Every industry is affected by technological advancements and the healthcare industry is no different. Healthcare providers – small and large – see the value in implementing technology and are continuing to explore ways to use it to improve operations, boost patient data security and meet industry regulations.
The market is full of new technologies for healthcare providers to choose from, yet many don’t know where to start or what to implement to get the best return on investment. In my opinion, starting from the root of the data – paper – is where providers need to turn their attention. Healthcare-specific document and workflow management solutions have the ability to significantly evolve and improve operations to enhance care coordination, security and patient satisfaction.
Our society is becoming more digital by the day and consumers are demanding that companies – no matter the industry – adapt to today’s digitally focused lifestyle. When it comes to healthcare, some providers are still stuck in the past. Previously, when a provider had to share patient health records with other providers they relied on fax or mail, but now they can use technology to keep personal patient data secure. If you don’t think you should be concerned about healthcare information, think again. In fact, the Sixth Annual Benchmark Study on Privacy and Security of Healthcare Data by the Ponemon Institute found that 90 percent of healthcare organizations reported suffering from a data breach during the last two years.
Doctors’ offices need to adjust and adapt to the times and start using workflow management technology and hardware to securely digitize and share healthcare information and diagnoses with not only patients, but other providers. The 2017 Xerox eHealth survey found that more than three quarters of respondents believe it would be better to share information between providers through a secure electronic method rather than faxing paper documents. If providers don’t modify their exchange processes, they run the risk of losing patients.
Electronic portals are becoming more common and are an easy way for medical providers to collect patient information directly from a patient’s bedside, or without having them fill out the same medical questionnaires at each visit. Think about how much time would be saved if a doctor was able to access information and records from another provider to diagnose the patient faster.
Using digital technology like online portals and the cloud to transfer patient records in a compliant and secure way can be personalized to fit within the existing IT infrastructure of any provider – no matter the size. Such solutions can improve workflows, provide efficiency and quicken the pace of information exchange to ultimately boost patient experience. Additionally, patients can trust that their private information is being shared in a compliant manner and physicians can provide better outcomes due to improved care coordination.
Just like doctors, nurses and medical staff, patients also have busy lives. Waiting around for medical bills and even more important materials such as test results and medical records is inconvenient. Outdated processes keep patients waiting for days or even weeks for a phone call with their test results, affecting not only satisfaction, but possibly their health.
