Hello everyone. This is Erica Spicer Mason with
Becker's Healthcare. Thank you so much for tuning
into the Becker's Healthcare podcast series today.
So today we're going to talk about how
orthopedic and MSK practices are using automation,
mobile tools, and AI to tackle issues like
staffing shortages,
admin burden, and care access as we head
into 2026.
And joining me for this conversation, we have
Molly Van Oort, the director of specialty account
management at NextGen Healthcare.
So a little bit about Molly. She has
nearly twenty years of experience in healthcare IT,
and she combines clinical and technical expertise with
a passion for customer success.
Her broad expertise spans her time in an
orthopedic practice, as well as consulting for various
healthcare organizations.
Molly's unique perspective as a market strategist, subject
matter expert, and advocate for specialty practices
empowers providers to deliver better care, improve the
patient and provider experience, and overcome industry challenges.
And outside of work, Molly enjoys life in
beautiful Northern Michigan with her husband, dog, two
grown children, and a growing list of grandchildren.
Molly, great to learn more about you. Thank
you so much for being with Becker's today.
Thank you for having me.
Well, it's great to have you with us.
And,
to get our conversation started, I I wanted
to just get your take first on any
major trends that you're seeing shaping the orthopedic
market right now, especially as we head into
the new year.
Yeah. Orthopedic practices are truly experiencing a steady
increase in demand.
As people live and remain active longer, our
aging population is experiencing more conditions requiring orthopedic
care.
In addition, the prevalence of sports injuries continues
to climb, contributing further to patient volumes.
And chronic MSK issues are also on the
rise, adding to the overall need for orthopedic
care.
But orthopedic practices are currently navigating the dual
challenge of rising patient volumes and those ongoing
staffing shortages.
As demand continues to grow, practices are finding
it increasingly difficult to keep pace with patient
needs,
and the staffing gaps are evident in key
operational areas such as scheduling,
call centers, intake, referrals, and even previsit workflows.
Shortages
also extend to professional roles.
We're seeing shortages in nursing, radiology,
and essential back office positions like the coders
and billers.
And even minor staff shortages
can lead to longer wait times and operational
bottlenecks.
Ultimately, these are all reducing patient access and
increasing the stress for both staff and providers.
But, of course, throughput within practices is also
affected by the need to balance growing demand
with that limited staff capacity.
And operational fit inefficiencies
can slow down patient flow
resulting in delays and reduced practice productivity.
The reality,
administrative burden on both providers and staff has
intensified.
Persistent gaps in professional and back office positions
mean that remaining employees must navigate more complex
workflows and
administrative hoops,
increasing stress levels and further straining resources.
There's also a growing urgency for the orthopedic
practices to modernize their operations.
To address ongoing staff shortages and increase patient
volumes,
many practices are turning to technology based solutions,
Automation,
mobile tools,
artificial intelligence
are quickly becoming mainstream
as organizations seek to streamline workflows and improve
efficiencies.
Also, orthopedic practices are actively seeking methods to
reduce
staff, boost capacity,
and all of that means leveraging technology solutions
and streamlining existing workflows.
Practices aim to meet rising patient volumes and
operational demands.
The goal is to maintain high quality care
and efficient service delivery
even when the workforce
expansion is not feasible.
And, Molly, this is such a helpful overview.
And, really, what you're saying here so closely
aligns with what we're seeing even at Becker's,
in our own reporting and coverage,
in this area of care. But it it's
interesting to hear how the staffing shortages is
translating not just to challenges of keeping up
with demand, but it also impacts patient access
when we're seeing longer wait times, as you
mentioned, operational bottlenecks.
And I understand that NextGen conducted a survey
recently that that found that nearly half of
MSK leaders
see automation as a key to addressing some
of these staffing shortages.
And I know you you started to touch
on technology and automation, how that's playing a
role here. Can you elaborate a little bit
there and talk a little bit about the
kinds of automation that are gaining traction?
Of course. Orthopedic practices are increasingly seeking automation
solutions that
specifically address the repetitive and high volume administrative
tasks.
By implementing automated systems for these routine functions,
practices can streamline their workflows and alleviate that
workload that often burdens staff members.
