AWARE (Awareness and Accountability of Registration Errors) is a transformative initiative designed to reduce insurance claim denials by improving the accuracy of patient registration across Johns Hopkins Medicine: Patient Access. What sets AWARE apart is its seamless integration of data analytics, personalized learning, and leadership engagement.
Program Details
Developed in-house, AWARE can transform error data into individualized learning journeys, automatically assigning microlearnings based on real-time performance. This tool monitors bypassed Epic (Johns Hopkins Medicine’s electronic medical record system) warnings and delivers monthly scorecards to 2,226 registration staff and their leaders. These scorecards break down errors by category, enabling targeted microlearning interventions. Staff receive brief, impactful training that can be based on their specific error patterns, while leaders receive weekly coaching tips and data insights to support team performance. Leaders use AWARE to coach performance on a monthly basis as scorecards arrive.
Sent out of the AWARE direct messaging portal, the “Did You Know” series (bite-sized, scenario-based tip sheets) uses a four-part storytelling format (Scenario, What Not to Do, Why, and Best Practice). It reinforces best practices twice weekly, combining storytelling with actionable guidance. The series has garnered more than 21,000 views.
Staff also can submit AWARE inquiries via an inquiry portal to receive personalized support. AWARE’s feedback loop crowdsources insights to refine both training and system workflows. Innovations in e-mail formatting and learning management system (LMS) tracking boosted engagement dramatically.
This multi-pronged approach fosters a culture of learning, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Results
In fiscal year 2024, the number of bypassed warnings increased, but the rate of bypassed warnings grew 2.1 percent slower than the volume of charges. This indicates a positive behavioral shift—although the absolute number of bypasses increased, the pace of that increase was outpaced by business volume. Staff exhibited improved adherence to warning protocols relative to workload.
In addition, claim denials enterprise-wide dropped from 4.96 percent in FY’24 to 4.72 percent in FY’25, achieving the organization’s goal and coming in below the industry benchmark.
