Medcurial

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Medcurial Package Management 2022

Medcurial Package Management 2022 800 507 Exist Software Labs

Medcurial’s Clinic Management system lets you easily create and manage packages with its built-in Package Management module

Easily combine offers and streamline ordering to billing process with support for creating item and service packages for your clinic! Create promos by setting combo offers to include medicines, procedures, treatments, and other services into a single package in just a matter of minutes.

Use this ability to configure your clinic promos and service packages and simplify ordering instead of manually adding procedures, treatments, and drugs one at a time!

Medcurial Package Management

Watch the video below and see for yourself how easy making a package is with Medcurial.

Manage your clinic better now and drive more efficiency to your clinic. For more information, kindly fill out the demo form so we can schedule a meeting with you. You may also visit Medcurial and get yourself a 30-day free trial so you can see it in action.

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    Enterprise-Grade EMRs. Clinic System, and Medcurial (Blog Image) Java, Jav Philippines

    What is Medcurial’s Enterprise-grade EMRs and Clinic Systems?

    What is Medcurial’s Enterprise-grade EMRs and Clinic Systems? 800 507 Exist Software Labs

    Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) play a huge role in making sure that enterprise clinics can stay on top when it comes to managing patients. With enterprise clinics, having an enterprise-grade EMR and CMS that can support your clinic’s complex operations is a must! Accessing patient records for clinics that can create a clinic network for multiple branches can be helpful for both patients and the management. 

    For the patients, this allows them to have a freedom to choose which brand is more convenient for them. On the other hand, it increases the clinic’s efficiency and consolidates medical records into a single document as the patient’s EMR serves as a basis for all their current and underlying conditions which affects the clinicians and physicians’ approach in delivering care.

    Enterprise clinics (multi-branch clinics, maritime clinics, mega clinics, etc.) need clinic systems that are designed to address interoperability between several departments and branches to make a network of care much like how different banks work together. 

    Medcurial’s Enterprise-grade EMR & Clinic System

    Medcurial CMS Enterprise is a web-based clinic management system for enterprise clinics, with a DOH-compliant enterprise-grade EMR, is best suited for clinics with multiple departments offering comprehensive medical and diagnostic services such as specialized occupational care centers, maritime and seafarers clinics, laboratories, and clinics with 20 or more users. Medcurial CMS Enterprise can help in increasing the efficiency of clinical processes which leads to better patient outcomes. Here’s some of Medcurial’s features:

    • Access all your patient records through an online, customizable, fully DOH-compliant enterprise-grade EMR system.

    • Deliver care beyond your clinic’s walls by engaging and connecting with your patients through a secure online patient portal.

    • Use telemedicine to conduct secure virtual/remote consultations and regular check-ups.

    • Open for 3rd Party Integration such as LIS, RIS, ERP, etc.

    • Access through any browser on your preferred device.

    • Track the current location of patients inside your clinic (by monitoring which section they are currently queued in).

    Stay tuned to find out more about Medcurial CMS Enterprise in our following blogs! If you’re interested in upgrading your clinic system to Medcurial, reach out to us and we’ll schedule you a free demo. 

    You can also try the free version for single-practice clinics here.

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      Medcurial Makes It Easy To Turn EMR Patient Data Into Visualization Art, Java, Java Developer Philippines

      Medcurial 2022 Makes It Easy To Turn EMR Patient Data Into Visualization Art

      Medcurial 2022 Makes It Easy To Turn EMR Patient Data Into Visualization Art 768 487 Exist Software Labs

      Medcurial let’s you quickly build interactive reports and dashboards by making it easy to extract clinic system data, such as your EMR Patient Data, into Google accounts for Google Data Studio’s web based reporting tool.

      As EMR and clinic systems gain widespread acceptance and use, the healthcare industry can expect innovation to follow.  While many started with the objective of using EMR to shift from paper to digital for convenience and accessibility, the ideal “mid game” was to create a repository of data that can be further used for analysis to provide more healthcare insights – a need that is magnified (and under utilized for lack of widely available tool) in the fight against the global COVID-19 pandemic.

      Even with the increasing use of EMR, healthcare organizations find manual extraction of data difficult and tedious.  The lack of technology and software support contributes to the problem as much as the inflexibility of the clinic system itself. Oftentimes, doctors and researchers would have to learn to navigate different applications separately to reach that ‘data-driven’ practice. 

