team provides unparalleled expertise in consulting, staff augmentation, and data services. We excel at aligning people, processes, and technology, enabling practices to optimize their operations.  

Advisory Services’ partnership with APDerm is one of many examples demonstrating our ability to elevate practice profitability, care quality, and the patient experience.  

See how advisory services can help you