One of the biggest challenges HR leaders in healthcare organizations face is finding top talent for in-demand positions. This is not surprising since the healthcare sector is the fastest-growing career sector in the US. 

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the healthcare industry will add approximately 2.6 million new jobs between 2020 and 2030, including doctors, nurses, and staff positions such as health aides, medical coders and billers, medical transcriptionists, and customer service representatives.

Industry experts are asking who will fill all these positions because there is a shortage of people with the required skills. In fact, staffing shortageshave cost hospitals almost $25 billion since 2020. The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) predicts the situation will become more critical as the average age of the population increases.

Many healthcare organizations are adding skills assessments for healthcare to their hiring process to navigate their way through the talent shortage. By requiring applicants to complete medical support assessment tests, recruiters can quickly identify candidates with the required skills and focus their efforts on them while instantly screening out unqualified applicants. Automating the initial candidate screening process saves them hours they would have spent reviewing resumes and scheduling interviews.

How Skills Assessments For Healthcare Work

Using medical support assessment tests in your application process allows you to simplify and streamline your entire hiring process. If your organization uses the eSkill Talent Assessment PlatformTM you have access to a library of hundreds of validated skill tests. All you need to do is select the one that is the best match for the job, add or delete questions as needed, and send it to applicants.

You can also build your own skills assessments for healthcare by choosing questions from multiple skills tests and adding your own questions. Many HR teams include video questions where applicants record their answers to specific questions and simulations where candidates complete job-related tasks. By evaluating applicants’ performance on simulation questions, recruiters can see how they would perform on the job if hired.

Which Medical Support Assessment Tests Are Best?

Healthcare organizations have different requirements. So, the healthcare skills assessments that your organization needs will differ from those used at other institutions and practices. However, these are some of the skills tests healthcare companies usually choose. 

• Medical Terminology Skills Assessment: Everyone who works in a healthcare environment needs to understand basic medical terms. This healthcare skills assessment is popular with HR teams because it covers infectious diseases, the hematological, nervous and cardiovascular systems, and documenting medical procedures and patient notes. 

• Digital Literacy Skills Assessment: Approximately 78% of office-based physicians and 96% of all non-federal acute care hospitals use electronic health records (EHR) systems. There has also been a significant increase in demand for virtual care due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This means HR leaders must confirm candidates are computer proficient, have good MS Office® abilities, and understand the basics of email and Internet use.

• Medical Coding Skills Assessment: Medical coders are responsible for creating accurate patient records that billing and accounting professionals use to invoice patients and insurance companies. This medical support assessment test shows recruiters how well candidates understand medical terminology, can interpret information on patients’ charts, translate it into alphanumeric codes, and enter it correctly in patients’ EHRs.

• Medical Billing Skills Assessment: Medical billers review information in patients’ EHRs and prepare invoices for patients and insurance companies based on that information. This healthcare skills assessment helps HR teams evaluate candidates’ knowledge of medical billing practices and claims processing, their ability to create invoices and statements using medical codes, and general knowledge about HIPAA regulations, health insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid.

• Processing Medication Orders and Managing Narcotics: Narcotics used to be illegal but are now legal in some countries for medical purposes. Since they are highly regulated, the Processing Medication Orders and ManagingNarcotics Assessment helps HR teams evaluate candidates’ knowledge of medical uses of narcotics, receiving and filling orders, and how to store and dispose of controlled substances.

• Customer Service in Healthcare: Interpersonal skills for healthcare workers have become a top priority due to the shift from volume-based to high-value care. This medical support assessment test helps HR teams evaluate candidates’ ability to manage general communication with patients and healthcare providers, handle patient complaints, and provide general healthcare support.

• Community Health Worker: Community health workers manage environmental, social, and economic programs and resources essential for people’s emotional and physical well-being. HR teams use the Community Health Worker medical support assessment test to ensure candidates can determine patients’ needs, perform basic diagnostic procedures, circulate medical information, and provide guidance to community groups on health-related topics.

Get Started With Medical Support Assessment Tests

The number of open healthcare support positions is increasing, and the pool of qualified candidates is getting smaller. So, HR leaders need healthcare skills assessments to cut through the thousands of applications they receive and identify the top candidates.

Are you ready to learn how medical support assessment testscan help you streamline your entire hiring process? Contact us to request a demo.