Enhancing the level and quality of patient care is the primary focus of the medical industry in the 21st century. It’s especially actual today when we stand on the cusp of the new pandemic. What were rumors started becoming diagnosed cases.
Telemedicine was integrated into the healthcare system earlier. However, the quantum leap patient care software products made with COVID-19. The lockdown, and requirements for social distancing gave a boost to telehealth. 2024 Telemedicine Market size is estimated at US $172.44 billion. It is projected to reach US $330.26 billion by 2029 at a CAGR of 13.88%. It reveals great opportunities to those eager to join and transform.
With innovative solutions, patients’ care is enhanced to a new level. Care continuity, streamlining various processes, and patient engagement facilitate it. So, let’s deal with the role of telemedicine in modern healthcare. Yet, let’s start with the major features a modern software solution for patient care should have.
Key Features that Should be in a Patient-Centered Software Application
The complexity and functionality of patient care products are determined by the variety of functions they serve. They facilitate managing interactions between medics and ill people. They also serve the purpose of healthcare teams’ coordination. We can add here the patients’ data storage, systematization, and management. So, technology should become a kind of hub for patient care, medical history storage, treatment plans, and scheduling. Add there also communication and interactions, charting, and billing. Now, let’s decompose it a bit.
Care Continuity
It’s a critical facet of patient care software. All the aspects of medical treatment should be consistent, agreed upon, and coordinated. An ill person may have many doctors: a general practitioner and specialists in different spheres.
It’s vital to keep them all in tune with symptoms, diagnoses, treatments, checkups, test results, and other important data. This can once become a life-saving factor. Increased care continuity was proven to result in lower mortality rates.
Lack of communication between different doctors and medical
departments may become a challenge with this point. However, medical info not shared on time can cause treatment protractions and even fatal errors. When everything is fine-tuned the person does not need to make unnecessary tests, for instance. Results can be shared and visible to all specialists. Medics can prescribe treatments with their colleagues’ recommendations in mind. They should avoid medications that may conflict or cause adverse reactions.
Medical Record Storage, Tracking
This feature is essential for proper and continuous care. Medical records storage is usually realized through electronic health record functionality. EHR becomes one source of patient's personal and medical data. All healthcare providers can use it for tracking, monitoring, and correct prescriptions. Patients should also be able to view the portal.
So, diagnoses, test results, chronic diseases, surgeries, if there were any, records, notes, and updates, should be included in the charting modules. For hassle-free access, make sure your software product makes integration and sharing easy. It’s vital that the development team clearly understands the capabilities and limitations in this aspect.
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Get a Free ConsultationPatient Encounter Features
The character of doctor-patient interaction can be rather flexible. Nowadays they occur in various settings. Lots of people still prefer traditional visits, and inpatient services remain unchanged. Yet, the number of those squinting towards telehealth appointments is constantly growing. They mention convenience, speed, saved time, and concerns about various infections as reasons for choosing telehealth.
So, when using the technology for tracking and managing patient visits you should keep all three options in mind. For traditional visits, think how to accelerate the check-in and streamline initial visits.
For inpatient cases, your patient care management software should support the admission process and data sharing. It facilitates tracking of an individual through hospitalization or surgery procedures. The solution for inpatients should manage bed availability and medication dosage. When it’s time for a person to go home it should provide discharge instructions. EHRs are vital for all kinds of ill people, in more exact terms for doctors and proper care delivery.
Patient Portals
Patient portals have grown in popularity. They are convenient for accessing and sharing information and communication with providers. Over 40% of patients use them to make appointments, visit doctors online, and review their medical records. Patient portals are a useful feature for post-hospitalization treatment. They can ensure proper post-care follow-up appointments with doctors. Correct instructions and direct communication can prevent complications, readmissions, and adverse outcomes.
Privacy, Security, and Compliance
Any healthcare software solution needs to adhere to general and industry-specific regulations. They concern data privacy, security, and compliance. Patient data is a sensitive matter and requires extra protection. The threat of cybersecurity attacks is huge in healthcare and this needs to be considered. So, do your best to make it your focus during a solution for patient care software development.
Data security and compliance may seem to have little to do with enhancing treatments and medical care. This opinion is false. People sure of their data privacy become more engaged and put more trust in the healthcare team they deal with.
To ensure data privacy when transferring between departments enforce Health Level 7. These are standards for data exchange, integration, and sharing between healthcare providers. Technology should be a bridge between medics enabling easy data access and visibility through the care delivery cycle. It should also support communication to keep patients engaged and informed.
Revolutionizing Patient Care Through AI-Powered Platforms
AI revolutionizes the modern world in many ways. In healthcare, it’s about the way of delivering services. AI helps to make processes more secure, accurate, personalized, and efficient. Through AI technology implementation, healthcare professionals can get valuable insights. AI-powered platforms can analyze extensive amounts of data with ML algorithms. It saves time for medics. The doctors can then make more accurate diagnostics and more informed decisions. Specialists get more time to create personalized treatment plans.