      With a few clicks of a button, Medcurial lets users extract data from their account to allow them to use third party analytics and visualization tools like Google Data Studio.  By making data readily available in CSV form and directly integrated into a Google account (using Google Cloud), clinicians will be able to perform further data analysis to check for patterns that provide additional insights

      Check out the videos below and see how Medcurial EMR data goes into a Google account in preparation for data analysis using Google’s Data Studio.

      When using Google Cloud, we strongly advise to turn on two-factor authentication for added security

      How to export data in Medcurial CMS: EMR Patient Data

       

      How to analyze data via Google Data Studio

      Are you ready to organize and analyze your EMR Patient Data better?

      For more information on how Medcurial can help your clinical practice, you may contact us here. You may also try it out for yourself! Get your free 30-Day Subscription here.

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      How do Hospital and Clinic Systems Help our Healthcare Workers?

      How Do Hospital and Clinic Systems Help our Healthcare Workers in 2022?

      How Do Hospital and Clinic Systems Help our Healthcare Workers in 2022? 768 487 Exist Software Labs

      By this time, we all know that hospital and clinic systems are very helpful whenever it comes to patient care. Being able to know the patient’s medical history, allergic reactions, and previous prescriptions is very helpful in making sure that our healthcare workers can provide the best care possible. Since the landscape of Healthcare IT is continuously evolving, we should know how do hospital and clinic systems help our healthcare workers.

      How Do Hospital and Clinic Systems Help Our Healthcare Workers in 2022?

      Most of us take for granted the importance of hospital and clinic systems in achieving quality patient care.  However, no one can argue that to provide the best care possible, doctors and nurses require valuable medical information like medical history, allergy information, medications, and other clinical data.

      But these systems not only benefit patients, it also helps our healthcare workers making them more successful in the work they do which is saving lives!

      During this time of the pandemic, our healthcare workers are front liners – leading us in the battle against COVID-19. Knowing that, isn’t it important that we also protect them? It is possible that some patients have been consciously hiding information from their care team that could potentially put them at risk. Some have been diagnosed positive for COVID-19 yet don’t feel the need to disclose it to their physicians. Whatever their reasons, these actions put healthcare workers at risk.

      So how do Hospital and Clinic Systems Help our Healthcare Workers?

      Knowing the Patient History

      Knowledge about the patient’s history and previous conditions that could affect their current state. It also helps them by being able to avoid drugs that had already shown adverse reactions on the patient. The efficiency of patient care also increases because redundant tests will be avoided.

      In relation to the current pandemic, being able to know the patient’s history could help in determining the current causes of their illnesses, which could lead to knowing if it is COVID related or not.

      Misreading of Prescriptions or Previous Notes

      With EMRs, everything is digitally transcribed. A 2007 study in US showed that when hospitals started using EMRs, there was a 66% drop in prescription errors. Thousands of medication errors were recorded yearly due to a very simple factor – illegibility of handwriting.

      Support Tools

      Having a hospital or clinic system that has support tools has a great effect on patient outcomes. Some examples of support tools are drug referencing tools and evidence-based decision support tools, such as Lexicomp and UpToDate by Wolters Kluwer. By being able to look at previous studies, evidence, and drug approaches, physicians and clinicians will be able to have a more efficient, effective, and holistic view of the patient’s recovery plans. 

      A survey done in 2020 with 14,137 participants showed that 98% of them are satisfied with UpToDate and that they trust UpToDate as a point-of-care clinical information resource. 96% of them believed that UpToDate improves the quality of care they can provide. 90% said that using UpToDate saves them time. 88% made changes to their patient management, and 86% believe that UpToDate has led to more appropriate diagnostic testing. ‘’

      Now that COVID is mutating faster than we can cope, having a support tool that is updated by professionals around the world gives our healthcare workers the edge to make sure that they and their patients are safer.

      Telemedicine Module

      Another emerging tool for our healthcare workers is the option to do consultations virtually. With widespread internet and affordable devices, geography poses no issue anymore. Telemedicine provides doctors and their patients an immediate and more convenient way of doing consultations. Because of the risks posed by COVID-19, it is definitely safer not only for the patients who have to travel, but also for the physicians and clinicians as it drastically reduces the number of in-person appointments. Despite its limitations of not being able to perform close examination crucial to some specializations, the benefit of remote consults will benefit healthcare workers as it helps reduce the spread of infections.

