Needless to say that no industry is lagging behind significant tech development these days. Healthcare is no exception, as well. Optimization of staff management, the better quality of patient care, and improved service - healthcare industry employs all the needed software to keep up with the times. And why wouldn’t it?
The perks of applying for all the technological advances in one’s industry are endless. The particular benefit is technology having a direct impact on human health and longevity. Healthcare is at the edge of a technological revolution that will bring unexpected opportunities.
In this article, we will cover the top 15 types of healthcare software popular among private and public sectors. We will dwell upon the peculiarities of each program and define its possible benefits in the industry. We will discover how various native and external apps can solve tons of problems. Not only can appropriate software reduce health costs, but it can also provide personalized insights for every patient.
The Top 15 Types of Healthcare Software on Point in 2020
Healthcare Management Software
Management programs aim at optimizing the working process and improving the overall quality of service. Whether it’s an app designed to manage medical equipment or an administrative-like application to assist with financial and organization functions, its goal is to eliminate as many human errors as possible and enhance patient care.
With well-designed software applications and solutions for the healthcare industry, most of the manual processes can be automated, making administrative and management procedures faster and more efficient.
Unfortunately, there is still software that covers a broad spectrum of features, as mostly you’ll come across programs specifically designed to deal with a particular factor like scheduling, billing, analytics, electronic medical records (EMR), etc.
Online communication between patients and doctors is also possible with well-crafted and well-protected applications, securing a safe place for discussing personal details without the risk of these details being exposed.
Healthcare Scheduling Software
There are two distinct types of programs — one dealing with patient schedules, and the other with staff schedules. While the former simplifies the process of getting an appointment with a doctor, the latter maintains health care employee schedules.
Both types of applications are aimed at reducing scheduling friction, detecting any irregularities, and as a result of improving patient care. It exists as a standalone app, as well as it can be added as a feature to a broad-spectrum management app developed for a hospital.
Appointment scheduling minimizes the waiting time of patients, and with a well-designed interface makes this process fast and “painless.” Usually, a patient should register to use the app, and afterward can book an appointment to a particular doctor at a specific date and time. It’s way more convenient than the old lining up and crowding the hall of a hospital.
Healthcare CRM Software
A thoroughly designed CRM focuses on establishing strong relationships between a patient and their practitioners/or a hospital. These interactions are personalized to provide clients with the utmost caring services. What is more, it enables monitoring and assessing the efficiency of professional staff working at the hospital. As more actions are automated with CRM, it improves customer satisfaction significantly.
In addition to this, such software is optimized by marketing and sales specialists, as the key role of individuals using the app is customers. Automated notifications, email marketing, personalization of content, all-round profiles of patients, automated analytics, monitoring various clients’ satisfaction factors - all this is aimed at making patients’ experience as customers better. And that what makes CRM different from electronic health records (EHR) that is primarily concerned with patient treatment and is designed for qualified clinicians only.
Healthcare Billing Software
The best solution to automate manual billing processes and monitor payments from any device within several clicks. Secure payments that improve clients’ satisfaction and centralized medical billing enable access to a single database for various providers in various locations.
Such software usually offers a broad spectrum of analytical data that helps monitor financial health and provides excellent insights into possible revenue opportunities. What is more, with such a single-base program, less manual mistakes will take place that often occurs by copying-and-pasting data between systems.
When several practices are growing to become large organizations, such software is the number one priority for a business to keep profitable and successful. All in this type of program helps to make transactions more transparent and prevent any frauds.
Healthcare Claims Processing Software
Managing healthcare and insurance claims is more efficient with a well-executed program. As many manual processes are automated, the overall analysis and evaluation of applications are faster and more quality. It’s easier to detect fraudulent claims, keep all the data organized in one centralized system.
Healthcare Management Software
Consequently, while the whole procedure is optimized, customers’ satisfaction is boosted as well. The program enables a practice to assess the complexity of a particular claim and the risks and likelihood of litigation. At the time, users enjoy the simplicity and convenience to leave a request with such a program.
All the data is integrated successfully no matter the formatting (whether it’s PDF, images, flat files, etc.) Finally, robust software enables users to proceed with claims via any desirable channel, including email, contact center, website, or even phone applications. A practice may acquire such a program as an independent tool or a wide spectrum software feature.
Healthcare Analytics Software
“Data is the new oil.” The quotation has become so common that no one is no longer surprised by hearing that. Any field can genuinely benefit from acquiring tons of data and analyzing it significantly to improve service quality and future revenues.
In brief, such software will collect all the data a healthcare organization deals with every day and will provide significant insights regarding patient care, management, billing procedures, scheduling, etc.
Suppose such a program is integrated with EHRs. In that case, it opens a unique opportunity of quality predictive and prescriptive analytics for every patient individually and the whole database of patients.
On a global scale, such software can help predict epidemics and pandemics' outbreaks thanks to the data collected. That is to say, and practice can benefit from employing the following tool.
Healthcare Accounting Software
Another useful tool to optimize the working process is by eliminating the number of manual errors and monitoring accounting operations more efficiently.
Moreover, a single program can significantly reduce staffing costs and follow all the processes more accurately. Big organizations will enjoy a shared chart of accounts and real-time access to any metrics. This saves time, keeping the expenses, and monitoring the revenues. Such software makes it easier to see the bigger picture of a financial situation any time you need it.
