The famous Kaiser Permanente installed the nation's significant and all-inclusive EHR (Electronic Health Record) before a decade. The decision was taken together by the medical groups and the health plans, implementing it was extortionate as well as arduous because of the larger size of the Organization.


Motivating and training staffs and physicians, many lives are saved with the combination of an integrated medical care delivery system and data analytics.


Few clinicians have the right to access the All-inclusive Electronic Health Record which indulges every medical information of the patient and also lets you know about the potential medical errors and care gaps before it go viral across the globe.


Integrating them was tedious as well as expensive, but this is the right way to maximize the care provided to the patients around. Here are a few lessons popped out below regarding the experience in the EHR for the investments as well as for other health systems.


Make the EHR All-Inclusive:


The next step in EHR is to hire individual preferences for separate specialties to get benefits with the physician acceptance. For example, every clinician made use of the document to identify the patient's problem apart from analyzing a single body diagram. Each specialty has its description; as a result, the primary care clinicians reviewed and submitted two separate set of their analysis.


When considering the EHR, they derive the entire information provided, and all patients get benefited through the information sharing across different specialties rather than going through the complete documentation. The complete EHR incorporates with the patient's totality and then communicates their entire information to all clinicians who take care of them, unlike the other office-based stand-alone systems.


If all clinicians receive the same data, they can easily find out the problems and rectify them regardless of if they work in any specialty departments.


Acquire Clinicians Onboard:


Most of the large multispecialty hospital medical groups are paid only on an annual basis, and this is one of the biggest challenges every clinician face with the EHR adoption. At present, most EHRs designed to code and bill instead of the clinical practices, this makes the clinicians slow down and also results in fewer patients care.


The experience was completely different, and the clinicians received data from the EHR cumbersome, which helped the physicians to identify the advantages and disadvantages of the patients. They can easily have access to studies apart from searching for the best radiologic studies.


The clinicians found difficulties regarding the added time that requires to study the new system, so the plan got changed and focussed on reducing the schedule by half during the phase of implementation. By doing so, many of the physicians found many advantages which lead to exposure.


Build Trust:


Physicians need to trust their leaders for the successful operation change, and this leads the process to gain the physician trust.


Keep in mind the other Employees who use EHR system.


Medical assistants use EHR more on their work, they do not need more documentation, and they can make use of the system to check out the clinical benefits.


When a patient visits the hospital, they make use of the EHR system to look for the preventive care gaps and address them correctly. For example, if a lady was overdue for a blood cancer screening, they call the GYN/OB for scheduling an appointment, this makes them recognize the medical assistant and the contribution they made.


Offering Ongoing Technical Support 24./7


If people use new technology, they need instant help if they got any queries on using them. To perform the instant support, there is on-site and immediate technical assistance to the users, and this is the right thing to make use of the EHR system while preparing for any training classes or other live settings.


In the starting weeks of performing live in any medical center or other specific departments, clinicians who already implemented the system application successfully in any different location can act as a consulting expert and make them available to the clinician's colleagues. It also incorporated additional IT staffs so that providing consultative support for the users are done efficiently and immediately following the implementations.  


EHR implementation should be a capital program, and you invest more and also achieve the ROI (Return on Investment) at the right time. Once after the execution, the EHR system allows clinicians to treat their patients in hospitals, offices, emergency departments, and other areas faster than the past.


The comprehensiveness of the EHR data helps in facilitating the total work of data analytics, best practice evolutions and the effort put for implementing the EHR system allows patients to avoid many complications from various deadly chronic diseases.


Make sure you follow the above things if you are ready to implement Electronic Health records in your hospital.


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When searching for software, almost everyone looks for free ones. If you simply type in the name of any random software, you’ll probably see a google autocomplete suggestion “free download”. In some cases, it does make a lot of sense in using free software. Why pay for something when you can get it for free? 

Searches for downloading free EMR software have increased with government legislation mandating their use in hospitals. Let us look into why this is a bad idea.