      Hospital and Clinic Systems Do Help.

      We could go on and on about answering the question “How Do Hospital and Clinic Systems Help our Healthcare Workers in 2022?” and discuss the many benefits of these systems, but it all boils down to answering the question. Does it do good for patients and healthcare workers alike?

      Learn more about Hospital and Clinic Systems. Schedule a demo now.

       

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      Pandemic Highlights Need for EMR, Information Systems Beyond Hospital and Clinic Walls, Java, Java Developer Philippines

      The 2020 Pandemic effectively Highlights Need for EMR, Information Systems Beyond the Hospital and Clinic’s Walls

      The 2020 Pandemic effectively Highlights Need for EMR, Information Systems Beyond the Hospital and Clinic’s Walls 768 487 Exist Software Labs

      Despite the uptake of practices using EMRs, the country’s struggle to capture COVID-related data and the presence of health information systems that are not interoperable exposed the need for EMR, hospital, and clinic systems that contribute to and empower the greater health sector.

      Read on to see how the pandemic highlights the need for EMRs and Information Systems beyond hospital and clinic walls.

      It is nearly impossible to create or build healthcare capacity during a pandemic.  Hospitals everywhere struggle with staffing and bed resources to keep up with Covid surges while preventing infections.  The lack of clear political strategy and guidance seems to leave health providers fending for themselves.

      Yet, it is these types of situations that also enlighten and ultimately force a reckoning for businesses.  In healthcare, it is not just about finding a means to stay afloat.  It is a matter of ensuring the survival of staff and the populace.  It is about how to improve and extend patient services while contributing to the greater need of containing the pandemic.

       

      Pandemic Highlights the Need for EMR and Clinic Systems. See how it can help.

      If it wasn’t as clear before, it has become imperative that any operating business will need to invest in IT and digital solutions.  It is about finding systems that answer core business requirements while also being equipped to support functionalities yet to be identified.  For hospitals and clinics, it is not enough that systems and applications exist only for internal consumption.  Systems need to enable them to participate and share health data (in a secure manner) to reach patients.  They need to contribute information to guide policies for the greater population.

      For medical practices, the shift and need for EMR have grown rapidly in the last few years.  This is apparent in larger clinical practices offering a variety of medical and diagnostic services across a network of branches.  Ease of coordination, as well as seamless transactions, give these clinics an advantage.  They offer a more well-rounded patient experience that mirrors that of a tertiary hospital but at a more affordable cost.

      Why does the need for EMR constantly arise? EMRs allow users to coordinate care across various specialties.  The system provides the entire clinic and its team of doctors with the needed information about the patient at every turn. With available patient data, the practice is likely to adapt toward providing more evidence-based care.

      Outpatient clinics need to step up to provide help to hospitals. Clinics can provide triage as a first line of care for patients before going directly to hospitals.

      As vaccination programs roll out, clinics across the country can be viable centers given their experience providing immunizations.  At this time, multi-specialty and diagnostic clinics can be a safe haven for patients needing medical help while avoiding the high risk of infection in hospitals.

      Such a larger role requires that clinic management systems cannot just be about the need for an EMR.  Clinic systems will need to be mini-hospital information systems (HIS) except without the support for admission and its supporting modules.

      Like hospital systems, the clinic system orchestrates a team of doctors, nurses, and other users across different sections organized by medical specialty, different laboratory, or even outpatient surgical care. The Pandemic Highlights the support needed for an integrated online patient portal and telemedicine. Imagine a doctor providing teleconsultation without the need to open another application for accessing and updating the patient’s electronic medical records!

      These functionalities are critical to ensuring that medical services will remain operational while reducing physical contact.  With a portal, the patients are provided a tool by which they can update their records and provide feedback on their medical outcomes.

       

      Pandemic Highlights Importance of Breaking Silos and Transmission of Covid-related Data

      Maintaining a single source of patient information across multiple branches is just as important.  Firstly, the patient will have more options not limited by location for in-person services such as laboratory and diagnostic tests. This ensures that doctors and other care professionals view updated and complete patient records regardless of clinic branch which opens potential for further interoperability. With consolidated patient records inside clinic systems, clinics have in their possession, valuable data.  Data that can yield patient insights and provide information on future services and investment as well.

