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Cerner Revenue Cycle Management, Report 4 of 4
Cerner Customers Waiting on Tangible Results
Author
Boyd Stewart
Author
Alex McIntosh
In August 2018, representatives from some of Cerner’s largest and most complex customers met with Cerner executives to participate in a transparent summit around revenue cycle success. The purpose of this summit was to provide insights that would enable Cerner to conduct a significant pivot to regain client confidence and deliver a world-class RCM solution. In KLAS’ previous follow-up reports, customers reported that Cerner has delivered a road map, become more transparent, and worked to improve client relationships. This report is the final in the series and focuses on the tangible improvements that have been realized since the August 2018 summit.
Overall Satisfaction among Live Customers Trending Down Since 2018 Summit
RCM satisfaction among Cerner’s live customers has seen noticeable variation since the 2018 summit. Satisfaction among attendees was low prior to the summit but then peaked as relationships with Cerner improved and optimism among some customers grew. However, customers are frustrated with the lack of tangible improvements for their organizations’ bottom lines, leading those customers most recently surveyed to report a 21% decrease in overall satisfaction since the summit. None of these customers are satisfied with Cerner’s speed in delivering what was outlined in the post-summit road map, and several are examining other options as they seriously consider whether Cerner will be part of their long-term plans.
Most Customers Not Seeing Tangible Progress
While a number of Cerner customers have seen improvements in various baseline metrics over the past 15 months, a greater number have seen either a deterioration in their situation or no change at all. And only a few of those who did report improved metrics attributed their successes to improvements from Cerner. A director of revenue cycle said, “We have had to bring in other solutions to keep our denials and cash good. Cerner led us to believe that denials would be a real strength in the product, but that was not true.” This lack of delivery from Cerner has had a noticeable impact on the energy that customers feel when considering their revenue cycle future with Cerner. Despite an improvement in the overall relationship, the lack of improvement is a contributing reason that 6 of the 10 summit attendees would not choose Cerner again if given the choice. “I’m unable to point to a specific thing that stands out other than their increased engagement,” said a revenue cycle VP.
Customers Waiting for Next Step(s) beyond Relationship Improvements
Cerner has not yet turned improvements in their client relationships into meaningful improvements in the product. Several customers report that they have developed positive relationships with Cerner personnel, but they feel the employees are limited in their ability to actually help. “I have more confidence in one or two people,” stated a revenue cycle executive. “Brenna is trying to do the right thing. I like her. My personal relationship with her has been a win, but she struggles to deliver too.”
Fewer Customers in the Middle Ground When It Comes to Confidence in Cerner
The percent of Cerner customers who lack confidence in Cerner’s ability to deliver a world-class RCM solution has grown as several who were previously on the fence have not seen the expected or needed progress: “My faith has gotten worse. We heard Zane and Brent commit engineering effort and focus, and subsequently Cerner has undergone multiple layoffs. I can’t imagine that doesn’t have an impact. After August 2018, we have gotten more into the road map details and Cerner remains three years away from being three years away” (vice president, revenue cycle).
Almost All Feel Cerner Is Headed in Right Direction; Most Anticipate Some Improvement in the Next 12 Months
“We are at the point that things need to happen. The infrastructure and team seem better. Now the promise of a better revenue cycle needs to be delivered. We need to start seeing real improvement in the product within the next six months. That will tell us whether all the team improvements will actually make things better.”
—Director, Revenue Cycle
“To be fair, I can see that their culture is slowly changing and that they are trying. They are really trying to make an effort to be a better partner and to do better in the revenue cycle space. They are so far behind that I cannot wait two to three years for the product to hopefully be better. I know that they are trying. I think that they are fighting a losing battle.”
—VP, Revenue Cycle
Cerner RCM Customers Need More Wins to Increase Satisfaction
In general, interviewed Cerner customers feel that since the 2018 summit, Cerner has been more attentive and has done a better job at listening to and collaborating with clients around revenue cycle issues. “The last council meeting was very encouraging,” said a VP of revenue cycle. “I feel that Cerner has made quite of bit of progress on major issues.” However, customers are quick to point out that pressure should remain on Cerner to quickly deliver tangible improvements that impact customers’ bottom lines. “There haven’t been any wins. Cerner has yet to convince our decision makers that they will even develop a product that we could rely on” (VP of revenue cycle).
“We are much more optimistic than we were two years ago. Things are getting better. It just needs to start being tangible in the product now. It is time to move past infrastructure and deliver on the promises.”
—Director, Revenue Cycle
“There has been very little innovation in 2019 that customers have accessed. The majority of the engineering effort in 2018 and 2019 seems to have been consumed by the government or the VA.”
—Vice President, Revenue Cycle
Writer
Alex McIntosh
Designer
Jess Wallace-Simpson
This material is copyrighted. Any organization gaining unauthorized access to this report will be liable to compensate KLAS for the full retail price. Please see the KLAS DATA USE POLICY for information regarding use of this report. © 2024 KLAS Research, LLC. All Rights Reserved. NOTE: Performance scores may change significantly when including newly interviewed provider organizations, especially when added to a smaller sample size like in emerging markets with a small number of live clients. The findings presented are not meant to be conclusive data for an entire client base.