Technology for automation in healthcare minimizes or eliminates the need for human intervention for various tasks. It is transforming the healthcare industry in many ways – improving patient care, optimizing hospital administration, and lowering costs. Automation has revolutionized every industry it has touched and healthcare is no different. Let’s take a deep dive into the impact of automation in healthcare, and how it is shaping the future of the industry.
The Impact of Automation in Healthcare Organizations
Automating manual, repetitive tasks minimizes the need for human intervention in day-to-day activities. When it comes to hospitals, implementing automation technologies allows the staff to devote more time and energy towards other important activities. This directly translates into greater efficiency and productivity across all operations. The effects of workflow automation in healthcare settings are as follows:
Addressing Inventory and Supply Chain Management Issues
Hospitals need a vast array of medical supplies to provide care. This includes syringes, scrubs, gloves, surgical equipment, and numerous paraphernalia. Inventory management at hospitals needs to ensure the constant availability of all supplies. The implementation of automation in healthcare tracks the usage of supplies and sends automated alerts in case of upcoming shortages and expiration dates.
The use of robotic process automation in healthcare for data entry, coupled with predictive analysis systems directly helps streamline supply orders. Being able to predict requirements allows hospitals to avoid excess inventory and wastage. This goes a long way in lowering overhead while also ensuring that essential supplies are always available when needed.
Lowering Administrative Burden in Hospital Management
Hospital administration involves numerous activities like patient registration, appointment management, billing, insurance claim registration, etc . Each of these workflows involves dedicated staff and coordination. However, using automation in healthcare helps to streamline and accelerate all the workflows by replacing manual human activities with digital ones. This not only maximizes the productivity of existing staff but also lowers human errors and reduces paperwork significantly.
When the staff can free themselves from office management activities, they can devote more time to patient care. Automating administrative activities at hospitals is a win-win for the staff as well as the patients.
Addressing Gaps in Patient Data
Electronic health records (EHR) are digital versions of a patient’s medical history. They are updated at a hospital or clinic whenever patients receive medical services. Large hospitals handling high patient volumes miss out on updating patient records, which affects doctors’ decision-making abilities. But using software for robotic process automation in healthcare enables the staff at medical facilities to automate the process of data entry. Doing so ensures that the results of all the latest tests, scans, and diagnoses are updated on patients’ records.
Doctors with up-to-date patient records can make informed treatment decisions without endangering a patient’s well-being. By addressing the problems in patient data, automation in healthcare directly improves the quality of care.
Improved Management of Chronic Diseases
Healthcare spending in the United States topped $4 trillion. That is more than the entire economies of all but 4 countries. A staggering 90% of this spending goes towards treating chronic conditions. These diseases require continuous, extensive treatment and cannot be cured like conventional diseases; they can only be managed.
Automation in healthcare, combined with artificial intelligence and machine learning powered systems for data analysis, can address the growing problem of chronic diseases. Predictive data analysis powered by AI and ML can assess large amounts of patient data and identify people at higher risk. This will allow doctors to take a preventive approach to care and begin treatments in the very early stages.
An increasing body of research shows that a preventive approach to care powered by predictive analysis results in better clinical outcomes for patients with chronic diseases. This can revolutionize chronic disease care and create a win-win for all stakeholders involved, including providers, payers, and patients.
Prevention of Medication Errors
Medication errors are a serious concern at hospitals and clinics in the United States. Research estimates approximately 9000 fatalities each year from these errors, costing the industry more than $40 billion. The use of automated medication dispensing systems like Automated Dispensing Cabinets (ADC) can ensure that the right medication is dispensed at the right dose in a timely manner.
The use of automation in healthcare to manage medication improves patient outcomes and lowers the hospital’s liability. Implementing workflow automation would address two major concerns for Chief Technology Officers (CTOs) and Chief Information Officers (CIOs) at hospitals.
Improving the Quality of Remote Patient Monitoring
Remote patient monitoring (RPM) is the use of technology to monitor patient health outside of conventional clinical settings. It uses wearable devices to measure vital signs like heart rate, blood pressure, electrocardiogram (ECG), blood glucose, temperature, etc. The use of robotics process automation can upload patients’ data acquired from wearables in real-time into medical records systems. These systems can alert doctors if a patient’s vital signs exceed a particular threshold.
Automated alerts in RPM systems allow doctors to respond to fluctuations in patient health better. This is especially helpful for senior care as elders in retirement communities and assisted living centers can experience improved care without the need for frequent in-person clinical visits.
Conclusion – Workflow Automation in Healthcare Cannot be Ignored
At a time when artificial intelligence, machine learning, and automation are reshaping every industry, healthcare too must stay relevant. Any investment introducing automation in healthcare is bound to yield fabulous returns. This technology has many benefits, including improved patient care, enhanced efficiency, lowered costs, and reduced errors.
While automation brings several benefits, it also raises concerns surrounding data security and privacy. The right implementation partner can supercharge hospital administration and clinical operations. It is ironic that IT teams and chief technology officers (CTOs) hold the power to elevate patient care and not the doctors.
Elevate Hospitals with Cutting-Edge Automation Solutions
With over two decades spent transforming administrative operations, FlatworldEdge brings unparalleled experience and insight to your automation journey. Whether you’re a standalone hospital or a group of hospitals under a brand, we have the right solutions tailored toyour needs. We offer end-to-end guidance and support to help you prioritize which parts of your workflows to automate in what order.
We are not just implementation partners but empowerment specialists. Transform your organization and empower your staff to serve your patients better. Choose us to reap the benefits of automation in healthcare.
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