      In the fight against Covid, using information from paper records seems almost anecdotal at best.  For any viable health program to succeed in this pandemic, data needs to guide the plans.  Surviving the pandemic needs the entire health sector — both public and private, to work together.  Hospitals and clinics will need to pay attention to the needs of population health for Covid data as well. Using the right hospital information and clinic systems is vital for transmitting and collecting health information and statistics.  This is important in creating a holistic health plan for cities, provinces, and ultimately an entire country.

      The Covid situation is like being part of an ongoing global research study.  It is both tragic, and one that hopefully with available data, will strengthen and lift healthcare standards everywhere.

      In the Philippines, the pandemic highlights the need for IT systems used by hospitals and clinics need to comply with the required standards set forth by the Department of Health (DOH) as well as Philhealth.  Systems with these certifications not only give health facilities the license to legally operate but show a commitment to contribute to improving healthcare beyond its four walls. 

      The pandemic highlights the need to take advantage of information systems, care institutions give themselves and their patients a fighting chance to survive and continue to be relevant players in the healthcare business as well.

      Enabling Connected Healthcare


      Technological innovation has enabled a new model of care delivery where the patient is at the center of the healthcare network. The pandemic highlights the need for advanced and innovative healthcare technology.
       
      Exist’s healthcare IT systems address the management of patient information to connect users and different care providers to help achieve ease of care, drive cost and process efficiencies, and ultimately, generate better patient outcomes.

      Check out our other Digital Healthcare insights here!

      Check Out Medcurial

      Check out our healthcare product, MEDCURIAL. See how it can help our nation improve its response to the ongoing global pandemic.

       

      Investing in Healthcare IT, Supporting Care Workers, Java, Java Philippines

      Investing in Healthcare IT Systems in 2021 , A tremendous support for Care Workers

      Investing in Healthcare IT Systems in 2021 , A tremendous support for Care Workers 768 487 Exist Software Labs

      Healthcare IT Systems: Supporting Care Workers


      2021 is for the health and care workers who are possibly among the rare few not threatened with job displacement. This is despite the increased use of technology.  On the contrary, the partnership between them has helped push online care providers into the mainstream. Yet, this is just the beginning.

      The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared

      and rightfully so because more than any other group, they are at the frontlines risking their own health caring for those seemingly increasing numbers of patients with Covid.

      According to WHO, “the YHCW is an opportunity to draw attention to the need for greater investments in health and care workforce readiness, education and learning to manage the pandemic and its consequences and to roll out the COVID-19 vaccine.

      Beyond COVID-19, investments are also needed in health and care workers’ ability to deliver primary health care, manage noncommunicable diseases, and provide mental health services, maternal and child health care, long-term care, and palliative care.”

      Healthcare IT: Technology More Than Plays Its Part

      Further, WHO also states, “Investments in education, continuing professional development, well-being, and occupational safety in all of these areas are important preconditions for retaining and attracting health and care professionals. Without making health and care work a desirable and supported career path. Countries will also struggle to attract newcomers, including in rural areas. Moreover, it will also be challenging to progress towards universal health coverage and stronger, more resilient health systems.”

      While Exist Healthcare and Medcurial have committed to developing the systems to promote better patient outcomes and better care delivery, YHCW is also a timely reminder of the need for better-designed systems that support positive user experiences enabling happy and productive care providers.

      Healthcare IT systems have time and again mitigated the risks of spreading infection for patients and users alike. This is due to the increasing use of online technology. Things are not likely to go back to normal soon. Along with this, the use of telemedicine and remote care portals and protocols will likely continue and spur further improvements.

      Unsung heroes for years, the pandemic now gave care workers the attention they deserve. By equipping them with the tools, healthcare IT will always provide them with needed help. This will let them discharge their medical duties the best they can safely while at the front lines—not only for their patients but for their families waiting for them at home.

      Check Out Medcurial

      Check out our healthcare product, MEDCURIAL. See how it helped some of the biggest hospitals in the country provide better patient outcomes.

      Hospital Information System. Java. Java Philippines.

      Buy and Build Hospital Information Systems Dilemma Revisited in 2020

      Buy and Build Hospital Information Systems Dilemma Revisited in 2020 768 487 Exist Software Labs

      What do hospitals have to deal with in choosing to buy or build systems??

