For Qualified Medical Evaluators, medical chronology outsourcing is vital. It helps to manage heavy caseloads and ensures you have clear, well-organized medical summaries ready for your evaluations.
Outsourcing medical chronologies works well when there’s consistent communication between you and the team doing the work.
Before we get into the concept of communication, let’s first explore what medical chronology outsourcing is.
What is medical chronology outsourcing?
When you outsource medical chronologies, you send patient medical records to an outside team. They read through the records, sort them by date, and summarize key events in a timeline format. This timeline usually includes dates of visits, procedures, diagnoses, treatments, and important notes.
This is extremely helpful for QMEs. It saves you from sorting through hundreds or even thousands of pages of records and helps you focus on your expert analysis.
Why does communication matter so much?
You may think, “I’m hiring experts. Can’t I just hand over the files and wait for the finished summary?”
Don’t think this way. It’s not a set-and-go process.
The outsourcing team needs to understand:
- What do you want included or left out?
- How do you want the chronology formatted?
- How urgent is the project?
- What medical details are most important to you?
If you don’t explain these things clearly, they may deliver a product that looks neat but doesn’t meet your needs.
When communication between you and your team is strong, you can save time and reduce stress. You can easily improve the quality of your reports. Over time, the outsourcing team becomes familiar with your preferences, making every new project smoother.
Communication challenges in outsourcing
Not giving clear instructions
If you don’t explain what you expect, the team will do their normal work. For example, do you need a brief summary or a detailed one? Should they flag duplicate medical records or just leave them?
Not setting deadlines
Without a clear deadline, the outsourcing team may not prioritize your project, which can delay your work.
Not knowing the case status
Without proper case updates on the progress of your case, you don’t know what is really happening. You don’t know if the team is on track or if they face any issues.
Assuming the team understands medical-legal needs
Not all outsourcing teams know what QMEs specifically need. They might miss key details like causation, prior history, or functional limitations unless you explain their importance.
How to improve communication with your chronology team?
Start with a clear brief
Before sending off records, give your outsourcing partner a clear brief on your goals, timelines, and quality standards.
Including details like:
- Case background and goals
- Any key events they should watch for
This step helps your partner understand the full picture and avoids confusion later.
Choose the right communication tools
Decide how you will stay in touch. Which one works best for you? Email, phone, or a shared portal. Pick the one that fits you share updates or ask questions.
Make sure both sides know the best way to reach each other, especially for urgent questions.
Set clear deadlines
Tell the team when you need the chronology completed. If you have multiple projects, let them know which ones are most urgent.
Request a sample
Before handing over a large project, ask for a small sample chronology first. Many companies will provide free trials for their new clients.
Review the file carefully and provide feedback. This step ensures the final product matches your needs.
Give feedback for improvement
Once a project is complete, share your feedback, both positive and negative. Let them know what worked well and what could be improved.
This helps your outsourcing partner learn your preferences and get better over time.
How we support QMEs
LezDo TechMed specializes in medical chronology services for QMEs. We know what details matter in workers’ compensation, liability, and disability cases. We make communication easier via our CaseDrive tool. Our medical record review for the QMEs team can handle everything from small projects to complex cases, always with attention to accuracy and clarity.
To wrap up,
Medical chronology outsourcing works well for your practice only if your communication is strong. With this, you will get reliable, high-quality medical chronologies that helps you do your job better.
If you are a QME searching for a trusted partner to handle your medical chronologies with accuracy, LezDo TechMed is here to help you. Want to see how it works? Explore our medical chronology template for a clearer picture.
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