To continue providing excellent patient care, the healthcare industry consistently improves its workflow amidst the pandemic. This includes adopting newer technologies and efficient practices to ease the burden of medical workers and streamline every process.
Having smooth processes in scheduling appointments, accessing medical records, and collecting payments will improve patient experience and avoid serious consequences in overall productivity.
Lower the risk for errors and boost efficiency in healthcare processes by implementing these workflow upgrades:
Minimize Paperwork
Mobile technologies can help with paperwork challenges that disrupt medical workflows. There are browser-based applications that let patients fill out forms on their mobile devices. They help reduce errors and maintain accuracy as patients can take their time to make sure their information is correct.
Outsourcing bookkeeping tasks can also help minimize paperwork and track important records to let the medical staff focus on more important areas. It avoids errors that can impact the business.
Electronic self-service solutions not only reduce the amount of paperwork but also improve the patients’ experience. Electronic check-in processes are more convenient than filling out a paper on a clipboard. They also make data collection more streamlined, so patients don’t have to frequently fill out the same forms.
These automated solutions speed up data collection to make it easier to evaluate a patient’s condition. It eventually results in positive patient satisfaction as their information is handled timely and professionally.
Automate Workflows
To have a lower potential for errors, adopt digital systems like Electronic Health Records (EHRs) to help improve hospital workflows. There will be a reduced need for handwritten notes to avoid confusion and improve data entry processes.
EHRs also make record-keeping processes easily accessible and centralized. Hospitals can provide safer and higher quality care to patients through accurate and updated information, efficient access to their records, and convenient interaction between patients and providers. Common types of EHR systems include:
Remotely-Hosted System
This system deals with security, data backup, and maintenance. It transfers data storage from a physician to a third party to securely keep data somewhere else instead of one physician.
Physician-Hosted System
In physician-hosted systems, data is kept on a physician’s servers that make them responsible for maintenance and purchasing software and hardware. Have on-site servers to make the system faster and a more reliable source of various information.
Remove Workflow Congestion
Anything that restricts the proper flow of patients in the system is considered a bottleneck. Common constraints like keeping patients waiting while accessing information from paper files can create delays and affect productivity.
One way to manage these constraints is to improve workflow efficiency by reducing a process’ complexity. It will make a certain process easier to complete and improve paperwork consistency that saves more time.
Maximize Time
To maximize productivity and obtain good results simultaneously, figure out where most time is lost in a patient flow, then make certain improvements. For example, physicians can squeeze in more patients during certain intervals. Adding at least one more patient in a day not only increases revenue but also allows more patients to be assessed.
Ensure that this initiative is fully analyzed and workflow management is not negatively affected before launching the idea.
Implement Secure Messaging
Outdated communication channels like fax machines and voice mail can prevent a workflow from running smoothly and even delay patient care. Secure messaging can improve critical workflows like hospital admissions, lab results, patient discharges, and consultation requests.
It also allows doctors and nurses to communicate with their mobile devices over a secure network. This improves clinical workflows and keeps patients’ information safe while also maintaining the organization’s security. Have a mobile application programming interface (API) to access content from a cloud drive, secure patient conversations, and maintain interoperability with third-party applications.
Redesign the Workflow
A well-planned workflow redesign can deliver optimal results by determining the most effective strategies from scratch. It’s more effective than modifying individual processes that yield small changes. A good time to consider a complete workflow redesign is when duplicated processes are identified. When certain changes are implemented, make sure there is continuous monitoring to quickly address potential problems.
Inefficient workflows can disrupt any business process, especially in healthcare. A hospital’s medical workflow can either make or break its efficiency. Regardless if it’s a community clinic, private practice, or a city hospital, internal processes are vital in the success of operational functions. A fine-tuned management will result in satisfied, well-cared patients and deliver a good ROI and happy employees.