      Delivering care now generally considers hospital information systems, applications, and software. Despite misgivings about cost as the previous article has pointed out, what first was a tool to ensure operational and financial efficiency, has grown far more valuable and one that continues to become essential in achieving whatever doctor, clinic, or hospital has originally set out to do – provide the right medical care based on data or evidence.

      Custom (build) or Off-the-shelf Systems (buy)

      The eternal dilemma facing CIOs is whether to build a system from scratch or mold an off-the-shelf application to the needs of the institution. Most decisions are a hybrid mix, but many hospitals lean too far in the emotional direction. When hard data is available, making an emotional decision is not a good business practice! 

      TechRepublic says it best:

      The major factor that significantly reduces the custom solutions’ ROI is the lack of available personnel with proper skill sets. That is also true in many cases. Such ultimately causes the endeavor to fail as well. It takes many skills to design and deploy a business solution that is both scalable and extensible. 

      Unless one of your business areas is product development, there is an extremely high probability that your operations and maintenance technology resources do not include all of the skill sets necessary for a successful solution.

      Even worse, the team may not fully understand the problem domain, and may not discover unknown requirements. 

      While cost between custom solutions and commercial built products have now been significantly reduced, if you are a clinic or hospital and IT resources are not available within the organization, then the option to look for available solutions in the market makes the most sense. 

      Here are key considerations for picking an off-the-shelf solution vs building a custom one which is also essentially a choice between product and vendor support:

      A product vendor who is responsible for adapting the product to technological advancements that are aligned with your overall strategy.

      They should be capable of providing immediate and long-term support to your organization.

      The product can meet most of the core business requirements.

      It should also be able to accommodate unsupported core business requirements via enhancements or additional modules.

      Reality-check

      The allure of both custom and off-the-shelf software is that all requirements can be satisfied, but that is a delusion. 

      Requirements are not just about features but about other system characteristics and technologies. While features reflect the immediate need for hospitals or clinics, long-term benefits impact ROI on either option. Clarifying business goals and finding the right partners that will help the organization over the course of 3-5 business years are the keys to achieving these long-term benefits.

      Learn more and read a previous article where Philippine healthcare IT leaders share their thoughts about hospital information systems on this link.

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      Check out our healthcare product, MEDCURIAL. See how it helped some of the biggest hospitals in the country provide better patient outcomes.

      Java. Java Philippines. Hospital Information System.

      Philippine’s Hospital Information System Adoption in 2020: Which Level Are You In?

      Philippine’s Hospital Information System Adoption in 2020: Which Level Are You In? 768 487 Exist Software Labs

      This blog is the first in a series where we examine the state of HIS use among Philippine hospitals.

      Hospital Information Systems in healthcare have evolved tremendously over the years. The use of some level of information management has become virtually indispensable among care providers, facilities, and health systems.  Around the world, the current pandemic has placed a spotlight on healthcare. It also set a level of scrutiny on how care is safely and efficiently provided. In this era, it generally involves the use of tools and IT systems.

      WHO states that what constitutes its importance is that, “such information systems serve multiple users and a wide array of purposes that can be summarized as the generation of information to enable decision-makers at all levels of the health system to identify problems and needs, make evidence-based decisions on health policy and allocate scarce resources optimally.”

      Health information systems are called upon to enable tracking along the continuum of inputs to the health system, from processes, outputs, as well as outcomes and impact. 

      Yet, owing to prohibitive costs and competing priorities, few developing countries have hospital and care facilities that have sufficiently strong and effective health information systems to meet all these diverse and important information needs.

      Like a growing enterprise, achieving a level of care system requires carefully thought out strategies. These involve starting with organizational objectives before even thinking about core features.  It also means assessing and building up support capabilities while considering the tools that will help lead the team towards its goal.

      Leading healthcare analytics company Health Catalyst, has brilliantly laid out a historical table that helps hospitals figure out which stage they are in their healthcare systems.

      • The main healthcare drivers in this era were Medicare and Medicaid. The IT drivers were expensive mainframes and storage. Because computers and storage were so large and expensive, hospitals typically shared a mainframe. Shared hospital accounting systems were the principal applications emerging in this environment.

      • One of the main healthcare drivers in this era was the need to do a better job communicating between departments (ADT, order communications, and results review) and the need for discrete departmental systems (e.g., clinical lab, pharmacy). The reduction of hardware size allowed the installation of computers in a single department without environmental controls. As a result, departmental systems proliferated. Unfortunately, these transactional systems, embedded in individual departments, were typically islands unto themselves.

