Even despite the fact that electronic health is not a new concept, there are still a lot of clinics worldwide that don’t make use of this all-encompassing technology. However, according to the research, users enjoy eHealth applications because of the better opportunity to control their health, improve their well-being, and develop healthier habits. In addition to the benefits for patients, eHealth solutions can be very advantageous for hospitals. In this article, we are going to list some privileges you may miss if you don’t adopt eHealth innovations.
Top Advantages eHealth Solution May Offer to Your Hospital
First, it is worth making one important caveat. Electronic health is a collective term, it is a whole infrastructure that unites in-hospital systems, mobile applications, wearable devices, and other smart solutions for healthcare. eHealth solutions can be powered by a wide variety of technologies like 5G, artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain, Internet of Things, robotics and augmented reality.
Thus, the list of benefits of eHealth for your clinic is almost never-ending, so below are the most essential advantages for healthcare providers. You, as a hospital owner or manager, may choose the most crucial ones and opt for the development of the corresponding solutions for your clinic.
Time Savings
E-health solutions can significantly reduce the time of doctors, administrative staff, and even patients. For instance, with the help of a doctor appointment application, the patient may schedule a consultation avoiding phone calls and choosing the most convenient time for him. With the help of automated billing and the opportunity to pay for the medical services through the app, cashiers and accountants will also have less monotonous work to do. With the help of a patient portal, a patient may not only schedule a consultation but also describe (or choose from the suggested list) his symptoms and complaints thereby saving some time for the doctor that is usually spent on a primary survey and diagnosis suggesting.
Better Data Safety
This is quite an obvious advantage – the data stored in the cloud (or your own server, if you want) has better chances to stay safe. Surely, there are some technical concerns when it comes to data safety, however, there are also a lot of legislative and technical regulations that software developers follow when developing a smart solution for your hospital.
More Insights for Decision Making
In addition to the fact that eHealth solutions open up more opportunities for safe data storage, they open them up for data analysis as well. For example, if a wearable device of a patient is connected to the doctor’s mobile application, the doctor may get an instant message if the condition of a patient begins to go worse and take quick measures for saving his life. Also, with the help of special wearable devices and remote control applications, some patients may be allowed to continue treatment and recovery at home (for example, after strokes and surgeries). In this case, such a patient will also be always in touch with his doctors and the latter will be able to make the right decision on in-hospital or home treatment.
There are also AI-powered apps you may use in your hospital that allows tracking even the slightest changes in the patients’ organism and suggest the alleged onset of the disease, moreover, even at the stage when clinical tests show that the patient is completely healthy.
Equal Access to Healthcare
Telemedicine solutions make access to healthcare services easier, and it can be a life-saving opportunity for those who live in remote areas or for residents of those countries where the level of healthcare services quality is critically low (African countries, for the most part ). However, telemedicine is not a magic pill for those who also do not have equal access to drugs, so without the same equal access to medicines and other suppliers, telemedicine can be of advisory and educational nature only.
However, it becomes one more time and money-saving opportunity when it comes to the well-developed countries where the patients just want to save time avoiding a face-to-face meeting, plus it’s easier to get telemedicine prescriptions and buy all the necessary drugs for their treatment.
Better Accounting
Also, the billing system for the hospital may be a real headache pain killer for the accountants. With its help, it is possible to achieve better transparency in the financial operations, plus competently manage the insurance issues. Also, if there is an integrated app for patients with the possibility to pay for the medical service right in the app, this feature also saves some time and is more convenient for both clinical and young patients.
Better Patient Care
Improved patient service is an all-encompassing benefit, and every positive feature of e-health services has a positive impact on the patient as well – whether it is a health-critical decision or the simple opportunity to make an appointment with a doctor online. At the same time, improved patient care is the first and ultimate goal of any technology used in a hospital so everything turns out to be quite clear and logical.
Brief Conclusion
As you can see, the benefits of an e-health solution are varied, but they all revolve around improving the quality of medical services and health care. With these technologies, you can also solve the key problems of your patients and your clinic, as e-health solutions have huge potential for customization according to your business needs.