The healthcare sector is facing pressure to move to digital systems, both from regulatory authorities and from the general public. The government is pushing for digital systems so as to make the functioning of hospitals and other healthcare systems more transparent. The public is becoming more aware of their healthcare requirements and options and is demanding more efficient and accessible healthcare systems, and the healthcare providers are becoming more aware of this need. Many healthcare IT firms are trying to fulfill this need, and are providing a variety of software services. Let’s try to understand the different types of healthcare software used by various healthcare providers.

EHR

Electronic health records or EHRs are used for storing patient information in a digital manner. It is used by hospitals and clinics to store the complete medical history of a patient. Government health regulators in many countries are moving forward with plans to make electronic health records mandatory.

These records provide a secure and easily accessible way of storing medical records compared to paper-based records. Electronic records do not have the risk of loss of medical history or being illegible or destroyed over a long period of time. It also prevents duplication of medical records, since there is only one file that is modified over time.

Electronic health record software is used in both clinics and hospitals and usually comes integrated with hospital management software and practice management software.

Practice management software ( PMS)

Practice management software or clinic management software is used for managing clinics. Depending on the requirement of the clinic, software with various combinations of features is available. Generally, they contain appointment management, billing, and electronic health records. Software with integrated lab and pharmacy management features is also available if there are labs or pharmacies associated with the clinic. Practice management software helps to streamline the workflow of a clinic, gets error-free documentation, manages appointments and billing, and makes the system more efficient.

Specialized systems are available for dental care, ophthalmology, and other specialty clinics, with customized prescription management and health records.

Queues in the clinic can also be managed by the system, either on the basis of tokens or on the basis of appointments

Hospital Management System ( HMS )

Hospital management system has almost all the features described above, and more. They are a fully integrated system capable of managing the entire hospital. They are capable of managing appointments and electronic health records for both inpatient and outpatient departments. They are used for managing doctors’ schedules, surgeries, other procedures, and all the aspects related to them. They are also capable of handling the labs and pharmacies attached to the hospitals. The HMS systems can also manage the rooms, marking rooms as occupied, unoccupied, undergoing maintenance, etc, making it easy to allocate rooms and beds for patients.

Hospital management systems are often linked to the websites of the hospitals and patients can use them to book their appointments, get access to their health records and treatment plans, and manage their prescriptions. These days they also come with apps for patients that aid the patients in these same tasks much more easily through their smartphones. Alerts are provided through SMS services for follow-up procedures, vaccinations, etc in some hospital management systems.

Due to the integrated nature of the HMS, all the procedures done in various departments of the hospitals, all the tests done, medicines administered, and prescribed are tracked, thus allowing easy comprehensive billing.

Laboratory information management systems ( LIMS )

Lab information management systems, as the name implies, are used to manage the functions of a lab. It will have provisions for sample collection, inventory management, accounting functions, and provisions for machine interfacing with the lab equipment.

A good lab information system will provide full automation and ensure error-free results, with alerts for abnormal results. With machine interfacing, data from the instruments in the lab are directly read by the software, and accurate records are made against the sample data. In the case of LIMS systems integrated with the hospital management system, provisions may be there to add the test results to the patient records. Stand-alone systems are also available for use by independent laboratories.

The Laboratory information management system helps lab technicians to achieve a smooth workflow and better quality control. From the point at which the sample is collected, till the results are delivered, samples are tracked using the software, which means that any technician in the lab can find out what to do with a sample at every step of the way, thus avoiding issues with sample management. The system also prevents errors, thus improving the credibility of the lab.

Billing software

Billing software has been used as part of hospitals and clinics ever since accounting went digital. Even before EHRs came, accounting software was being used in many hospitals.

Billing software helps to manage insurance claims and provides a smooth accounting of medical bills. The entire medical costs of all the patients can be easily accessed and organized in an efficient manner using billing software. Though they come along with hospital and practice management systems these days, they are still available as stand-alone systems.

Request for HMS/LIMS free demo

Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM)

The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) is a commendable initiative launched by the Indian government under the National Health Authority (NHA). Its primary objective is to establish a fully integrated healthcare system that caters to the needs of citizens across the country. By digitizing health records, ABDM serves as a crucial intersection for healthcare providers and patients, enabling seamless access to necessary healthcare services, regardless of their location or circumstances. Its ultimate goal is to provide individuals with the required health assistance they need to lead healthy and productive lives.

The objectives of having an integrated health ecosystem

Healthcare is a factor that is of high priority, making it vital to have an unbeatable system in place to keep it organized. This initiative aims to extend digitization throughout the healthcare industry to provide the highest quality of care to the public. This is realized by bridging the gap between the various entities in the healthcare industry, that are involved in providing services.

