Over 36 million people are being admitted to hospitals every year. That is a record high for the US, whose hospitals see a steady rise of patients in need. With so many people that flock to medical institutions, it is pertinent for hospitals, clinics, and other medical facilities to improve their workflow to speed up processes without sacrificing time, energy, funding, and quality.
Incorporating healthcare workflow solutions into the day-to-day operations of medical institutions is the first step toward addressing lapses in the healthcare system. If hospitals can handle paperwork, scheduling, workflow, and other internal processes with more ease, then doctors will not have to waste time coordinating with one another through outdated means. Patient care should always be the top priority of medical professionals, so it is crucial to create solutions for any problems that get in the way.
Administrative Accountability
Although medical practitioners primarily populate a hospital’s workforce, there are also plenty of members who deal with administrative functions. For instance, nurses need to keep track of in-patients, rooms, and a particular wing’s capacity to accommodate more patients. With shifting schedules and various people assigned to a single occupant, it is easy to lose track of the patient’s status, the availability of rooms, and the like.
Utilizing healthcare workflow solutions will eliminate the lack of accountability for each hospital room. Doctors will make fewer mistakes administering treatment as they can view the system for their patients’ updated statuses, and it will ultimately eliminate the problem of admitting more than the hospital can accommodate.
Department Availability Control
The radiology department is busy all-year-round, with plenty of people requesting medical imaging services. With an influx of patients and a limited number of radiologists, it is essential for doctors to immediately known whether or not their patients can get an x-ray or MRI. Usually, they can get this information through calls, texts, and pagers, but those methods are time-consuming and inefficient.
As a result, it is vital to utilize a healthcare workflow with a collaborative scheduling function. It will allow every hospital employee involved with a particular department to gather information on availability and make real-time appointments. Doctors will also be able to track their patients’ progress and know at once when the radiologists’ complete procedures. The same goes for any other department. A comprehensive healthcare workflow system will allow you to customize dashboards to suit your needs.
Simplify Operating Room Management
Most hospitals have a limited number of operating rooms (OR), so it can be tricky to manage, especially when a good deal of patients are in need. This dilemma is especially real during massive emergencies when tens of ambulances bring in patients in critical condition. As sharing ORs is not an option, managing the available rooms is important so that doctors do not assign two patients to one operation theatre at the same time.
As a medical practitioner, having a digital workflow management system where you can determine whether there is an OR ready for you to use will save you from the headache of sifting through manual schedules. Additionally, by immediately knowing whether or not your hospital has the capacity to operate another patient, you will undoubtedly save plenty of lives.
Apart from that, vendor management and supplier communication are also simplified with the right healthcare workflow system. Medical coordinators and administrative workers who deal with procuring supplies for day-to-day operations will be able to keep track of what needs stocking-up in ORs, patient rooms, and storage facilities. Thus, the hospital or medical institution will never run out of vital supplies. It will also prevent overstocking, which can save facilities millions every year.
Hospitals directly deal with millions of people’s lives each year. Consequently, an organized system that consolidates all administrative functions will inevitably make things easier for medical practitioners, nurses, staff members, and everyone else involved in a functioning hospital.
