Application of QR Code Technology in the Reform of Consultation Fee Payment Process
Original: https://cli.im/article/detail/1989
In recent years, news reports about patients complaining about paying consultation fees to external hospital experts have been common, further intensifying doctor-patient conflicts. Medical institutions consider these fees as legitimate service charges, while patients often perceive them as soliciting red envelopes. Some netizens tend to believe that "patients burn the bridge after crossing the river."
In December 2018, doctors from the Fifth Department of Orthopedics at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Qiqihar Medical College in Heilongjiang Province were reported by a patient's family for accepting red envelopes after surgery. An investigation by the Qiqihar Municipal Health Commission revealed that the incident occurred because the patient's family gave a 5,000 yuan consultation fee to an expert from a higher-level hospital through the attending physician, without providing a receipt. This ultimately led to the hospital being publicly criticized citywide.
In January 2019, the Gansu Provincial Health Commission responded to a complaint from a netizen regarding consultation fees charged by a county-level hospital. The complainant stated that, in addition to the medication, examination, and surgery fees listed on the hospital's bill, the doctor demanded an extra 5,000 yuan consultation fee. The money was collected at the surgery room entrance without providing a receipt, with the explanation that it was not within the scope of invoicing.
The above news reports all involve violations of the "Provisional Regulations," where consultation fees were paid directly in cash by the patient to the consulting expert or transferred through the attending physician.
Why has consultation fee payment remained non-compliant? The main challenge lies in the flow of data. According to the "Provisional Regulations," doctors are entitled to legitimate remuneration for external consultations, but only with the patient's consent. Consulting doctors are not allowed to accept consultation fees privately. Consultation fees must be collected by the financial department of the inviting hospital and then transferred to the financial department of the dispatching hospital through public-to-public transfers.
The biggest difficulty with this payment method is ensuring the smooth flow of consultation information. Patient consultation information must be transferred to the medical department for review, the collection status of consultation fees must be forwarded to the finance department for verification, and the bank account details of the consulting expert must be matched with the corresponding consultation data.
Using CaoLiao QR Codes
In 2020, our hospital was also flagged by health supervision authorities during a compliance inspection for non-compliant consultation fee payments. To address this issue, we used CaoLiao QR codes to reform our consultation fee payment process.
We created two forms using CaoLiao QR codes and combined them into a single QR code to collect patient consultation information and the consulting expert's bank account details. Both types of information are ultimately aggregated in the medical department, which verifies the authenticity of the consultation. After approval, a consultation fee payment application is submitted to the finance department. The finance department then reviews the collection status of the consultation fee and, upon approval, transfers the payment to the consulting expert.
Detailed Process
Consultation Fee Payment Process at Ningbo Women and Children's Hospital
1. Inviting Department Fills in Basic Consultation Information
This includes details such as consultation information and the expert's consultation time.
2. Consulting Expert Fills in Bank Account Information
The consulting expert provides their professional title, bank account details, and other relevant information.
3. Medical Department Submits the Transfer Application
Upon receiving the two forms, the medical department verifies the information and, within five working days, completes the transfer application, which is then submitted to the finance department for processing.
4. Finance Department Completes the Consultation Fee Transfer
The finance department finalizes the transfer of the consultation fee.
Template Sharing
Finally, I am sharing the template for this QR code. You can directly reference it, and I hope it will be helpful to colleagues in the field.
Share link: https://cli.im/share/TfUBWtI