The way technology has advanced by leaps and bounds has proven to be beneficial to mankind in a lot of different aspects.
One of these is in the area of healthcare. A lot of hospitals and medical practitioners have incorporated technology in their operations by utilizing the services and apps of several healthcare software systems companies, such as patient portal companies, to make their processes more efficient and effective.
What is healthcare software?
A healthcare software, simply put, is any type of software or application that helps improve healthcare services, from limiting hospital medication errors to advancing patient health management. These applications are designed to provide higher quality in caring for patients and make significant improvements in health administration.
We have listed below 10 of the most common software types that are widely used in health institutions and medical industries worldwide:
1. Electronic Health Record (EHR)
Electronic Health Record, or EHR, is a system that collects patient data in digital format — including personal information, medical charts, and medication. This data is stored and made available only to authorized users within a specific platform.
This makes patient care and monitoring easier across different health departments by making their information available in a secure digital platform.
2. Medical Diagnosis
A medical diagnosis software allows specialists to input relevant information about a certain patient with the capacity to exchange information with other specialists in real-time. This enables them to holistically, speedily, and reliably diagnose diseases within a hospital setting.
For instance, a nephrologist could input his specific findings on a patient’s kidneys. Simultaneously, a cardiologist could enter his diagnosis based on the manifestation in the same patient’s cardiovascular system. This system lets specialists collaborate in real-time.
3. Medical Database
This medical software enables specialists, clinicians, and other health professionals to enter a patient’s information onto a secure digital platform, similar to an EHR.
However, in contrast to it, medical database software records a patient’s medical history, procedures, and medications, among others. With this type of software, cases are classified into categories and disease diagnosis.
This system lets physicians and clinicians use previously-recorded cases in coming up with sound clinical decisions.
4. Imaging and Visualization
Science has given us different ways of looking inside our bodies to help pinpoint what’s wrong with our health. CT scan and MRI are examples of such imaging technologies that provide accurate visualizations that help specialists make accurate diagnoses.
Similarly, medical software developers have created different apps that can provide visualizations in preparation for surgeries. These apps let clinicians make real-time evaluations and provide correct diagnoses.
5. Appointment Scheduling
In light of the present health crisis we’re dealing with in COVID-19, hospitals and treatment centers are employing the use of appointment scheduling apps to minimize the risks of getting people infected with the coronavirus and eliminate waiting time.
This system allows patients to book appointments using the app so they no longer need to physically go to the hospital and needlessly expose themselves to diseases.
6. E-prescribing
E-prescribing software isn’t exactly new as this has long been used in a lot of hospitals. Utilizing it increases a hospital’s efficiency in giving patients their medication and minimizing medication errors.
Physicians use this software to communicate directly to pharmacies to ensure patient safety. This has significantly improved workflow, lessened the time involved in correcting errors, and made record filing a lot easier.
7. Hospital Management
This type of software allows hospital administrators to assess and evaluate the staff’s performance and the quality of services rendered to patients. It streamlines hospital operations, improves administration and control, enhances patient care, and maximizes stockholders’ profitability.
8. Medical Equipment Management
Medical equipment management software enables hospitals and health institutions to keep track of their medical devices’ functionality and condition. It helps them determine whether or not certain medical equipment already needs maintenance. This helps reduce the downtime of equipment which increases the hospital or institution’s efficiency.
9. Medical Research
One could say that medical research software serves as a data bank of valuable thoughts, insights, and discoveries in the medical field. It could be established as some sort of storage for medical journals and other literature that can help specialists and clinicians in their work.
They can also use this as a supplement to EHR allowing them to reference different patient files for medical research.
10. Medical Billing
Simply put, a medical billing software helps hospitals keep track of medical billings and transactions. This can be integrated with EHR to help ensure that the patient’s billing records are correlated to his medical records. This prevents fraud and unnecessary procedures and treatments by closely monitoring all of the patient’s medical procedures and transactions.
The healthcare landscape would look completely different now without these important and essential applications. We’re just fortunate that science and technology keep making ways to make taking care of our medical and healthcare needs a lot easier to manage.
Throughout the year, our writers feature fresh, in-depth, and relevant information for our audience of 40,000+ healthcare leaders and professionals. As a healthcare business publication, we cover and cherish our relationship with the entire health care industry including administrators, nurses, physicians, physical therapists, pharmacists, and more. We cover a broad spectrum from hospitals to medical offices to outpatient services to eye surgery centers to university settings. We focus on rehabilitation, nursing homes, home care, hospice as well as men’s health, women’s heath, and pediatrics.