      • Healthcare drivers were heavily tied to DRGs and reimbursement. For the first time, hospitals needed to pull significant information from both clinical and financial systems to be reimbursed. At the same time, personal computers, widespread, non-traditional software applications, and networking solutions entered the market. As a result, hospitals began integrating applications so financial and clinical systems could interact in a limited way.

      • In this decade, competition and consolidation drove healthcare, along with the need to integrate hospitals, providers, and managed care. From an IT perspective, hospitals now had access to broad, distributed computing systems and robust networks. Therefore, we created an integrated delivery network (IDN)-like integration, including the impetus to integrate data and reporting.

      • The main healthcare drivers were increased integration and the beginnings of outcomes-based reimbursement. We now had enough technology and bedside clinical applications installed to make a serious run at commercial, real-time clinical decision support.

      The information above gives us a concrete way to frame where most Philippine hospitals are in their hospital information system journey — which more or less cuts and jumps through the different periods while also dependent on the level of and type of hospital organization (primary, secondary, tertiary and teaching) to which they belong.

      It is also good to point out that several factors mainly influence part of the adoption of these systems in local settings (approximating the following in order of importance):

      For the most part, Philippine hospitals were mostly using systems primarily supporting ADT and other operational requirements. While leading hospitals have blazed a trail of their own by benchmarking their systems globally, most had systems that were mostly siloed or islands among themselves.  Using paper, these hospitals barely even touch and encode clinical data. Such practice leaves doctors and care professionals to depend solely on their own competencies, sorting through paper medical records, and delivering successful outcomes against the growing complexities of providing care.

      But lately, things have been accelerating towards the adoption of better systems that require substantial clinical data because of government mandates related to DOH EMR compliance and Philhealth financial reimbursements.  

      Modern requirements subtly push Philippine hospitals to make use of electronic medical records for reporting statistics. Some of these include the renewal of licenses as well as providing correct clinical data to support claims reimbursements.  The outcome is multi-fold as this forces Philippine healthcare to shift from paper to electronic. It also promotes increased use of data in providing care and upgrade to systems that make better use of IT. Implementing these technologies will reduce manual errors and manage care complexities. Thus, leading to more team collaboration.

      So, can we say that the use of better hospital systems in the country is making progress?  Tell us what you think!

      In another article, we will discuss the available options for hospitals that aspire to step up in their healthcare proposition. As well as differentiate themselves against the competition using IT innovation.

      Check Out Medcurial

      Check out our healthcare product, MEDCURIAL. See how it helped some of the biggest hospitals in the country provide better patient outcomes.

      EMR. Java. Java Philippines.

      With Telemed Acceptance, Let’s Get Back To Promoting Use of EMR (2020)

      With Telemed Acceptance, Let’s Get Back To Promoting Use of EMR (2020) 768 487 Exist Software Labs

      Like telemedicine, healthcare innovations promise a great deal of potential, but also present some profound challenges, at the top of which is increased fragmentation of care! Introducing once again, the overlooked EMRs!

      Back in 2011, tech giant, Google suffered one of its rare missteps with the shutdown of Google Health. While its new incarnation has been focused on AI, deep learning, and predictive analytics, the failure of its online personal health record system continue to remain neglected and dumbfounding despite the plausible reasons.

      Disparate and Incomplete, rejecting health maintenance

      The founder of EHR vendor Epic, Judy Faulkner, recently noted the surprising fact that only 0.5% of users are actually interested in managing their own health records, putting into question the usefulness of the patient portal. It’s possible that multiple disparate and siloed communications options add to the confusion and fragmentation. 

      Expectations are also changing as patients become accustomed to consumer experiences through other industries, such as eCommerce, banking, and retail. Like most people, patients crave the path of least resistance and demand the same from healthcare providers for convenience, relevance, and added value such as positive care experiences. Healthcare service is now not just about more staff but platforms that support patient engagements.

      The Cost of Fragmented Experiences 

      For the longest time, the financial cost of fragmented care seemed unquantifiable. But studies from Harvard have shown that high care fragmentation for chronically ill patients leads to $4,500 in higher healthcare spending, which can be $10,400 for those with the most fragmented care. 

