An efficient hospital information management system is crucial to the running of the hospital. Healthcare professionals, in keeping with the current need for an effective digital health solution, need to adapt their hospital management software to allow easy access to information, as well as guarantee security of data.
A good hospital management software needs to contain certain vital features that play a powerful role in the seamless running of all hospital departments, ensure exchange of information, manage inventory and patient data, and enhance productivity. In choosing what features take priority over others, here are some points that healthcare management will need to consider.
Role-based access for data security
Of primary concern among healthcare admins is choosing a hospital management software that offers high levels of data privacy and security. By ensuring role-based access, the system prevents data breaches and guarantees the safety of critical information. Enabling specific access to privileged data, based on role, ensures that only the users that need access to that data are allowed access to it. Role-based access is also enabled with an audit trail, so as to be able to track which users are accessing data at any given point in time.
Modern healthcare systems are required to comply with international security standards so as to gain the trust of healthcare providers, and by prioritizing data privacy through role-based access over other nice-to-have features, hospital admins are empowering themselves with breach-free systems that they can trust.
Patient portals
The patient portal has become more of a priority during the recent years when patients need access to information from the security and comfort of their own homes. The ongoing pandemic has made it crucial for hospitals to be able to provide patient portals that allow patients to request appointments, access visit notes, view medical information, and be able to send messages to their medical practitioner, even after business hours.
Hospital software features should include patient portals in their portfolio, as these help to enhance patient experience and ensure a strong channel of communication between the patient and their doctor. Using a unique ID and password for data protection, a hospital system can provide patients with the convenience of their own portal to perform functions such as viewing health records, lab results, order medication, print or save electronic copies of records and much more, without ever stepping out of their homes.
Appointment system
Especially of value during the current situation, the convenience of being able to book an appointment through a web-based portal is something that most patients can definitely appreciate. Healthcare admins should consider an appointment system as higher priority among other hospital software features.
An appointment system should include the facility for patients to see what doctors are available, along with their calendar of availability. In addition, the patient should be able to schedule an appointment (with a video option if possible), and be able to change an already booked appointment if necessary. Real-time updates regarding doctor availability also greatly help patients to schedule appointments according to up-to-date calendars.
Appointment systems can also be extended to include booking radiologist or other healthcare specialist appointments. By integrating the payment module with this feature, patients are afforded the added convenience of being able to pay for their appointments from the comfort of home.
Payment integration and real time updates
Healthcare systems depend heavily on real time updates in order to stay informative and reliable. As patient records and test results get updated, these need to be entered into the system so that medical practitioners can view real time updates and take informed decisions about their patients. The ability to access information in real time from any device anywhere is key to being able to provide the best care to patients.
Payment integration as a feature is a big boon to hospital management software. By offering patients a simple means of paying for booked appointments and laboratory tests, and multiple payment options such as payment gateways/credit cards and so on, hospital admins make it easy for patients to make payments, as well as for healthcare professionals to collect them.
Billing & Insurance
The automation of billing and insurance should be one of the key feature considerations when selecting hospital management software. Medical billing software should support features such as patient registration, consultation fees, invoicing and payment collection. By helping patient billing happen faster, the hospital information system facilitates quicker hospital discharge.
By integrating with accounting software, the hospital management system also aids with faster insurance claim resolution. Hospital management systems that allow for unique billing codes for different insurance companies, as well as insurance auto-detection and insurance template integration go a long way towards ensuring faster claims processing which benefits both patients and hospital staff.
Conclusion
The choice of which hospital software to use ultimately lies in the hands of each hospital administrator. By combining necessary features with those that afford patient and hospital convenience, healthcare officials can arrive at the perfect blend of features that will ensure better patient care as well as translate into a profitable bottom line for the hospital.
