In the fast-paced world of healthcare, the right technology can improve your efficiency in crucial ways. What’s more, choosing technology solutions that work together and integrate seamlessly gives you the most bang for your buck. When evaluating new software, consider how all the parts work together to create the whole.
Does all information integrate seamlessly?
When choosing a technology solution, think about how all the patient information will integrate, including the health history, information from referring physicians, as well as how this is recorded in the patient chart.
A rookie mistake would be to use different technology solutions that don’t integrate with each other. This leads to repetitive record-keeping, decreased staff efficiency, not to mention the opportunity for mistakes and employee burnout. It’s possible to invest in a technology solution that does it all: recording self-reported health histories, integrating physician referral information, and saving it all in the patient record. These options ensure that no critical information is lost and also eliminates the problem of paperwork pile-up.
What can you do with this information?
In addition to the integration of information, consider how your technology can leverage the information you have. With the right technology solution, all your software can work together to enhance patient communication.
For example, send patients targeted reminders before their appointment with specific instructions about their operation. After surgery, send follow-up texts or emails to collect feedback. The same technology can enhance collaboration among your staff and improve communication with your patients.
Can you integrate real-time schedule changes—for both staff and patients?
An ASC scheduling board changes multiple times a week. Running around with a white marker to all the scheduling boards around your facility is cumbersome, not to mention the room for error, leading to slowdowns and gaps in communication. Consider how you can use a technology solution that updates both your staff and patients in real-time.
With the digital OR big board, every scheduling change reflects in real-time—both for your staff and your patients. HIPAA-compliant views can be displayed in the waiting room so patients’ families know what’s going on. This waiting room view provides an extra bonus of enhanced patient communication, leader to higher engagement scores.