Most importantly, with a tool like this, you can examine the current state of affairs at your practice or health organization on the go, whenever and wherever you need. Managing accounts doesn't cause headaches all the time, and when it does, it's probably because a practice has no software required.
Electronic Health Record (EHR) Software
Keeping patients' records can be optimized with such a tool. It's no longer about the medical record, just going digital and being stored online. The latest programs enable a more meaningful and efficient connection between a patient and a practitioner.
There is a number of features: starting with patient cards organized chronologically to customizable templates specifically designed for the needs of practitioners. All the needed patients' info, medical charts, and procedures details are all stored in digital format and can be easily accessed by practitioners of a healthcare organization.
The fundamental goal of such a tool is to secure the safe storage of patients' medical data from various departments within one protected system. So, it speeds up the workflow of EHR and empowers the practice to offer better medical services to its patients.
Medical Diagnosis Software
This particular type probably holds the most potential to offer healthcare. AI technology is developing truly fast and has already started to revolutionize the field of medical care. From a helping feature to accelerate the process of diagnosis to an independent tool to detect a health risk earlier than the practitioners themselves - that's the future AI holds.
In times of COVID-19, there's already an AI tool specifically designed to help doctors to detect the suspicious symptoms and come up with the correct diagnosis. With such a program, the exchange of info among various departments is faster, and more quality.
As practitioners from different fields add data to a patient's card in real-time, it's easier to see the bigger picture. That adds AI to such a tool, and it will examine and offer a possible diagnosis straightaway.
Imaging and Visualization
'Artificial intelligence will not replace radiologists … but radiologists who use AI will replace radiologists who don't.' The same thing can be said about the practices employing and not employing the opportunities for imaging and visualization tools. CT scanning and MRI took health treatment to a new level, and so medical imaging will.
Such programs will empower practitioners to monitor various body systems in a real-time visual representation. Surgery is the first field to benefit from such a tool, as it helps doctors to conduct safer and more accurate procedures.
Now, add machine learning, deep learning, and/or AI so that such software will significantly enhance doctors' expertise. No matter how hard a human may try, a machine can examine more info faster, and with a broader number of outlooks.
Medical Database Software
This tool is quite similar to EHR, as it also collects and stores patients' data like medical records, procedures, medications etc. However, this software classifies cases in accordance with disease diagnosis.
While the EHR is more focused on each patient individually, a database will provide a bigger outlook, as its main concern is overall stored information. The medical data is usually managed via Cloud storage so that it’s easy to access it anytime and any place. With a carefully stored info about previous cases, practitioners are empowered with unique opportunities to make more accurate and faster clinical decisions (that is vital in terms of healthcare).
Generally, such a tool is easy to navigate and customized according to the specific needs of a practice. Customized templates and features improve the quality of service and as a result patients’ care.
E-prescribing Software
Yet another tool to significantly lower the risks of manual errors and misunderstandings. With such a program, a practitioner can directly connect with pharmacies for prescriptions.
In other words, no need to decipher the handwriting of your doctor, as the pharmacy will already get all the needed info about the treatment you need and medications required. That is to say, it speeds up the process of receiving the medication, as well as improves the safety of a patient by eliminating medication errors.
What is more, with such a tool, all the prescribed medicine is instantly recorded in electronic patients' cards. That is why in case a new doctor will take charge, they will have the info about the whole treatment process of a patient.
Medical Research Software
Such programs work both ways. On the one hand, digital platforms offer accurate and important research literature reviews for practitioners to examine and apply in treating a patient.
On the other hand, when treating a patient, a doctor may reference patient files that, in turn, will help with medical research. As a huge healthcare organization, one can benefit from having a large portal where all the results are stored and can be accessed by different researchers from different fields.
Such healthcare software development helps to increase the speed of new discoveries and outbreaks in the field of medicine. With the opportunities to use the latest tools and provide an in-depth analysis of the findings with the help of machine learning or AI, it’s much easier to reach the edge of a new breakthrough.
Telemedicine Software
Needless to say that telemedicine has never been reaching its potential as much as it's in 2020 due to COVID-19 outbreak, and everything is going online. More and more patients are eager to receive consultations without going to the doctor's office.
This tool is what makes medical treatment online possible, accessible, and effective. It won't enable a practitioner to carry out surgery online, but updating medication prescriptions, and monitoring patients with existing conditions is not only possible, but it's also easy and convenient.
To bring the best out of it, this tool is often used to feature a wider spectrum of software, including EHR, electronic medication prescription and billing (so that payments are also carried online with no sweat). However, it can be designed as a standalone program as well to meet the specific needs of a practice.
Personal Health Record Software
This particular tool will store all the medical records of family members. Patients enjoy having all the health issues being organized in one easy-to-use interface. It can just serve as an optimization tool that provides access to the needed data on any device so that patients can easily monitor this info.
Combining some analytical features and notifications can inform a patient's practitioner about their health situation or notify a patient about the upcoming regular procedures. In other words, with all the personal records stored, such a tool can serve as a wellness program that helps patients keep track of their health problems and lead a more sound lifestyle. Personalized wellness strategies, keeping all the documents in one place, and notifying practitioners about unexpected emergencies - it's all possible with such a tool.
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