      Moreover, the cost of fragmentation from a patient’s perspective is more than can be measured by a dollar figure. At best, it adds to the patient’s burden of medical care coordination. This stress along with a sick condition is a terrible situation that often leads to less effective care and poor outcomes as care transitions fail and multiple care professionals that fail to work as a team.

      Use EMRs Now.

      Based on necessity, acceptance of telemedicine and virtual consultations has never been higher. With the uncertainty of Covid, it doesn’t seem that physical consultations are coming back soon.

      But as far as technologies go, resolving the type of consults is not enough.

      Health records remain as the fundamental element for medical treatment and service. The more comprehensive the record, the more data can help guide the doctors towards evidence-based decisions. However, unlocking the promise of information will remain a pipe dream if records are still kept on paper.

      While the debate over interoperability remains unresolved, healthcare cannot simply wait and to decide on electronic medical records use. EMRs are way better than paper and easier to aggregate and keep for sharing among different providers especially when absolutely required. In theory, one can send this via email or share it through mobile devices. Security and privacy issues aside, completeness of health records is at the top of the list for the patient making care decisions and curbing unnecessary cost and waste. Ideally, one can look at the patient record providing longitudinal care history while acting as a central hub for all medical services and providers.

      Apart from the very reasons above, the importance of getting real (or near-real) time data cannot succeed without a suitable electronic format. In the high-stakes game of epic global infections, the need for credible and timely data is a valuable means of controlling the spread and dictating strategy.

      There are care professionals and medical institutions that believe they could still afford to hold back on the use of EMRs for a variety of reasons. The truth is that the survival of millions is now at stake and time is ripe for people everywhere to change their perception of healthcare from temporary discomforts to a valued preoccupation where medical data is as valuable a currency as the cure. Because otherwise, we will all have to pay the price and hopefully, not with our lives.

      Check Out Medcurial

      Check out our healthcare product, MEDCURIAL, and see how it helped some of the biggest hospitals in the country provide better patient outcomes.

      Health. Java. Java Philippines. digital health

      Digital Health Is Inevitable in 2020

      Digital Health Is Inevitable in 2020 768 487 Exist Software Labs

      Like most businesses, the strategies adopted by hospitals and clinics seem self-serving.  Yet oftentimes, the one that successfully brings a good business return in investment, are those that put the customer both front and center. Despite reluctance, digital health is one of those strategies that will greatly empower patients and drive innovations as well.

      Improving the Digital Health Access

      Improving healthcare access remains elusive and the Covid pandemic has made it even more difficult. The demand for care services is unlikely to dip.  For healthcare providers, adopting innovative strategies like standardized digital practices can create efficiencies and improve service deliveries that will lead to savings which could help drive costs and make care more affordable. 

      As if to belabor the point on the fragmentation that has long plagued healthcare, Reddy, and Jannsens write, “the Covid-19 crisis has prepared the ground for widespread adoption of digital healthcare solutions” that requires a fundamental rethinking in the use of digital platforms around key themes that include:

          • Information transparency.  The use of health registries to create a single source of truths for all stakeholders especially the patient reduces administrative burden as well as to enjoin patients in managing their medical care proactively.
          • Interoperability.  Holistic not siloed. Disparate patient records will remain an age-old problem as long as records remain in paper making collaboration and standardization of care difficult and costly. 
          • Claims processing.  One word. Fraud. Transparent systems that support faster validation make a whole world of difference for the operations of care providers.
          • Change from episodic to wellness-oriented care; from service-based to value-based healthcare.  These two healthcare ideals deserve an article of their own but to simplify, these are about preventive health maintenance (prevention cost way less than cure) and results-based care incentives (better, not unguaranteed, care outcomes)  both of which disrupt the payment model.

      Overall, digital platforms will change care delivery models, like how telemedicine has abruptly transformed the patient visit.  The world is looking at unprecedented change caused by this pandemic and healthcare players will have important decisions to make if they are to survive, thrive, or perish in this new normal.

      https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/digital-health-mission-a-200-billion-opportunity-ndhm-will-greatly-empower-patients/2095337/

      Check Out MERX Compliant

      Looking for a new clinic or hospital information system? Our MERX Compliant includes an online patient portal for appointments and patient management of records and Rx, a telemedicine module with integrated EMR, with built-in Philhealth eClaims module.  Learn more about it here.