If you’re not paying for it, you’re the product

As a general rule, nobody ever gives you something for free. As economists would say, “If you’re not paying for the product, you are the product”. In the case of most free software, this is the case. Recently it was found that most of the free antivirus apps in the Google Play store actually did nothing. Their purpose? Probably to collect data from your device. This may not affect an average person very much, but if you’re concerned about privacy, you should probably stay away from these software. And when you’re dealing with a hospital management software, this is a key aspect. Data security is a very important aspect especially when you handle patient data. A data leak, however small has the potential to damage the reputation of your hospital. 

Lack of accountability

A hospital management system has to have certain qualifications that assure you that a particular software can fit your needs. When you purchase a software, it is possible for you to verify if these software fit the criteria. But when you download a software for free, there is no way for you to be sure if these software fit the criteria. And since there is no monetary transaction between you and the software provider, it will be difficult to hold them accountable. 

The lack of accountability will be an issue if the software faces any glitches. If the software crashes, customer support is not provided for the system, and you will be on your own. A software glitch in a free android app may be annoying, and will not cause any huge problems even if is not resolved. In case of a hospital, the software handles sensitive patient information and a software glitch can compromise this data, and with no tech support from the providers, it can cause a lot of problems. 

Upgrades? Nope

As government regulations change, and as the technology improves, you may face the need for a better software. If you’re relying on a free software for very important tasks, such as managing your hospital, you may find yourself stuck with an old software. Free software rarely provide any upgrades for long durations. And when you want an upgrade, you may find yourself searching for a new software, and you’ll have to import the existing data into the new software which will require additional resources. 

The story of the open source software

A commonly trusted free software are the open source software. Ubuntu is an example of an open source software. They are usually made by developers across the world, and their source code is available for free, and you’re free to change or modify the code as you wish. Since the source code is available for everyone, it is unlikely that the software can have malicious intents. And as long as the developers continue to improve the software, it will remain up to date with the required features. Open source software appears to offer a very good deal, and they do, in the case of most of the software. But in the case of a hospital management system, it is never a good idea to use an open source software. This is because of a combination of reasons discussed above. First of all, there are no hospital management software with the kind of community that a software like Ubuntu has. If you face any issues, you’re on your own. In the case of popular softwares, there may be forums in which users can discuss issues, and they may get resolved. But for a hospital management software, there are no such forums, and when you’re managing a hospital, you cannot afford to wait for a solution that may never come. And as we discussed, updates will be available for open source software only as long as the developers are working on the project.

What about the free trials?

If you have been looking for free HMS downloads, you may have come across many SaaS healthcare software companies offering lite or trial versions of their software for free, or maybe the complete version of their software, but for a limited time period. These software are generally secure and will be much more robust than software from other software providers. They may even offer regular updates. But remember that these trial versions are just for that. They will be severely limited in their capabilities, and you will definitely have to upgrade at some point. And the providers may not provide tech support if you’re using the free version. But they do provide an easy way to evaluate a software and if available, they serve as a demo for the complete version. 

Lack of customization

Generally across hospitals, or even across departments, there is no uniform workflow. Each department head has their own workflows, and this is the reason why hospital management systems are highly customized. However such customization is not at all possible in a hospital management system, and if implemented, could affect the functioning of the hospital and may prove to be counterproductive. 


To know more about hospital management software, visit MocDoc Hospital Information System.

Why you should never download ...

When searching for software, almost everyone looks.....  Read more



HMS covers three aspects of managing the hospital; they are Operational, Financial, and Clinical Aspects. If you look at the Doctor Management System, most of the software covers only operational and financial aspects like billing, inventory management, patient registration, scheduling, and workflow management. When evaluating HMS software, hospitals give much importance to operational and financial aspects and less importance to clinical records.



This blog discusses the importance of focusing on clinical records, otherwise known as Electronic Medical Records (EMR) in HMS.


What is EMR?


EMR is called Electronic Medical Records (EMR), which include information regarding the patient's medical history and treatment as discrete medical practices possess them.


