Welcome Back Paperwork: Digital Support Gap in Healthcare Infrastructure

• Digital Dilemmas: Paperwork Still Prevalent in Indian Healthcare
  

• Challenges of Overwhelming Paperwork

• Nurturing Connectivity: Strengthening Online Healthcare Workflow in India

• Anastomos Suggests: Why Streamlining Digital Healthcare Administrative Procedures is a Game-changer

Digital Dilemmas: Paperwork Still Prevalent in Indian Healthcare

Navigating a mountain of paperwork can be a never-ending story. While India has made strides in digitizing healthcare, it is still largely limited to major cities. On one hand, swanky city hospitals are offering cutting-edge 3D printers and robot surgeries; on the other, the semi-urban/rural dilapidated healthcare facilities are battling a byzantine system to ensure smooth healthcare delivery. The ‘paperwork burden of healthcare records’ is one such dwindling yet prevalent factor.

Paper trails have been the exclusive method of documentation in healthcare since time immemorial. While they offered a reliable source of information, the burgeoning population necessitates faster, more efficient, accessible, and streamlined documentation in patient care. This ordeal of pushing papers has noticeably smoothed out with the advent of digital technology and IT services.

However, there is scope to broaden horizons and add aspects that make documentation in healthcare more authentic, accessible, and easy to retain. Some innovative methods that help the process are EHRs (electronic health records), cloud storage, AI and machine learning, CRM (customer relationship management) software, and blockchain technology to record medical information better. Stay tuned as we discuss the paperwork woes, digital gaps in healthcare, and the probable solution to them.

Challenges of Overwhelming Paperwork in Healthcare

• Regulatory Challenges

Regulatory challenges such as registration, licensing, and administrative inefficiencies can lead to poor patient outcomes.

Imagine the umpteen paperwork generated for a single day OPD count of 100—from patient registration forms, prescriptions, and test reports to billings—handling it all can impede the workflow and functioning of the clinic. On the other hand, licensing applications, documentation, and repeated in-person submissions take away valuable clinical time from physicians, restricting practice.

• How to Store?

Physical records consume space. Storing doctor’s documents or patients’ records can be a logistical challenge. There is a high risk of misplacing and discarding paperwork, which may disregard governmental affairs.

• High Overhead Costs

Upholding paper records requires costly investments in storage facilities, stationery, and personnel to ensure that every step of the process is carried out.

• Complex Accessibility

Locating and retrieving data from a pile of files is time-consuming. This may hamper the quick response of a healthcare facility to a patient in the OPD or emergency. Moreover, such physical records are not available across the globe—resulting in repetitive tests, reports, and clinical examinations every time you visit a physician in a different location.

• Prone to Errors

Errors in physical documentation in healthcare can result in grave consequences. Anything from a simple data entry mistake to a mismatch of results and lost documents can affect patient treatment, cause a lawsuit for the physician, or tamper with insurance applications.

• Data Security and Privacy Concerns

Physical documents can be an easy target for security breaches. Paperwork can neither be remotely monitored nor end-to-end secured, hence posing a threat to patient data confidentiality.

• Increased Administrative Burden

The enormous amount of documentation imposes a significant administrative strain on healthcare providers and organizations. Resources otherwise allocated to patient care, research, and essential healthcare services get diverted to document maintenance, lowering the quality of services.

• Faster Burnout Among Healthcare Professionals

The administrative burden contributes to burnout among healthcare professionals. Long periods of work stress will snowball into poor job satisfaction, higher absenteeism, and poor clinical results.

Nurturing Connectivity: Strengthening Online Healthcare Workflow in India

Fortunately, the future is bright! The past decade has seen healthcare organizations make bold strides to solve complex healthcare administrative issues.

Today’s industry standards demand consistent outcomes in terms of both patient care and business growth. Customers are sophisticated and digitally savvy. Hence, some groundbreaking digital options have helped transform the landscape of documentation in healthcare. 

To name a few:

• EHRs (electronic health records)

In 2021, the Indian digital healthcare market was estimated to be worth INR 524.97 billion. It is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 28.50% from 2022 to 2027, reaching INR 2,528.69 billion. With those stats in mind, you’ll be surprised to see how facilities are making record-breaking investments in digitizing healthcare.

EHRs (electronic health records) are one such revolutionary option. These are digital copies of patients' medical records that allow healthcare providers to electronically store, manage, and communicate patient information. This is indispensable to patient care and coordination, facilitating data-driven decision-making, and increasing the effectiveness of healthcare delivery.

• Cloud storage

Cloud storage provides a scalable platform for storing and accessing data over the Internet. It enables enterprises to reduce on-premises infrastructure while increasing data mobility by providing low-cost data management, backup, and access. The concept of ‘digital twins’ refers to the digitization of patient data, medical histories, and treatment procedures. This procedure attempts to improve patient care, boost diagnostic efforts, and improve treatment planning.

• AI and machine learning

AI technologies can skim vast data sets to extract data, identify trends, and generate analytics. It optimizes customer satisfaction and retention by supporting customer service initiatives and documentation.

• CRM (customer relationship management) software

CRM software organizes and centralizes patient and staff data. It offers a user-friendly, encrypted, and systematic option for managing the legal documentation of healthcare workers' and patients’ records, bills, and insurance claims.

• Blockchain technology

Blockchain is a distributed ledger system that provides safe and transparent data storage. It can be used in business to protect transactions, manage supply chains, and ensure data integrity. It's especially useful in healthcare, where trust and accountability are vital.

Anastomos Suggests: Why Streamlining Digital Healthcare Administrative Procedures is a Game-changer

Anastomos is an online platform for healthcare professionals in their educational, clinical, and professional journeys.

Our all-inclusive, data-driven portal is perhaps the missing piece in your administrative puzzle. We provide a pitstop for everything, including third-party services, legal counsel, and architectural services. If you are burdened with paperwork and difficult management issues, allow us to help you contact the CRM software, HR recruitment, and digital services that are best suited to your business goals. Sign up and create your profile to learn more. Write to us at [email protected] or call us at 9972541134.