A few ideas that ABDM focuses to attain are as follows

● To establish a completely streamlined personal health record system with great accessibility for all users.

● To offer national portability of healthcare services.

● To encourage healthcare professionals to use the Clinical Decision Support system.

● To improve healthcare management from the analytics derived.

MocDoc software now supports ABDM

The ABDM-integrated system operates using the Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) number, which serves as a unique identifier for users accessing healthcare services. The ABDM integrated system consists of several essential features, including:

Creating ABHA accounts: The ABDM system facilitates the easy registration of patients by completing and verifying their ABHA accounts.

Developing Health Information Provider (HIP) services: This involves implementing a system capable of securely sharing digital health records among healthcare providers.

Developing Health Information User (HIU) services: The ABDM system enables patients to access and utilize their health records with their consent.

Benefits of using an ABDM integrated management system

Health records are essential for facilitating the sharing, maintaining, and accessing of healthcare information. A digital solution aims at improving the efficiency, effectiveness, and transparency of health service delivery. Here are a few benefits of using ABDM-integrated software for healthcare facility management

● Preserving Digital Health Records

● Integrating longitudinal health records

● Efficient access to patient’s health records

● Easy doctor discovery

● Instant OPD registration

● Remote healthcare services like teleconsultation and e-pharmacy

MocDoc is a cloud-based digital platform that offers software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions for healthcare facilities. As an ABDM-compliant service provider, we take great pride in contributing to the advancement of digital healthcare services across the nation.

Introducing Ayushman Bharat Di...

Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) Th.....

Exploring The Benefits of Online Appointment Systems

The need for healthcare services is growing with the increase in population and the number of patients who seek healthcare at hospitals, medical facilities, holistic groups, and physician practices has improved significantly.

These bring a new set of challenges for the staff of the facility and administrators. Online scheduling software, a recent technological advancement, has made the booking process in hospitals easier for both patients and administrative staff.

What are the advantages of an Online Scheduling System?

Online scheduling systems are also known by many names such as online booking applications, online schedulers, online scheduling software, and more. It is one of the most commonly used web-based applications and enables individuals to securely and conveniently book their reservations and requests online via a laptop, tablet, smartphone, computer, and other web-connected devices.

Anyone can access the online appointment management system via the URL provided by the healthcare or medical facility or through a “Book Now” button on the website. Once the time and date are selected, the system confirms the bookings automatically and also records them within the system instantly without any intervention from the staff.

The online appointment management system also comes with features like automated text and email message reminders, which are sent to the booked patients or individuals on the date booked before their scheduled time of booking. The flexibility of the online appointment management system in healthcare includes

Booking inoculations and vaccines in hospitals.
Scheduling a patient’s treatment, services, and appointments.

Time-Saving:

The staff spends less time on managing appointments, and phone booking, and can, therefore, use their free time for more urgent and vital tasks. The patients can also save time as there is no need to call the hospital and book an appointment in the middle of their busy schedule.

Example: Consider a large medical facility hospital that schedules 100 plus appointments daily. Every appointment call is handled by the support staff from the administration, and they spend approximately 3 to 4 minutes on a phone call.

In this case, if the healthcare facility switches to an online booking system it can save most of their time and also get more time to deal with other pressing tasks in the facility.

Monetary Savings:

The time savings made by the facility can translate automatically into monetary savings as a reduction in services and staff translates into a reduction in expenses. The appointment management system can reduce the need for extra human resources created by appointment scheduling.

24 hours convenience:

An individual is needed to schedule an appointment over the phone calls during office hours, and therefore people need to work round the clock on the phone booking. With an online appointment management system, the individual or the patient can book an appointment at any time. It is seen that after business hours, more than 55 percent of all appointments are booked through online scheduling appointment systems.

Online Payment:

Every service needs a secure payment system. As an online appointment management system is safe, and the data is kept secure, people find themselves comfortable with online payments. Offering a free consultation or discounts on consultation fees within the limited period after the initial consultation encourages individual patients to make use of the online appointment management system every time to book an appointment.

Healthcare providers are using the latest technology and keeping themselves updated to enhance quality. The online appointment scheduling system is considered to be a step forward in bringing a healthcare facility to the future.

Making the workflow perfect, enhancing data reporting and capturing, improving efficiency and time savings, and providing the patient with significant convenience and choice, thereby enhancing patient loyalty and trust are some important benefits of an online appointment management system.

Centralized Information System:

Online systems make patient management system easier and more efficient. Some online scheduling systems for appointments also have management of patient health records as part of the package. The organization can create a single point from which to save, update, manage, and analyze patient information.