When considering individual patients, the EMR will include information like patient contact information (emergency contact), physician orders, allergies, insurance, and other billing information, surgical notes on various medical progress, prescriptions, vitals like weight, height, body temperature, BMI (Body Mass Index), etc., release information forms, medical facility appointments on past and future, treatment plans and Discharge summaries, etc. 


EMR constitutes different characteristics considering the medical practices, which include their functioning system to all other medical care procedures.


Apart from the benefits of the software platform, the Electronic Medical Record Systems also provides much other prominent information for care.


Coordination procedures connecting reception information and transfer departments, the software, personal use rules of the organizations, training, and education established plans are some of the well-established components of the Electronic Medical Record System.  


Benefits of EMR for the Medical Practice


Below are some of the advantages of Electronic Medical Records to Medical Practices.


  • Capable of quickly transferring patient information from one department to the other.
  • The digital record environment helps to save much space.
  • Through EMR, you can quickly enhance the number of patients for improved productivity and workflow of the patients daily.
  • Medical practice with reduced errors leads to a vast improvement in patient care and result management.
  • The operational cost is much reduced with EMR, especially for expenses made for overtime labor and transcription services.
  • With EMR, electronic medical records can be customized and are scalable.
  • The capability of providing advanced clinical documentation and e-prescribing. 
  • The efficient and accurate process of billing with their advanced healthcare practices.


What Benefits does EMR provide for the Patients?


  • Improvement in Patient Treatment and other Diagnoses of diseases.

  • Rapid decision-making responses and patient care from different medical professionals assigned to individual patients. No chances for significant errors in a patient health record.


What are the Essential Core Capabilities of the EHR?


The Electronic Medical System indulges seven different core capabilities, namely.

Health Information and Data:

With EHR, you can quickly access essential information about the patients, their allergies, diagnosis of their diseases, medications, lab test results, etc., which provides a clear idea for the custodian or minder to decide on the treatments promptly.


Result Management:

People who take care of the patients are provided with multiple settings regarding patient care. This will undoubtedly improve the effectiveness of the care and safety of the patients reliably through quick access to past and new test results.


Decision Support:

The computerized EMR system makes use of Prompts, reminders, and alerts for various benefits like providing complementary clinical practices with improved compliances, possibilities of regular screenings, and capability of taking other vital methods, natural treatment, and diagnosis and also helps to identify the possible interaction of the drugs, etc. precisely.


Electronic Connectivity and Communication:

Improved care continuity, enhanced timeliness of the treatment and diagnosis of diseases, reduced events frequency, etc., are some of the critical benefits of the Electronic Medical System for secure, efficient, and accessible communication between patients and providers.


Patient Support:

The various tools provided for the patients, like easy access to their health records anytime, interactive health table and patient education, self-testing and home monitor methods, etc., help to keep their diabetes and other chronic diseases under control.


Reporting:

Electronic Medical System has plenty of advantages indulged in the HMS. One of the critical reasons 90% of clinicians choose EHR is their reduced human errors.


As a whole, EHR security needs a fine tune in case of the substance abuse records and terms of the behavioral actions. By doing so, they can calculate the patient's body conditions efficiently. E.g., if nurses and physicians have every minute detail regarding their patient's history at their fingertips, there might be no massive chances for critical care and emergency treatment.


The detailed history of the patients will help in finding a new healthcare provider through the patient's current health state and the medical record. They also support exchanging patient information with healthcare facilities if the patients have not requested them.


Integration

Electronic medical record (EMR) is not a standalone system. Instead, it is a complete ecosystem with several integrations, making it a holistic solution for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, care, and management of medical conditions.


To learn more about the MocDoc Healthcare System.




Why your HMS should include El...

HMS covers three aspects of managing the hospital;.....  Read more

 

Hospital Management System has been used for decades. Most of the hospitals in India use HMS, but they face particular challenges in implementing it. Among them, technical and human challenges are the complicated factors while implementing HMS.

How can you face the challenges while implementing HMS?

