{"id":38050,"date":"2025-06-27T09:53:32","date_gmt":"2025-06-27T16:53:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/efaxunifiedstg.wpengine.com\/?p=38050"},"modified":"2025-07-30T14:49:09","modified_gmt":"2025-07-30T21:49:09","slug":"skilled-nursing-manual-workflow-costs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.efax.com\/blog\/skilled-nursing-manual-workflow-costs","title":{"rendered":"The Cost of Doing Nothing: What Manual Workflows Really Cost Skilled Nursing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Many skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) still rely on manual workflows, and they cost more than you think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason for using these processes isn\u2019t resistance to change. Instead, it\u2019s a lack of interoperability. Even though 8 in 10 post-acute facilities<\/a> use electronic health records (EHRs) regularly, data sharing remains a challenge. When EHRs don\u2019t connect across care settings, staff are left to bridge the gaps with paper forms and physical fax machines. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But how much time does staff spend chasing down paperwork, and what happens when patient data arrives at an SNF too late? Let\u2019s add up the costs of manual workflows and explore how post-acute care organizations can fix the problem without overhauling their EHR.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The True Costs of Manual Workflows in Skilled Nursing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Paper-based processes may seem familiar and manageable, but they also create a ripple effect of inefficiency. Here\u2019s where those impacts show up the most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Less Time for Patients<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Every hour spent on repetitive, non-clinical tasks \u2014 calling referring providers, sending paper faxes, and entering data into multiple systems and portals \u2014 saps staff morale and creates added stress. It also diverts attention from doing what your staff does best: delivering care to nursing home residents. Nurses, in particular, feel the brunt, spending between 19% to 35% of each shift<\/a> on clinical documentation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s the cost? Consider one estimate that says inefficient toggling between systems can consume as many as four hours per week<\/a> for all skilled nursing staffers. Take that number and multiply it by the average hourly rate for a nursing home employee ($29\/hour<\/a>). Then multiply that number across an SNF facility with 100 employees, and it equates to $46,000 a month in lost time alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Staff Burnout<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Repetitive administrative tasks are fueling the burnout crisis nursing homes face today. When staff can\u2019t do the work they\u2019re trained to do, they head for the exits. This unfortunate reality has led to an 82% staff turnover rate<\/a> industry-wide, with more than half of nursing homes replacing 50% of their staff annually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

High turnover creates huge expenses. To see why, take the example of a nursing home with 12 full-time RNs. Let\u2019s say the facility experiences a 50% RN turnover rate. Based on an estimated turnover cost of more than $40,000 per bedside nurse<\/a>, the nursing home will spend at least $240,000 to replace those six nurses alone. That doesn\u2019t include the added expenses of replacing other skilled workers, such as Certified Nursing Assistants and Licensed Practical Nurses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Compliance Challenges<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Manually faxed patient records are more likely to be lost or misplaced, increasing the risk of noncompliance with regulations like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Just one HIPAA violation can cost a post-acute provider anywhere between $100 to $50,000<\/a>. Serious violations, however, can cost even more. Take the recent case of a mental health center in California that received a $100,000 civil monetary penalty<\/a> for failing to provide a patient with timely access to her medical records.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Compliance isn\u2019t limited only to HIPAA. Rules like the 21st Century Cures Act<\/a> prohibit information blocking, defined as any action that \u201cinterferes with the ability of authorized persons or entities to access, exchange, or use electronic health information.\u201d SNFs lacking robust interoperability capabilities may be at risk for information-blocking penalties if they fail to share electronic healthcare information with their care partners as needed. Any facility found in violation faces fines of up to $1 million per penalty<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Care Quality and Star Ratings<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The quality of patient care inside an SNF is tied directly to information sharing. When patient records arrive late \u2014 or if they\u2019re illegible on a paper fax and require follow-up \u2014 it raises the odds of preventable medication errors, patient falls, and hospital readmissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research shows that these kinds of information gaps are widespread, especially during care transitions. A study of 471 hospital-SNF pairs<\/a> revealed that 76% of shared healthcare information had at least one usability shortcoming, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n