| Google became a standard reference tool for | | | | of shared inter-article repository on the Web to |
| almost every group of age and interest. But | | | | the next, intra-article level, allowing multiple |
| Google frustrates doctors looking for better | | | | contributors share editing process of the same |
| understanding of medical billing complexities and | | | | document. By localizing and focusing shared |
| modern straight through billing technologies. This | | | | efforts to the same documents, the resulting |
| article briefly explores the contradictory forces of | | | | sites achieve relevance degrees unobservable to |
| the most popular search algorithm on the planet | | | | popularity-based search engines.Wikipedia is the |
| and outlines specialized, collaborative, and | | | | most popular example of Wiki: BBC News has |
| self-learning technologies to solve its limitations in | | | | called Wikipedia "one of the most reliably useful |
| the context of medical billing and compliance. | | | | sources of information around, on or off-line." |
| Google's Limitations As of the end of January | | | | Wikipedia, like numerous other wikis, is void of |
| 2005, the indexable Web was estimated at 11.5 | | | | commercialization and link-driven popularization. |
| billion pages [Gulli and Signorini], growing from 200 | | | | However, Wikipedia has two other problems: |
| million pages in 1997. Without effective search | | | | Limited depth in spite of data availability on the |
| engines, such as Google, the Web would either | | | | Internet. For instance, a search for "Straight |
| not achieve such huge proportions in such a short | | | | Through Billing," "Billing Compliance," or "Medical |
| time or become the epitome of document | | | | Billing Transparency" returns no results. |
| anarchy. Internet search engines in general and | | | | Limited search capabilities, most notably sharing |
| Google in particular have transformed the World | | | | with Google low precision and lack of context. |
| Wide Web from stagnant data repository with a | | | | Search experts used specialization to approach |
| slow and result-poor search process to a dynamic | | | | both problems above. Separate specialized wikis |
| world of continuously expanding and rich source | | | | for reference and education solve limited depth |
| of information of gargantuan proportions.Google | | | | problem and separate specialized search engines |
| today represents state of the art of "group | | | | solve limited search problem. For instance, is a |
| mind," which is defined by people who actively | | | | result of collaborative effort to document a |
| create and manage text on the Internet and | | | | narrowly defined body of knowledge related to |
| hyperlinks to that text. Its success is rooted in | | | | medical billing. As a Wiki, it started without a |
| relevance of retrieved results and in high speed of | | | | popularity-based search engine, relying on its |
| result retrieval. Google proved that using page | | | | narrowly defined body of knowledge, which allows |
| popularity to rank its relevance to the original | | | | deeper penetration into specific topics. It is easy |
| query has tremendous pragmatic value to the | | | | to see the emergence of multiple wikis, each |
| broadest groups of Internet users.However, the | | | | dedicated to narrowly defined, specific topic. |
| same popularity-based search algorithms also | | | | BillingWiki Enhanced with Specialized Billing Search |
| cause imperfections and frustrations. Google | | | | Engine A special purpose Billing Search Engine |
| superimposes only minimal order to this anarchy, | | | | integrated within BillingWiki allows the members of |
| just enough to find tons of interesting information | | | | a community interested in medical billing to |
| but far from serving a comprehensive reference | | | | improve their search experience. Such reinforced |
| source. It would be a mistake to rely on Google | | | | BillingWiki solves several shared shortcomings of |
| for an ultimate source of reference information | | | | Google and Wiki, while retaining key advantages |
| [Hargittai]. The list of Google's shortcomings | | | | of collaborating and specialization.A major |
| includes Low precision. Google does not return an | | | | advantage of Billing Search Engine over standard |
| answer or solution to your problem. Instead, you | | | | Google's search is the ability to allow users to |
| receive a set of links to Web pages with | | | | indicate satisfaction with the search result and to |
| information of various degrees of relevance to | | | | influence its future behavior. Specifically, Billing |
| your search. This kind of answer results in | | | | Search Engine allows to: |