The HMS system helps to manage every piece of information about the patients, like their personal data, comprehensive medical data, and previous medical histories, along with their diagnoses, treatments, investigations, and other medical decisions. Apart from that, HMS helps improve safety and quality and is one of the most affordable options available in the healthcare industry.

Despite their benefits, the healthcare industry faces many challenges. Implementation of HMS still fails in some hospitals due to barriers.

A few Challenging problems that you face while implementing HMS

Human Challenges

While considering human factors include

  • Awareness of HMS's advantages & importance.
  • In general, Experience and knowledge of using computer applications.
  • Impressions and Beliefs regarding HMS and making use of them efficiently.

The researchers in a study have identified three main human challenges that are a barrier to adopting the HMS in healthcare industries.

  • There is a shortage of professional healthcare faculty with in-depth knowledge of HMS and other similar technologies.
  • Poor acceptance of HMS Software.
  • Lack of health informatics professionals capable of establishing and implementing the techniques.

Another few significant problems for unsuccessful HMS implementation include.

  • Healthcare specialists nature,
  • the lack of time allowed for training and learning on making use of the HMS,
  • the lack of healthcare professional support, motivation, and more.

Many studies illustrate that HMS requires more effort, time, and work. There are high chance of HMS slowing down and causing a decrease in productivity.

Technical Challenges:

Other technical challenges that fail the implementation of HMS in the healthcare industry include:
  • Networks and computers have different maintenance problems.
  • Lack of standards for Data entry and retrieval.
  • Difficulties in training users technically to use HMS.

A few tips to overcome Human Challenges

Proceed below to check out a few things you can follow to overcome the human challenges that make HMS implementation tough.

All Medical education programs should include the significance of Hospital management system, its applications, and its advantages. One can improve the awareness of the advantages and benefits of using the HMS with a focused multi-phase approach on any topic. The system can be used from the starting level of healthcare industry schools, and colleges, then with the undergraduate degree, and through various aspects of postgraduate medical education.

Formal training while taking various levels of medical practice and education can improve the knowledge in using a Hospital management system correctly. Many types of research suggest HMS training and teaching needs to be developed and implemented as a subject or course of the postgraduate and undergraduate medical education programs.

Every health information management should include subjects of HMS short courses for medical education programs and healthcare professionals. These programs should be initiated by the health ministry and its formal channels for every healthcare specialist at any healthcare organization and hospital. Apart from that, developing and enhancing self-taught computer science courses in nursing education, medical schools, and postgraduate training is also essential.

It's a good idea to develop both postgraduate and undergraduate specialized programs in Health Information Management, Health Informatics, and Health Information Technology, which increases the number of health informatics specialists and technicians.

Overcoming the negative impressions of HMS's new and experienced staff can be neglected by developing HMS training programs and in-house hospital orientation programs.

You can make the healthcare professional participate and be involved in various stages of system implementation, development, and deployment to improve the healthcare specialists' support.

You can offer the healthcare professional overtime payment, direct and indirect incentives, rewards, bonuses, and more for the hospital departments and sections that implement HMS successfully in a healthcare organization.

Offering healthcare professionals enough time is convenient and suitable for them to learn and train on HMS.

Another good idea is to conduct different exciting training programs for healthcare professionals so that they know about HMS implementation in depth and gain a better understanding.

Here are a few tips to overcome the Technical Challenges

You need to ensure that the HMS commercial providers and vendors are offering the proper user manuals, documentation, troubleshooting, and guidelines for using HMS to the hospitals properly.

Ensuring the working conditions of computers and networks is critical for the software to work better and have fewer maintenance problems. Technical support and hardware maintenance are also significant.

You are upgrading your old communication networks and computers to new ones for enhanced performance.

Make sure you perform every analysis required in depth before the start of the design phase and the implementation phase.

Implementing newer innovations in both hardware and software is required to overcome data entry difficulties.

While considering the software innovations, the system needs to be designed to support structured data entry instead of unstructured one. In the case of hardware innovations, implementing hand-held devices, touch screens, and tablet PCs helps minimize the gap between the recording and data acquisition process and leads to easier accessibility.