So, we can speak about
Better-quality Diagnostics.
AI can analyze data, lab results, and even medical images. It can help detect the slightest changes in the patient’s conditions, patterns, and anomalies. Human practitioners may leave some details unnoticed.
Personalized Treatment Plans.
AI can analyze not only the medical histories of individuals but also their genetic information. As a result, personalized care and rehabilitation plans can be tailored.
Improved Patient Experience.
AI facilitates a better patient experience. It's achieved by relieving doctors of certain routines and administrative tasks. They are automated scheduling, efficient record-keeping, accurate billing, and insurance claims processing. These are time-consuming tasks that can be fully trusted to AI-powered platforms. Artificial Intelligence can streamline all these tasks. It can also, optimize the processes and make them more accurate. Thus, the quality of medical services and care can be enhanced and treatment outcomes improved. While the processes can be optimized the costs can be reduced.
What is the Role of Telemedicine in Patient Care Software?
Behind the term "telehealth" stands a range of solutions. They are video consultation apps, remote monitoring tools, ePrescribing systems, and much more. They emerged to change traditional healthcare service models. They at present connect ill people and medics across distances. The progress in communication technologies, data encryption and transmission makes it seamless. Patients note convenience, improved access to care services, and time and money saving.
The key functions of the telemedicine nowadays are as follows:
Remote patient assessment
Modern EHR systems allow access to patients' data, diagnoses, and health records. So in case of necessity or emergency, a doctor can assess an individual’s condition more correctly.
Chronic illnesses management
Telemedicine allows doctors to observe individuals’ conditions distantly. It's possible through live video and audio, wearables, advanced sensors, and patient updates. It reduces the necessity of frequent in-person consultations. Importantly, it lowers expenses for chronic disease management significantly. Importantly, it helps people suffering from chronic diseases to constantly control their conditions and avoid high risks.
Medicines adherence
With the help of telemedicine, doctors can monitor ePrescriptions compliance. They can control the medication schedules of people under their care and track their progress. Also, it’s possible to set up reminders for individuals to follow the treatment plan in a due way.
Improved radiology practice
A radiologist specializes in illness
Radiology can make the most out of telemedicine. It specializes in diagnosis and treatment prescriptions based on medical imaging. With telehealth technology, it’s easy to get a second opinion even immediately.
Mental health management
The present-day global tense situation has a depressing effect on people's mental health. Telemedicine makes it easier and faster to apply and get the necessary support, consultation, or treatment. Video conferencing can help break the barriers and inner resistance to change.
Challenges Associated with Implementing New Software Solutions for Patient Care
With new technologies adoption come challenges. It’s vital to integrate innovations safely yet effectively, securing data and patients’ privacy. With healthcare, you should be extremely careful and accurate with industry regulations and legal compliance.
Let’s make a quick list of the main challenges you should be aware of. Think about the ways to handle them in advance. When implementing new software products for patient care keep in mind:
Regulatory Compliance.The industry of healthcare is one of the most regulated. Check all the rules governing data security and data handling. Study telehealth services regulations in your region as well as generally accepted.
Information Privacy and Security Aspects.Sensitive patient details should be gathered, stored, transferred, and shared securely. Make it your top concern to protect data from cyber threats and leakage.
Data Quality and Accuracy Requirements.Make sure the wearables, sensors, and remote monitoring devices provide accurate and reliable data. Think of the means and ways to ensure the quality of the data generated.
Technological Infrastructure.To realize remote care, you need stable Internet access and a high-integrity tech infrastructure.
Interoperability.Ensure your patient care technology seamlessly integrates with other apps and technologies utilized.
Integration with Existing Workflows.When integrating new make sure not to disrupt earlier established healthcare workflows. The integration should be smooth and without extra burdens on healthcare providers.
Emergency Situations.Develop emergency protocols for cases when a patient needs to be urgently transferred from remote care to in-person one.
Conclusion
If you are looking for a trusted vendor to create custom patient care software, consult with professionals. Stfalcon has extensive expertise in healthcare product development, which is reflected in our portfolio. We know the specifics of the industry and how to overcome challenges. Data security is our default setup. We are eager to share our expertise in healthcare. We can start from a consultation and turn it into a fruitful long-term cooperation if you wish.
FAQs about patient care software solutions
Can patient care software integrate with other healthcare systems?
Patient care software should integrate with other healthcare systems. It facilitates consistency of the process and the usage of all possibilities.
Is patient care software secure?
Properly developed patient care solutions adhere to all the rules and regulations on data privacy and security. They also meet industry standards. Released in the market it is secure.
What are the costs associated with patient care software?
The cost of patient care software development can vary. It ranges from US $ 15000 for MVP development to an average of US $ 90000-100000 for a full-fledged product. However, AI integration or extra functionality will make the solution more complex. It will consequently increase the development budget. The estimation should be individual, based on your product requirements, features, and expectations.