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Future Healthcare Phil Summit 2024: 4 Key Takeaways
Future Healthcare Phil Summit 2024: 4 Key Takeaways 1300 972 Exist Software Labs

The ongoing progress of technology will undoubtedly influence the trajectory of healthcare, underscoring the necessity for continuous adaptation and innovation within the field.

Last April 18, 2024, I had the opportunity to join the Future Healthcare Phil Summit 2024 held at the Edsa Shangri-La Hotel, Manila. The event was an immersive experience with multiple enlightening presentations and panel discussions by eminent speakers – all experts in their respective fields in health, technology, or both. Representatives of major institutions and decision makers who attended were also able to enjoy informative discussions and visit booths to learn more about current innovations in health tech. 

As a medical professional working in the tech sector, here are a few insights I have gleaned from the event: 

1.There is no end to innovation – health technology exists to make work easier for humankind.

To bridge the logistics gap, tech innovations have allowed medical professionals to store information in means convenient to them. Clinic and hospital managers have the option to store information in a cloud instead of having to track and keep patient information in a physical medical records section or a server room. Processes are streamlined to allow for easier correspondence between medical professionals and also between patients and their healthcare provider/s, such as through the means of telemedicine. Health tech provides solutions to issues regarding accessibility and lightens the workload for medical staff. Additionally, records and reports can easily be reviewed and analyzed to give insights on how to further improve operations.

2. Healthcare is constantly evolving; hence, health technology also has to responsively evolve.

Companies can provide solutions to the needs of the growing health industry. Tech solutions like the use of AI in medical data analytics,  hospital and clinic management systems that go beyond what is basic and could integrate other necessary services could potentially be the standard across the whole country, as they could address a myriad of needs coming from the healthcare sector. The nation’s health sector would, in turn, do well to keep up with the development of the tech industry in order to predict possible potentials for growth and improvement.

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3. Medical professionals and key decision makers will benefit from improving their tech-related knowledge.

This allows them to understand developments from the field that are applicable to their needs. Knowing how things work would make them more proficient in using any system that is made for the medical industry, which would in turn ease the burdens during collaborative efforts. Proper use of tech solutions in healthcare would also ensure that lesser gaps would exist in patient care and healthcare delivery. 

4. Find the best solution and not just any solution.

Many companies could present features and give a rough idea of what they can deliver, but decisions need to be made based on more tangible concepts. A well-vouched provider that can ensure long-term support and can address queries with responses specific to the issue could reassure clients that their concerns will have concrete solutions. This is something that Exist Software Labs Inc., in partnership with Tableau, can deliver. From the comprehensive clinical management system and combination hospital information and clinical system, to the integrated AI-powered data analytics module, to other customized IT solutions, Exist Labs can find the solution for you.

Chelsea Patricia L. Lopez, MD is a general practitioner and a business analyst in an IT solutions firm. She graduated from the University of the Philippines College of Medicine and has a keen interest in the marriage of the healthcare and technology sectors. In her spare time, she studies traditional medicine and listens to a wide range of music.

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Do we really need EMRs for Telemedicine? Java, Java Philippines
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Do we really need EMRs for Telemedicine in 2022?
Do we really need EMRs for Telemedicine in 2022? 768 487 Exist Software Labs

EMRs for Telemedicine

With the continuous innovation of technology in the world, the usage of Telemedicine is spreading now more than ever. 

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Telemedicine signifies the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to improve patient outcomes by increasing access to medical information. Moreover, they explained:

“The delivery of health care services, where distance is a critical factor, by all health care professionals using information and communication technologies for the exchange of valid information for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease and injuries, research and evaluation, and for the continuing education of health care providers, all in the interests of advancing the health of individuals and their communities.”  

Globally, the trend for the application of EMRs for Telemedicine since the start of the pandemic has been consistently rising. The risk of contracting COVID 19 when having to go to hospitals for check ups and consultations may be the biggest driver for the increasing application of Telemedicine. 

In the Philippines, one Telemedicine provider reported a 170% increase in the number of teleconsultations, with an 80% resolution rate. Even the Department of Health (DOH) urges the public to opt for a teleconsult when dealing with non-urgent medical needs to prevent overcrowding in hospitals, therefore minimizing the risks of spreading the virus.

However, for EMRs for Telemedicine to be more effective, clinicians will still need access to patient medical information, such as Electronic Medical Records (EMR), in order to give a proper diagnosis. Using EMRs for Telemedicine provides care providers with the necessary information that they should have in order to make an informed decision. Simultaneously, EMR also increases efficiency by reducing redundant tests since patient history is properly disclosed in the patient’s records.

By using a system that’s integrated with EMRs and Telemedicine, hospitals and clinics can practice the use of these features and be able to evaluate, diagnose, consult, and do follow-ups from a distance. 

So why use EMRs for Telemedicine?

1. Coordinated care and better teleconsult

Through EMRs, e-consultations can support a more team-based & holistic approach to patient care. By being able to see the patient’s previous results across different care settings, clinicians are better equipped to make informed decisions, thus ensuring quality patient care outcomes.

2. Minimized duplication of records

With proper handling of EMRs, there will only be 1 record per patient. This becomes a huge help when dealing with patients who are not aware that they already have an existing record. When making an EMR for a patient, the system will automatically detect if the person already has an existing record, saving time for both the hospital and the patient.

3. Automated data entries

If EMRs and Telemedicine are integrated into one system, doctor notes during a consult will automatically be part of the patient’s EMR for future reference. This ensures the accuracy of data entries into the patient’s records.

With all these present, hospitals and clinics should consider having a system that can support the usage of Telemedicine through EMRs. 

Exist Healthcare Solutions

 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.

Learn more about how Exist’s DOH-Accredited Electronic Medical Records, along with a Hospital and Clinic system that carries a Telemedicine module, can help you improve your practice and enhance patient care.

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

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Hospital Information System. Java. Java Philippines.
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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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Java. Java Philippines. Hospital Information System.
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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.

  • 1960s

    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.

  • 1970s

    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.

  • 1980s

    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.

  • 1990s

    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.

  • 2000s

    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):

  • Government policies

  • Cost

  • Organizational objectives

  • Availability of innovation

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.

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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.

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