Changes in Claims Management Education Strategies
For those companies with a claims department, claims management education and training - both initial and ongoing - is vital. However, organizations are continually challenged by how to develop, maintain, and budget for an effective claims management staff education strategy amid ever-changing regulations and employee churn.
While many companies choose to undertake this endeavor in-house, there are, of course, viable outsource companies that specializes in claims management, absorbing all of the required training and education on their clients’ behalf, including the most up-to-date methods related thereto.
Changing Times Require New Claims Management Strategies
An October 2011 article by Douglas Dell on Property Casualty 360, entitled, “Changing Times, Changing Education Strategies,” outlined opportunities to advance the way an industry helps its employees learn. It underscored that education and learning must now be quickly accumulated and continued throughout one’s career. But, thanks to technology and informal learning processes, both formal and ad-hoc education is possible. The article noted three major trends:
- New Technologies: From smartphones to tablets, new devices are making learning easier to do when convenient and on-the-go. Companies realize that they need to provide more content because the new technologies allow for so much more information to be consumed. Additionally, modern technology is actually changing how claims are managed, which in itself requires further training to get staffers acclimated to process for completing, duplicating and transmitting documentation and submitting claims.
- Changing Workforce Demographics: With a wide array of generations now represented in the workforce, there is also a diverse set of learning styles. This makes it challenging for employers to design their training and education programs. Employers have to be more flexible in what they offer in terms of training in order to accommodate all types of workers. While some older workers are used to traditional classroom training that is structured, supplemented, repetitive and reinforced, Milennials want immediate, specific, validated, collaborative and multi-channel type of learning opportunities.
- Informal Learning Methodologies: Because learning is seen more as a continuous process that can be done anywhere, even the insurance industry now understands that it can distribute content through “websites, applications and consumer resources, creating more opportunities for education for both professionals and consumers.” However, there is currently a minimal amount of training-focused content available via web-based tools or through social media despite there being a clear need.
Future Learning Mechanisms
The article noted four specific future learning mechanisms that could provide a way to help speed and customize training within the insurance industry:
- Deploying technology and applications that encourage engagement and learning. “Insurance organizations need to take full advantage of it by introducing devices and applications that continually increase the speed and efficiency of learning.”
- Offering a broad spectrum of learning solutions, including classroom, self-paced online courses, and mobile applications. The focus must be “on distributing information across multiple channels to effectively reach all learners.”
- Encouraging multi-generational teaming and mentoring. “Turn demographic challenges into opportunities to connect generations and advance learning throughout the company.”
- Considering social media platforms as a viable option the next time rapid deployment of information is required. “From an author and user perspective, established contribution standards are in place and all learning styles are addressed: read, write, watch, listen, and try.”
It would then seem that current and future learning could also be assisted by partnering with companies where this type of ongoing learning process was in place in order to transparently handle issues related to claims management to effectively lower an insurance firm’s operational costs.
In Review
Here are the main points from this blog post:
- The main trends in education and claims management are new technologies, changing workplace demographics, and informal learning is adding challenges for organizations that need to ensure their training and education processes meet demand.
- Future learning mechanisms include using technology, offering an array of learning solutions, encouraging teaming and mentoring, and leveraging social media platforms.
- Current and future learning challenges could also be addressed through outsourcing partnerships that provide the talent and knowledge while keeping operational costs low.
Fig Gungor is CEO of OneSource Document Management, a New York based company that offers a broad range of customized copy and scanning services that translate into a significant savings for insurance companies, hospitals and large medical facilities.