This targeted approach to automation enables staff to
devote more attention to patient centered aspects of
care.
Rather than spending excessive time on manual,
time consuming processes.
As a result, practices are better positioned to
maintain operational efficiency
and improve overall patient experience
even in the face of those staffing shortages.
Several automation solutions are making a significant difference
in streamlining operations within orthopedic practices.
Implementing digital intake forms streamlines the process for
collecting patient information prior to appointments.
This automation actually reduces the time spent by
the staff on manual data entry and allows
for efficient management of patient records, which, of
course, helps staff focus on direct patient care.
Automated insurance verification systems
assist in quickly confirming patient coverage, eliminating the
need for time consuming manual checks.
This consistency
ensures smoother workflows
and fewer delays,
ultimately improving the patient experience.
Automating patient reminders and confirmations
reduces the need for staff to make repetitive
phone calls.
This system increases reliability in communication
and helps maintain an organized schedule, freeing staff
for other essentials.
And automated referral routing simplifies the process for
directing patients to appropriate specialists or services,
and orthopedics
lives and dies
by those referrals.
So minimizing manual
intervention,
practices can ensure timely and accurate referrals
supporting that continuity of care. Automation and prior
authorization
also expedites the approval process for procedures
and treatments, which, of course, reduces administrative delays
and allows staff to focus on more patient
centered activities.
Yeah. Molly, I I appreciate the overview.
You know, when we talk about automation, it
can be such an umbrella term of sorts.
So I appreciate how you've broken down all
of these different kind of lanes, especially administrative
tasks where these tools can be applied for
greater efficiencies.
And I know when we're talking about efficiencies
too, so often capacity
comes up, and we are still facing quite
a capacity crisis in health care, both clinically
speaking and administratively.
And I understand the NextGen survey also showed
that even a 10%
increase in nonclinical
capacity would significantly help to improve patient access.
So in your view, where can practices realistically
reclaim that time?
So previs at work often eats up significant
time, and it's frequently an unnoticed
time consumer.
Tasks such as preparing those digital intake forms,
verifying insurance, managing reminders and confirmation workflows,
managing those referrals, and supporting prior authorizations
all collectively add to that administrative burden faced
by staff.
Although these activities are essential for smooth practice
operations,
they can be time intensive
and detract from the ability to focus on
patient facing responsibilities.
Recognizing and addressing the time spent on these
pre visit processes
is crucial for practices
seeking to optimize efficiency
and reclaim valuable staff capacity for more impactful
human centered acts of aspects of care.
Implementing those digital intake forms and automated reminder
systems
plays a significant role in minimizing the need
for inbound phone calls and manual follow-up tasks.
By allowing patients to complete those forms electronically
before their visit and sending reminders automatically,
practices can streamline administrative workflows.
This approach not only reduces the time
staff spend on repetitive communication,
but also enables more efficient management of patient
information
and
appointment confirmations
freeing up valuable time for other responsibilities.
Yeah. So helpful to know, Molly. Thank you.
And from, again, that same survey, I understand
that a significant portion of MSK groups are
already using mobile tools,
or AI documentation.
So I would love to know a little
bit more about what you see as driving
adoption of those tools.
Documentation
burden is one of the biggest sources of
provider burnout in MSK.
The extensive time and effort required to complete
documentation
tasks can detract from the time providers spend
with patients
and contribute significantly
to stress and fatigue.
By implementing streamlined documentation workflows, such as utilizing
mobile charting tools and AI powered solutions,
practices can minimize the manual work and follow
ups that typically lead to burnout.
These improvements
enable providers to focus more on patient care
and reduce the pressure associated with maintaining thorough
records,
ultimately supporting both provider well-being and overall practice
efficiency.
Mobile tools empower providers to chart information efficiently
while on the move, which of course for
orthopedics is critically important, whether they're in the
office, the OR, or even at home.
But really, the goal is minimizing time spent
sitting at a traditional workstation or computer.
This flexibility
allows clinicians to document care in real time
directly at the point of service,
which not only streamlines workflows,
but helps maintain focus on patient interactions.
