BPO Med migrates healthcare admin system to CACH'E database

InterSystems application partner BPO Med (previously IQ Health) has converted its healthcare administration software, SuperMed, to InterSystems` CACH'E database.

Explaining the decision to move away from its previous database, BPO Med CEO Koot du Plessis says: "We needed a reliable solution. CACH'E is the most successful database in the US healthcare market, which bears testimony to its reliability. We also find it is more affordable than our previous database because of the reduction in licensing fees."

He adds: "The CACH'E system is much faster, and more user-friendly as a development environment for programmers." He attributes the company`s 100% success rate with CACH'E to InterSystems` support, assistance and training.

Henry Adams, country manager for InterSystems SA, says new functionality in CACH'E allows applications to be developed in less than a quarter of the time it took before, leading to enhanced productivity and faster time to market for BPO Med.

The company was formed from the amalgamation of IQ Health, SuperMed and Healthsource Africa, giving birth to a new industry leader in healthcare business process outsourcing (BPO). The company gives industry players an opportunity to outsource backroom operations that are not their core business.

"Worldwide, businesses are moving towards BPO in order to allow businesses to focus on core activities while a third-party delivers backroom operations on a service level agreement principle," says Du Plessis.

Processing is done on a 24x7 basis, giving clients 24-hour turnaround time on work processed. Participating clients are offered the SuperMed administration system free of charge.

Du Plessis says: "BPO Med`s experience stems from the clearing houses of the late 1990s. "These clearinghouses would handle doctors`, opticians` and hospital claims, for example. They would handle the claim from the time it was received from the service provider, would clean it up - check the validity of tariff codes, amounts, the combination of tariff codes, validation of the member, and what benefits were available - process that and forward it to the administrator for paying."

From 1993, 36 installations were successfully implemented, based on the SuperMed technology. IQ Health was a technology company that delivered business solutions for its clients. In 2001, the two companies came to an agreement whereby IQ would use the SuperMed system for its clients. The companies have completed three implementations since then, one in July for an Australian client, Grand United.

Adams says BPO Med recently completed an installation of the CACH'E-based application at Thebe/Hosmed and won a contract from a new-generation scheme, Ultimate Health, to process claims, register members and administer its provider networks. A third CACH'E-based installation is in use at Odyssey Health.

Adams concludes: "InterSystems is privileged to have one of SA`s leading suppliers of high-quality health solutions migrate its entire product set to and standardise on CACH'E. While working with its highly skilled team, we were impressed with the level of technical skill and professionalism in the organisation."