Recording, reporting, and analyzing such information helps to efficiently manage the case file of a patient. All regularly recorded patient information, along with a history of check-ups and associated medical tests, can be used to make educated, carefully considered healthcare decisions. This can reduce the amount of documentation and the time it takes to access physical files.

It is also possible to avoid redundant data entries about the same patient. In addition, the ongoing records of the patient can be updated at each appointment, making patient information available for easy and fast access in one place. This is important when two different practitioners are consulted at the same facility by a patient.

Example: it may be more convenient for a patient consulting a dentist and an orthodontist at the same facility to have information stored at a single point, as the dentist would like to be informed about the ongoing orthodontic treatment of the patient to assess how best to handle the specific oral hygiene needs of the patient.

In the same facility under another doctor, a quick reference to the current orthodontic procedures that the patient undergoes is all it takes for the dentist to plan his procedure. It saves time and ensures complementary and coordinated overall services are provided. Such systems become a common interface to access information about a single patient by different medical staff. This can go a long way in strengthening the care process of a patient.

Benefits of an Online Appointm...

Exploring The Benefits of Online Appointment Syste.....

How could healthcare solutions be investments? Well, investments are about profitable returns but in any form. Along with automating the workflow patterns, healthcare solutions also connect you with your patients effectively, for instance, sending healthcare tips or sending appointment reminders via email and SMS, benefitting not only the organization but also patients. They have made work easier to handle all along the workflow, increasing productivity and patient satisfaction.

Here's how healthcare solutions benefit the end-users...

Healthcare Solutions for the front desk:

From tele-appointment to billing, the front desk is the busiest area, with piles of work accumulating every minute. Here is how healthcare solutions have made it possible for them to break down tasks and work more efficiently.

Appointment management:

Create patient IDs and schedule appointments in a snap with automated steps. With appointment calendars designed for the front desk, stay posted with all the appointments falling for the day or week later and send patients automated messages on their upcoming appointments.

Billing Management:

Let your patients do some billing. With latest healthcare software allows your patients to pay you online via patient apps, where they can view treatment summaries, and insurance plans or book video consultation appointments and make payments.

Healthcare Solutions for Doctors:

Doctors are the principal end-users of healthcare solutions. These solutions keep doctors from doing those repetitive, tedious tasks with their automated functions, eventually reducing stress for them.

Patient charts:

Wouldn't it be such a time saver to be served all the information you need right at your desk? Have all the patient information you need like, history, allergies, past surgeries, treatment, medication, etc., on a snap.

Cross communication:

Share patients' electronic health records with patients themselves or other departments right from your desk! With all the medicines updated in these systems, select the medicines and send e-prescriptions to your patients and pharmacy. Go paperless, and reduce manual work.

Healthcare Solutions for Frontline Workers:

Taking care of so many things at once, it's a tough job that nurses do! Here's how healthcare solutions help nurses balance their work and be a perfectionist.

OT and post OT scenarios:

From arranging everything required in OT to timely checkups and providing prescribed medications post-OT, nurses take extensive care of the patients. With access to patient healthcare records, nurses can be prepared with the procedures and every individual patient's requirements for the day.

User Interface:

Healthcare software has an easy-to-understand user interface allowing nurses to complete tasks right from one place. Along with accessing patient health records, nurses can send e-prescriptions to the pharmacy, access patient test records from laboratories for procedures, and update the amount of inventory available.

Healthcare Solutions for Owners:

Owners ensure the smooth and progressive running of the organization. They are more concerned about the quality of experience, costs, and revenue. Now, how are healthcare solutions an investment for them?

Cost and Revenue:

Most healthcare software has real-time analytical dashboards showing weekly, monthly, half-yearly, or even yearly performance and revenue of the organizations in a snap of the fingers. These features help in quick decision-making and dissolve the need for a special team to combine data.

Efficiency:

By implementing healthcare software, considerable parts of the workflow get automated, reducing stress in work, chances of manual error, and patient turnaround time. With lesser weight, employees tend to work seamlessly faster, and clearer, and attend to patients better.

With the increase in data in the healthcare industry, it's easy for organizations to get chaotic if data is not arranged, secured, and handled properly. Healthcare solutions do not just benefit one division of the hospital/clinic but all the divisions and make data management easy. The various advanced features and modules make sure all the activities are seamlessly carried out, making work easier and less stressful, check out how you can successfully implement a healthcare solution to your organisation!

Healthcare solutions: An inves...

How could healthcare solutions be i.....