Additionally, the AI assisted documentation
plays a crucial role in ex expediting chart
closure
and enhancing the accuracy of patient records.
Remove
the human error.
By automating routine documentation tasks and supporting providers
with intelligent suggestions,
these solutions reduce the administrative burden and decrease
the likelihood of errors.
Together, mobile tools and AI enabled workflows
contribute to more efficient documentation processes,
allowing providers to devote more of their attention
to patient care.
And a key motivation behind the adoption of
mobile tools and AI assisted documentation
is the desire among providers to spend more
time with their patients
and less time managing administrative
tasks such as chasing notes.
By streamlining documentation processes,
these solutions help clinicians reclaim valuable hours that
would otherwise be devoted to just catching up
on paperwork.
Yeah. Molly, I can't tell you enough how
much I appreciate the insights you've shared today
about what's possible with
automation,
AI strategies, especially for orthopedic and MSK practices.
It sounds like they're facing,
similar challenges
to the broader health care space, but also,
some greater challenges, especially when it comes to
documentation, as you've mentioned,
referrals and access.
So really appreciate the conversation. And as we
close, I just wanna highlight one more finding
from that survey that NextGen conducted because I
think it kind of nicely brings together all
of the themes that we've touched on.
So the survey showed that just over a
quarter of respondents
see AI as a strategic efficiency lever.
And despite and that's despite widespread usage and
strong outcomes. So relatively small number of respondents,
I would say.
Why do you think that gap exists, and
what results are you seeing from practices that
really lean in here?
Many practices view AI as a useful feature,
not yet a strategic investment.
For most practices, the initial improvements
brought by AI, such as reducing the amount
of typing and streamlining charting tasks,
feel truly
tactical rather than transformational.
As a result, AI is often perceived as
a helpful tool for managing daily workflow
rather than as a core element of modernization
efforts.
Orthopedics is a specialty
characterized by high volume of data and
fast paced clinical environment.
In such settings, the initial adoption of AI
powered documentation and mobile tools tends to deliver
improvements that are primarily
tactical in nature.
For example, clinicians experience more efficient workflow processes,
which help them manage extensive data requirements and
rapid patient turnover.
But these early enhancements, such as streamlined documentation
and reduced time spent on administrative
tasks,
addresses immediate operational challenges without
fundamentally altering the overall strategic direction of the
practice.
As a result, the benefits are felt in
day to day activities, making the tools appear
as valuable features
rather than transformative investments.
But as practices continue to observe the impact
of AI powered documentation
solutions over time,
they begin to realize a broad spectrum of
significant benefits.
These include accelerated chart closure, which allows for
more timely completion of patient records and a
noticeable reduction in after hour documentation,
helping providers maintain a healthier work life balance.
Additionally,
enhanced accuracy
contributes to fewer downstream coding issues,
streamlining both administrative and billing processes.
Providers also experience more opportunities for direct interaction
with patients, ultimately leading to greater provider satisfaction
and improved quality of care.
Over time, AI becomes part of a broader
modernization
strategy.
As practices observe the tangible benefits of AI,
they begin to recognize its potential beyond immediate
operational improvements.
Ultimately,
these advantages contribute to shift in perspective.
AI
evolves from being viewed as a helpful tool
for daily workflow management
to being considered a key component
in the strategic transformation of orthopedic practices.
The adoption of AI becomes intertwined with efforts
to modernize clinical operations,
reflecting a shift from short term gains
to sustainable transformation.
And practices increasingly
leveraging
AI to streamline processes
will see reduced administrative burdens,
facilitate more meaningful interactions between providers and patients,
which all directly contribute to both operational excellence
and better patient outcomes.
Well, it's been
so great, Molly, to hear about all of
the possibilities that,
that are there and that you've witnessed when
you see organizations lean into innovation in this
way. So I wanna thank you again for
being with Becker's today and giving us your
time and insights.
Thank you so much. It's been a pleasure.
And we'd also like to thank our podcast
sponsor, NextGen Healthcare.
Listeners, be sure to tune into more podcasts
from Becker's by visiting our podcast page at
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