Over the years, automation has made its way into virtually every industry. In the past, automation was typically equated with machines in factories, speeding up the production process along assembly lines. Since then, however, automation has come a long way. Automation in the healthcare industry is saving lives and changing the industry.
Automated systems in healthcare are being used in many settings to ensure improved patient outcomes and enhanced patient experience. Thanks to healthcare technology, consistency and quality of care are improved, there are fewer inaccuracies and human errors, and data-driven insights lead to enhanced innovation.
Here are seven ways automation in healthcare is revolutionizing the industry.
How Healthcare Automation Solutions are Improving the Industry
New technology in the healthcare industry has many benefits. These include improved patient care leading to lives being saved, simplified processes that make navigating the system easier for patients, and enhanced information that allows for cost-effective decision-making.
Here are some of the benefits of automation in healthcare and how they've improved the system:
- Simplified patient appointment scheduling
- Patient scheduling can be a time-consuming task for medical clinics, as staff members must ensure doctors are available, records are up-to-date and any other required information is available. Automated healthcare systems can improve and simplify that process, freeing up medical clinic staff to focus on other vital tasks.
- In addition to appointment scheduling, patients can now check-in through automated healthcare systems, further freeing up staff time, decreasing wait times, and increasing productivity.
- Adaptive staffing
- Not all healthcare settings have to be fully staffed all the time. There are periods of increased patient volumes—when an office or hospital needs everyone available—and slow times, when only a handful of staff members are needed.
- Automation in hospitals and healthcare clinics can help health systems better understand the fluctuations in patient volumes and when more or fewer staff members are needed. This not only enables a smoother patient experience by reducing wait times, but also prevents staff burnout and saves money by only paying for staff when they are truly needed.
- Streamlining discharge procedures
- Often when patients are discharged from a hospital, they're on their own to remember and follow the instructions they've been given. Automation in healthcare enables medical care providers to follow up with their patients and remind them of important guidelines to follow or upcoming appointments and tests.
- Furthermore, patients have an easy way to double-check their instructions without having to call the office and take up staff time, and are able to alert their doctor if they need help.
- Automated patient reminder systems
- Missed appointments are a drain on any healthcare provider. Previously, phone call reminders about upcoming appointments helped ensure patients remembered their appointment—or prompted them to cancel. Medical offices often run into issues with a lack of time to call patients, up-to-date patient information, and efficient ways to reach out to patients.
- Among the benefits of automation in healthcare are patient appointment notifications. Automated notifications are an efficient way to remind patients about their upcoming appointments, ensure information is updated, and encourage patients to easily cancel their appointment if they can no longer make it or need it.
- Data-driven insights
- The use of technology and automation in healthcare allows insight into what is and isn't working in a healthcare practice. For example, if a clinic has a high number of cancellations, staff can analyze data to examine the circumstances surrounding those cancelled appointments and refine the scheduling process if necessary.
- Automated healthcare systems can collect data on how effectively each individual system is working. That data can then be used to improve the system and make it more efficient and accurate, further improving the healthcare team's workload.
- Improved quality and consistency of care
- Automation isn't subject to the same error, fatigue, or other distractions that affect humans. This means it can provide increased consistency and quality of care, reducing the likelihood of a human error with irreversible consequences. Fewer errors not only improve patient experiences, but also improve outcomes.
- Automated patient data management
- Patients often have healthcare issues that require a team of providers and specialists, each working out of different facilities. Healthcare technology allows those providers to share information easily and efficiently with one another, ensuring everyone on the team has access to current and accurate patient information.
Revolutionizing Healthcare with Automation
As more medical care facilities incorporate automated healthcare solutions, patients will become increasingly familiar and comfortable with using automated systems as part of their healthcare experience. Through saving costs, simplifying workflows, and increasing the quality of care, automation in healthcare is revolutionizing the industry.
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This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or an opinion on any issue. It should not be regarded as comprehensive or a substitute for professional advice.