Universal health care is a hot topic for discussion these days, with people arguing for and against it. While proponents of the system argue that it is the right of every human being, opponents argue that it may not be economically feasible, and may harm a lot more people than it will help. The issue is much more complicated by the fact that there is no one system in the world that is adopted by all the countries that currently has universal healthcare, and therefore it becomes difficult to gauge its success across the world. Let us try to break this complex issue to gain a better understanding of the system, and form informed opinions.

Universal health care is a system that ensures all the people in a region or a country gets healthcare without affecting their financial status. According to WHO Universal health coverage (UHC) means that all people and communities can use the promotive, preventive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative health services they need, of sufficient quality to be effective, while also ensuring that the use of these services does not expose the user to financial hardship. In practice, this does not mean that everyone has insurance coverage or that all medical issues are covered by the insurance, it just means that everyone has access to healthcare.

Universal healthcare first started in Germany in 1883 with the sickness insurance law, which mandated industrial employers to provide insurance for their workers using funds made from deductions in employee wages and from employer contributions. By 1930s, almost all of western and central Europe had similar systems in place. Currently, of the 33 developed countries, all of them except the USA has universal healthcare.

Implementation strategies

Even though the definition of universal healthcare is uniform throughout the world, the implementation strategies used in different countries are very diverse and difficult to classify. Each of these systems are linked with the governing systems and the laws and regulations of that country, and therefore may even differ in different parts of a single country, as in the different provinces of Canada, where each province has reasons to determine what is considered essential, and where, how and who should provide the services.

In some cases, the government pays for healthcare from a single fund. In some countries like Canada, this would mean that the government pays private organizations which in turn provide healthcare to its public, while in countries like the United Kingdom, the government maintains a healthcare system, owning healthcare resources and employing healthcare professionals. Such systems are referred to as single-payer systems, which means that the fund for the system is managed directly by the government or a government regulated agency. In such a system, the entire population is brought together under a single health risk pool, and one set of standards for services offered, and the cost for these services. Generally, the idea is that the high healthcare costs that arise from the sicker section of the population are balanced by the low healthcare costs for the healthy section of the population.

In a multi-payer system, the medical costs are paid for by multiple entities, which may include the person or their family, their employer, and the government. Countries like Germany follow a multi-payer system, with a statutory health insurance, and private health insurance. Compared to single-payer systems, multi-payer systems provide more options to the patients, and are generally difficult for the governments to exploit, but falls below in terms of healthcare equity, risk pooling, and negotiations. Multi-payer systems are also associated with higher administrative costs.

In some countries like Switzerland and Germany, universal healthcare is enforced by legislation. In Switzerland, there are no free state-provided health services, but private health insurance is compulsory for all persons residing in Switzerland (within three months of taking up residence or being born in the country). Swiss are required to purchase basic health insurance, which covers a range of treatments detailed in the Swiss Federal Law on Health Insurance. It is therefore the same throughout the country and avoids double standards in healthcare. Insurers are required to offer this basic insurance to everyone, regardless of age or medical condition.

The advantage of universal healthcare is that everyone gets medical coverage, no matter how poor they are, and everyone gets the same standard of care. Various studies have shown that universal healthcare has lead to healthier populations, with lower infant mortality rates and improved life expectancy. Universal healthcare is also associated with improved economic well being of the population. In Thailand within ten years of the implementation of Universal Health Scheme, the catastrophic healthcare expenditure in the poorest households fell from 6.8% to 2.8%. In Mexico, impoverishment from health expenditure fell from 3.3% in 2001 to 0.8% in 2010, with the implementation of a national protection programme called Seguro Popular, funded by general taxation and modest contributions from richer households.

Implementation of universal healthcare is complicated with a lot of difficult choices. The healthy section of the population ends up paying for the sicker section of the society, the money which may well be spent on economically better ventures, which will improve the quality of life for everyone. Universal healthcare may end up crippling the economy and may even lead to poor quality of healthcare, as doctors have more incentive for treating more patients, but less for treating fewer patients with more care. People may also be less careful of their health and can lead to less healthy choices if they don’t have the incentive to stay healthy.

So the debate on whether universal healthcare is good or bad, essentially is a debate on how to achieve universal healthcare - should it be done by implementing laws and regulations specifically for universal healthcare, or should we do it improve the overall standard of living that access to healthcare is not a problem for anyone.

The success of a universal healthcare system will depend on how it is implemented, and choices have to be made based on the size of the population, the economic well-being of the population, the available funding and the fine balance between the choice similar to as mentioned above.

Universal healthcare - let’s...

Universal health care is a hot topic for discussio.....

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Published By Steve

Category Healthcare

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