HR leaders who work for healthcare organizations say one of their biggest challenges is finding top talent for in-demand positions. This is not surprising because the healthcare industry is the fastest-growing career sector in the US.
They are also focused on making good hiring decisions. According to the Deloitte 2022 Global Health Care Outlook report, staffing costs comprise 75% of a typical institution’s operating budget, and the average cost of a bad hire can range from $17,000 to $240,000, depending on the role and the organization. So, while HR professionals aim to recruit top-quality employees, they also want to minimize hiring mistakes.
Healthcare institutions have found that using healthcare skills tests helps them build a top medical support staff and improve hiring outcomes. This is because using skill tests for medical support staff allows them to make data-driven hiring decisions instead of relying on subjective tools such as unstructured interviews and information supplied on applications and resumes. This helps them confirm which candidates have the skills to do a job and reduces the risk of making a bad hire.
With the eSkill Talent Assessment PlatformTM, healthcare institutions can choose ready-to-use, validated healthcare skills tests, or build customized skill tests for medical support staff by selecting questions from multiple tests and adding their own questions. When candidates submit completed tests, HR teams have the information they need to make hiring decisions with predictive accuracy.
The Best Healthcare Skills Tests
Healthcare organizations typically hire medical transcriptionists, medical assistants, billing and coding specialists, and customer service representatives. These are examples of skill tests for medical support staff included in the eSkill Assessment Library and why HR leaders find them valuable.
- Digital Literacy Simulation: Almost 78% of office-based physicians and around 96% of all non-federal acute care hospitals have implemented electronic health records (EHR) systems. Healthcare institutions have also seen an increase in the demand for virtual care because of COVID-19. This means HR leaders need healthcare skills tests to confirm candidates are comfortable using a computer and have good MS Office Word and Excel abilities. The Digital Literacy Skills Simulation presents candidates with realistic scenarios so HR teams can evaluate their computer proficiency.
- Medical Terminology Skills Test: Anyone who works in a healthcare environment must understand basic medical terminology and demonstrate that they can apply the knowledge when documenting medical procedures and patient notes. The Medical Terminology Skills Test is popular with HR teams because it covers topics such as infectious diseases, the hematological system, and the nervous and cardiovascular systems.
- Medical Coding Skills Test: Medical coding is essential for creating accurate patient records that enable billing and accounting professionals to do their jobs. So, recruiters use the Medical Coding Skills Test to see how well candidates can read patients’ charts, understand medical terminology, translate it into alphanumeric codes, and enter the correct information in patients’ EHRs. Topics covered include medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, and legal aspects of insurance claims, in addition to general coding guidelines.
- Medical Billing Skills Test: Healthcare institutions send bills to insurance companies and patients using coding information in patients’ EHRs.The Medical Billing Skills Test helps HR teams evaluate candidates’ knowledge of medical billing practices, medical claims processing, and their ability to create invoices and statements using medical codes. The assessment also covers HIPAA regulations, legal and ethical health insurance concepts, and Medicare and Medicaid.
- Processing Medication Orders and Managing Narcotics: Narcotics are highly regulated. The Processing Medication Orders and Managing Narcotics Skills Test is the ideal solution to help HR teams evaluate candidates’ knowledge of medical uses of narcotics, how to receive and fill orders, pharmacy calculations, and how to store, dispense, and dispose of controlled substances.
- Customer Service in Healthcare: Interpersonal skills for healthcare workers have become increasingly important because of the shift from volume-based to high-value care. The Customer Service in Healthcare Skills Assessment helps HR professionals evaluate candidates’ ability to manage general communication with patients and healthcare providers, handle patient complaints, and provide general healthcare support.
- Community Health Worker: Community health workers need to know how to manage environmental, social, and economic resources that are necessary for people’s emotional and physical well-being. So, HR leaders use the Community Health Worker Skills Test to ensure candidates can identify patients’ needs, distribute medical information, perform basic diagnostic procedures, and advise community groups on health topics.
Why Use Healthcare Skills Tests to Hire Medical Support Staff?
Using skill tests for medical support staff helps healthcare organizations improve hiring outcomes by allowing them to make data-driven hiring decisions. By ensuring candidates have the skills and experience to do a job, they can rest assured that they are hiring the right candidate, which reduces the risk of making a bad hire.
Do you want to learn how using skill tests for medical support staff can help you build the best healthcare support staff? Contact us to request a demo.