| multi-step operation, where you first must identify | | | | |
| the most promising links, then "drill in" for more | | | | Edit result relevance by promoting or demoting |
| information, refine your initial search and repeat | | | | entries on the result page. |
| the entire process. For instance, a search for | | | | Create and maintain dynamic context, eliminating |
| "medical billing" returns ads for medical jobs, | | | | non-relevant results. "Learn" from the community |
| career guides, online learning courses, and | | | | by continuously enhancing the set of search |
| advertisements for billing products. No context. | | | | terms both by adding/deleting search terms and |
| For example, a search for "medical compliance," | | | | modifying their relative importance. Edit and |
| retrieves advertisement to hire reimbursement | | | | visually communicate the degree of relevance of |
| compliance consultants along with a source for the | | | | the search terms. The search engine displays |
| top quality disposables, and government | | | | search terms and modifies their font size (color) |
| employment regulations for leave of absence due | | | | to reflect relative term popularity. For example, a |
| to medical necessity. A search for "billing | | | | search for "Billing Compliance" using specialized |
| compliance," retrieves pages containing | | | | Billing Search Engine returns pages containing |
| descriptions of compliance programs at | | | | compliance solutions, descriptions of compliance |
| universities, descriptions of compliance training | | | | terminology, audit risk management, and |
| courses, etc. "GoogleWashing." GoogleWashing is a | | | | numerous examples of and press releases about |
| process of altering online associations with a | | | | billing compliance violations. Summary Google |
| keyword by prolific linking using external sources, | | | | search may not be the optimal solution for |
| e.g., blogs. The downside of this process is that it | | | | professionals interested in most current reference |
| excludes other high value reference sources, e.g., | | | | material and innovations in straight through medical |
| books or articles unavailable for Google indexing | | | | billing, compliance management, billing |
| and promotes commercial sites only. | | | | transparency, preferential patient scheduling, |
| Commercialization instead of education. For | | | | electronic medical records, and computer aided |
| example, a search for "medical claims processing" | | | | coding. A two-component architecture of the new |
| retrieves "tips on starting a medical claims | | | | generation billing knowledge archival systems, such |
| processing business" and advertising for | | | | as BillingWiki.com, offers multiple solution |
| companies looking for billing salespeople and selling | | | | improvements. It includes a communal billing |
| claims processing software and services, instead | | | | knowledge base and a specialized search engine. |
| of references to and descriptions of processes or | | | | By facilitating continuous improvement and learning |
| summarized product/service reviews. Unknown | | | | from its own users community, the resulting wiki |
| credibility. Its responses do not have an external | | | | performance outpaces Google's performance for |
| source of credibility rating. They are ranked | | | | medical billing knowledge queries. References |
| according to a "popularity" formula. No feedback. | | | | |
| Limited and indirect ability to influence the search | | | | Antonio Gulli and Alessio Signorini, "The Indexable |
| results by creating or deleting links. Complete lack | | | | Web is More Than 11.5 Billion Pages," |
| of ability to modify search results or search | | | | |
| terms. Google helps us using the Internet as a | | | | Eszter Hargittai, "Life beyond Google," Yuval |
| source of collaborative but highly biased | | | | Lirov, PhD, author of "Mission Critical Systems |
| knowledge. For comparison, Google and book | | | | Management" (Prentice Hall, 1997), inventor of |
| references occupy two opposing ends of | | | | multiple patents in artificial intelligence and |
| spectrum of information materials arranged along | | | | computer security, and CEO of Billing Technologies. |
| credibility and relevance dimensions. Wiki - Shared | | | | Vericle delivers comprehensive practice workflow |
| Knowledge Repository on the Web Wiki | | | | engine that integrates patient scheduling, electronic |
| technology aims at the middle ground between | | | | medical records (EMR), billing, transcription, and |
| the extremes of the spectrum defined by Google | | | | compliance management. It improves billing |
| and book encyclopedias. Wiki takes the concept | | | | performance and reduces audit risk. |