Eliminating health information technology and management staff overload can be done by outsourcing a few electronic processing tasks, namely medical transcription of dictating the voice files.

Make sure about the system interface design, and check whether they are understandable and user-friendly.

Data standards usage is one of the crucial steps for source accuracy, quality, reliability, and validation of system data.

Make sure you increase the computer terminal numbers at the point of care.

The above tips will help you eliminate all challenges while implementing your Hospital information management system. Any queries or other information regarding the topics are welcome in the comments section.

Challenges while implementing ...

 Hospital Management System has been use.....  Read more


Aravind Kejriwal recently directed the health officials in Delhi to develop a hospital management system of global standards. While hospital management systems have been in use for a while, there are currently no rules or regulations that lay down the standards for them in India. In the US electronic health records are regulated by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH Act) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA Act). 

In India, even though only the IT Act of 2000 applies for electronic health records, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare have recognized the need for electronic health records and periodically issues standards for them, for the purpose of promoting interoperability, technical innovation, participation by vendors and other stakeholders, and to support the evolution and timely maintenance of adopted standards. 

Besides these guidelines, some other key features also play a key role in making a hospital management system best suited for the Indian healthcare sector. Let’s see what the specific requirements for a hospital management system in India are. 

Aadhar as an identifying document. 

According to the recommendations by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the electronic health record of a patient must have the provision to include the UIDAI Aadhar number as the preferred identifier. In case Aadhar information is unavailable, the ministry recommends the use of a local identifier (as per the scheme of the healthcare service provider) and a photo ID issued by the Central or State government. The system should have a provision to accept a minimum of two IDs when an Aadhar ID is not available. In the case of unidentified patients, a local identifier may be used and confirmed identifiers inserted later when available. The government recently opened doors for integrating Aadhar with any software, but the software needs to meet certain criteria. While the recommendations are not implemented on a mandatory basis, it may become so in the future and therefore it is better to get software that follows them.

Support for GST

The Government of India recently passed the Goods and Services Act(GST) and many healthcare services come under its ambit. One of the important and commonly used aspects of hospital management software is billing. There is software that carries out the sole purpose of billing, while most hospital database management systems come integrated with it. With the implementation of GST, along with other service providers, healthcare providers such as hospitals and clinics are required to comply with the norms of GST. So it is important that hospital management software is able to handle the billing according to GST norms, and integrated with GST filing software. 

NABH accreditation

Formed in 2005, the National Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers is part of the Quality Council of India and is the principal accreditation for hospitals in India. NABH accreditation is becoming more and more important with the rise in medical tourism and patient awareness about their rights. Unlike ISO certification, NABH accreditation is specific to the healthcare industry and focuses on competency in terms of staff, equipment, premises, etc. For NABH accreditation of a hospital, the information management system of the hospital should meet the necessary criteria. This includes that the records of every patient are complete and accurate. It is necessary that the policy measures are in place to ensure data integrity, confidentiality and security.  A hospital management system plays a crucial role in this. An HMS that can safely manage the patient data in a safe and secure manner, and keep it updated in a timely manner can make this process much easier. The HMS must assure data redundancy and integrity and should be secure against data loss or theft, for the hospital to easily achieve NABH accreditation. The HMS system must be capable of generating the data points that must be submitted for NABH accreditation. 

Sending info to local government

Hospitals have to send certain information, such as birth rates and death rates, to the government periodically. This is required for keeping track of the population and related statistics. Sometimes during a disease outbreak, government health officials will need accurate data regarding the affected individuals to tackle the issue effectively. One of the primary functions of a hospital management system is the effective management of data. It should be capable of storing, retrieving and updating the information easily. With a system that can easily sort through the relevant data, the required data can be collected and sent to health officials easily and in a timely manner. Without an effective system, the hospital staff will have to manually go through a mountain of data, wasting time and resources. 

For more info, visit MocDoc Healthcare Solution.

Capabilities desired for hospi...

Aravind Kejriwal recently directed the health offi.....  Read more