The administrative and paperwork burdens on healthcare practitioners are increasing. Recent survey results revealed that over 80% of doctors feel the current methods for managing and collecting patient data are hampering their ability to provide top-notch healthcare.
Luis da Silva (CEO of Healthbridge) addressed these concerns in a recent interview. He stressed how technology could help doctors recover valuable time that was lost due to manual data processing.
Manual Systems and Their Struggles
Da Silva said that the current system is a burden to doctors. The process of registering a new patient often requires staff to fill out long and cumbersome paper forms that are prone to errors, which require them to enter data again. This inefficiency is further compounded in medical practice management, where the complexity of chronic conditions and the diverse needs of patients lead to even more administrative challenges and mistakes.
The doctors also mentioned that the search for paper records or fragments of electronic records often delays consultations with patients who have been in their care for a long time. Da Silva said that not only do these delays reduce consultation time, but they also lead to an information overload and possible errors.
Reclaiming time for patient care
The Client Lab at Healthbridge has revealed that doctors would rather spend time with patients than on paperwork. Da Silva stated, “Imagine reclaiming the first few minutes of every consultation.” Instead of digging through files, you could focus your attention on building rapport with patients, providing accurate diagnoses and creating personalized treatment plan.
Da Silva emphasized that this goal was crucial to improve both the patient’s care and satisfaction of doctors.
The Benefits of Automating
The lack of integration among systems has led to new challenges. Many doctors have attempted to solve these problems with single-purpose technology solutions. Da Silva explained that when technology does not communicate well across platforms, bottlenecks are created. Inefficient scheduling, for example, can result in no-shows and affect both revenue and patient flow. Patients who wait for prescriptions or referrals may not have timely access to specialists or medications.
Da Silva, however, pointed out that automating the administrative tasks could revolutionize a business. By embracing automation, doctors can focus on the most important thing: patient care.
Investing in Integrated Solutions
Da Silva stressed that investing in fully integrated healthcare systems is the key to streamlining practices. “A unified billing, practice management, and clinical system is beneficial to everyone. The overall health outcomes are improved, patients have a better experience, staff is more efficient, and the patient’s experience is smoother. Automation isn’t just about convenience. It’s also about creating a more profitable, efficient practice.”
The Impact of Automation
Da Silva highlighted several ways that automation can transform an industry:
- Online appointment scheduling allows patients the ability to book appointments 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This reduces phone traffic and manual labour.
- Automatic appointment reminders by text, email or WhatsApp reduce no-shows significantly.
- Digital forms improve patient data accuracy and save time by using digital forms.
- Electronic prescriptions and referrals accelerate critical processes to ensure patients receive the treatment they need.
These automated systems can reduce errors, improve data management and increase patient satisfaction.
The Future of Healthcare
Da Silva concluded his remarks by highlighting the importance of automated and integrated solutions for the future healthcare. Healthbridge is committed to eliminating paperwork and transforming healthcare practices into a future of efficiency. We’re proud that over 7,000 healthcare practitioners have trusted us and we are a leading partner in the transformation.
Automation is the future for healthcare providers who want to improve their practices.
