Taking the Digital Route to Enhance Clinician Experience
Much before the pandemic, clinicians across the world were facing heavy workloads. Too many admin tasks lead to them expecting more from technology. And, doctors had to perform the routine tasks as part of their daily outlook while being pressed to use new emerging technologies. In my opinion, though the said technologies should provide them relief from the redundant and recurring duties yet in some cases it turned out to limit their time for interaction with patients. For instance — while EHRs had great benefits, the experience of using them was a task. The endless drop-down menus, alerts & reporting impacted clinicians’ efficiency in offering a hassle-free experience to their patients.
That’s why vital advancements in digital tech could prove to be an antidote to countless pain points the clinicians face regularly. The aim is to enable the staff (clinical and medical) to be more efficient and less hassled, to make the care effective, leading to more referrals.
You must be wondering, what are those various facets where digital technology can change clinician experience?
Based on my experience I’ve attempted to list down some technology essentials that would help improve & drive successful outcomes for medicine practitioners. So here you go.
Enhanced EMR solutions
According to Statista, the global EHR industry is estimated to cross $40 billion by 2024. Yet, in 2021, most of the existing software systems proved to be adequate. They still require manual intervention with data input, upload of scans, or look for alternate ways to submit crucial patient data. Too much paperwork and poor UX often lead to physician burnout. The tired staff seeks ways to reduce their data entry workload, resulting in mistakes or cutting corners.
Going ahead, it needs to become more optimized to avoid regular office tasks taking the lead over better patient interactions. How?
· The integration of Natural Language Processing (NLP) into clinician’s systems can simplify their work. Clinicians are on the lookout for such a mechanism that can help decipher the natural spoken language.
· Voice recognition is a great solution too. It would help clinicians enter patient information in a hands-free format.
The amalgamation of the above two technologies would help reduce errors and fasten the information recording process. The more the EMR systems synch with other systems, the better for the clinicians. Read more about how we at Rishabh Software offers custom EMR App Development Solutions to offer 360° Patient Care with features that enable medical professionals to maximize clinical productivity, and stay connected with patients to provide excellent patient care.
For instance, when a patient visits a clinic, it should have easy access to patient records from outpatient practices, radiology, diagnostics & also from other hospitals the patient may have visited previously. This can give clinicians a full picture of the patient’s health history to make informed decisions.
Application of automation for everyday tasks
Till now, automation tech was limited to back-office like finance and HR. But with the changing times, it is entering the clinician’s office.
With AI and ML systems, random patient data can be turned into information to enable automation. Once merged into clinical workflows, automation can enable clinicians with real-time data at the point of care.
For instance, in radiology, PACS systems using AI can automate tasks such as worklists and hanging protocols. These are vital applications that can improve the workflows and productivity of the team.
At a clinician’s office, automation can reduce the chances of mistakes in records, medication dosage, and surgical procedures. It has a positive impact on patient care as well as on clinician and staff productivity, leading to better results. Further, leveraging chatbots to provide accurate and up-to-date information to patients without needing them to set foot in a hospital is also becoming critical. An interactive bot helps accelerate frontline services in an engaging way to communicate with patients and provide them with timely information. Read more about how to harness the potential of this game-changing software that enables serving patients 24/7.
Driving patient-centric engagement
Continuous patient engagement through the treatment is the key. Sourcing data from wearable smart devices of the patients is important. It would offer physicians insights into the health vitals of the patient. Appointment alerts sent in advance can reduce cancellations and boost patient engagement.
Across the world, clinicians use current data to make decisions. This historical data is also used to manage matters of compliance and liability for the clinician. You would agree, the time is now to switch to value-based care by leveraging the power of data with healthcare analytics implementation.
To improve patient experience at every point of delivery it is vital to understand the various elements of a healthcare analytics ecosystem that can be optimized with an embedded solution.
Changing the future of health care
To conclude, digital technologies that can change the healthcare industry for good and all the changes brought forth are here to stay. The future of clinician experience is aligned with quick innovations. It will not only enhance clinician services but will also simplify their work lives. Trust me, I know — as we engage with practitioners on a day-in-day-out basis. What are your thoughts? I’ll be happy to hear your comments.
About Author:
As the CTO of Rishabh Software, Srinivasa Challa (a.k.a CS) defines and drives the technology solution roadmap for global customers. CS is responsible for the seamless execution of the company’s technology strategy, development & cross-functional delivery. With 25+ years of experience, he is instrumental in creating CoEs across domains like Healthcare & Fintech. CS is a constant learner who loves to stay updated on technology, healthcare, digital transformation and customer experience design and more.
