If COVID was a challenging time for us, we proved we were quick to adapt. We saw our basic needs met with the help of technology. Things we would have thought impossible are now the norm. If visiting a doctor was once a task, it is now accessible from the comfort of your home via virtual consultation. Running for the pharmacy could have been difficult, but we saw efficient delivery systems come into place. Relying on technology to help us through the pandemic. But what about in the long run? An integrated healthcare system is a solution here, let’s check how.

The adoption of technology in the healthcare sector has spiked over the last couple of years, thanks to COVID. A 2021 study by Accenture in the United States shows that 26% of people found their access to healthcare has improved since the pandemic.

The Challenges in Healthcare’s Tech Adoption

The quick shift to virtual care during the pandemic saw a great tide of digital adoption in healthcare. But is the tide retreating as the pandemic has subsided? The same Accenture study points out that the shift to virtual care has reduced since life went back to normal despite virtual care’s increasing accessibility.

One of the reasons is the lack of awareness and trust on the part of the healthcare providers and patients.

Another big reason has been the disconnected way of technology adoption among hospitals and healthcare providers. Often their operations are split between legacy systems and other technology platforms, resulting in a fragmented approach. Managing a bunch of systems that are different from each other is not just tedious and time-consuming but also leads to stress and burnout among healthcare providers.

The answer to these problems lies in an integrated healthcare system.

What is Healthcare Integration Software?

Healthcare integration aims to use the available resources to efficiently deliver healthcare services, enable effective communication between different systems of healthcare, and incorporate standardized protocols to ensure its overall smooth functioning. It prioritizes giving the best possible care to the patient, increasing the quality of the overall experience and thus getting better outcomes. It also helps the patient have a smooth transition through the healthcare system. When all of these tasks are aided by technology, it leads to an affordable healthcare system. An integrated healthcare platform combines the functions of several distinctive applications such as online pharmacy, Telemedicine, and Diagnostics lab app to create a holistic and all-inclusive environment. All you need to know more about the future of healthcare service providers click here.

The Need for an Integrated Health Care System

As mentioned earlier, technology has been used on different fronts of the healthcare system. Be it billing, management, EHR, pharmacy, or marketing, there is a large amount of data generated at each front. However, there exists a communication gap between these different fronts. The data is siloed and not put to good use.

The cost of disparate systems thus refers to the shortfalls or risks the industry has to face due to a system of unconnected tools. Data security risks, inefficient workflows, and overly complicated IT management are some of the issues faced today.

With a well-designed integrated healthcare system, these obstacles can be knocked down to bring in true interoperability. Healthcare leaders working with supply chain teams can help cleanse and standardize data to ensure efficient data management. It can also lead to a seamless customer experience and an advantage over competitors. It is safe to say that an integrated healthcare system is no longer a luxury for modern healthcare companies, but a necessity.

Features of a Good healthcare Integration Software

Integrated healthcare systems are based on collaboration and communication. Addressing the needs of patients is at the center, with benefits to the healthcare providers as well. Let us look at some of the defining features you can expect from good healthcare integration software.

Healthcare integration systems require features that enable the functioning of pharmacy, lab, and telemedicine, as well as business expansion. A good healthcare system that is built around customer convenience will have five panels. They are:

  1. Patient Panel
  2. Pharmacy Panel
  3. Doctor Panel
  4. Lab Panel
  5. Super Admin Panel

Let’s look at what features each panel has.

Patient Panel

This is the part of the software that is visible to the patients. The user interface contains the different operations such as:

  1. Search doctors based on the different parameters like specialty and charges before fixing a consultation
  2. Book a video consultation at a convenient time with a doctor of choice
  3. Super fast search without browsing the whole catalog or search via voice command
  4. Return partial or full order according to the requirement and ask for a refund
  5. Search and book lab tests or packages according to the test name or category and book a sample collection from home or an appointment.
  6. Option to book a Home visit or clinic visit with ease and manage appointments.

Pharmacy Panel

The pharmacy wing of the healthcare facility uses this part of the app where they can take care of transactions relating to the pharmacy.

  1. An abandoned cart report lets you follow up on items with added discount
  2. Order return or refund and directly transact the money to the customer
  3. Manage orders by assigning orders to pharmacists and tracking order status
  4. Create multiple sub-admins with restricted access for better management
  5. Simple and clickable banners for higher engagement and click-through rate
  6. Reports and analytics for insights on customer spending patterns, pharmacy performance, product performance, and more

Doctor Panel

This part is the user interface for doctors, where they can carry out day-to-day activities.

  1. Manage profile with details like qualification, specialty, awards, and clinic details
  2. Update availability schedule standard availability time or manually change
  3. Detailed Dashboard with details on appointments, follow-ups, and consultation
  4. Cancel the appointment with reason and the patient will be notified immediately
  5. Create and share medicine order for patient use
  6. Notifications for new appointments, follow-ups, and consultations

Lab Panel

The lab panel is designed for the use of lab admins who head the activities.

  1. Content Management of test fees, lab profiles, test requirements, and services
  2. Manage multiple Labs from a centralized location
  3. Dashboard for a better view of all bookings including scheduled and canceled
  4. Manage packages and modify them to cater to the customer
  5. Reports and analytics with insights on lab performance, customer purchase patterns, and product performance.
  6. Simple and clickable banners to improve click-through rates and engagement.

Super Admin Panel

This is managed by the administrative office of a healthcare system giving them overall visibility and control.

  1. Manage doctors and lab from a single dashboard
  2. Manage lab tests and packages, and combine them according to customer needs
  3. Manage multiple pharmacies for smooth handling of all facilities
  4. Manage products, modify or promote products for better sales
  5. Manage orders, track orders and solve order-related queries
  6. Get a better view at a glance of follow-ups, consultations, history, and other details.

Final Thoughts

Integrated healthcare systems are the most logical way forward for modern medicine. It incorporates the best technology to give the user and customer satisfaction. If you are convinced that your healthcare facility can benefit from using a feature-rich integrated healthcare system, EMed HealthTech is your perfect choice.

At EMed HealthTech, we build custom all-in-one integrated healthcare solutions, which include telemedicine apps, online pharmacy, and diagnostic lab apps along with an array of features tailored to meet your business needs.

If you’re ready to enhance your business with a world-class integrated healthcare platform, get in touch with us for a custom quote today!


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