Who would have ever thought that a virus could bring the entire world to a standstill?

Yet, here we are!

Amongst the various sectors affected by the pandemic, healthcare has taken quite a hit. Clinics and hospitals are under-resourced and short-staffed as they battle against the rising number of cases. At the same time, those with chronic conditions that generally require regular home check-ups are confined to the safety of their homes.

 Fortunately, technology is carrying the healthcare industry on its back. Digital healthcare is offering solutions to a gamut of healthcare challenges. Resultantly, the digitisation of clinics has been critical in maintaining continuity and safeguarding public health. 

Why is Digitisation a Must for Clinics?

Digitisation of the healthcare industry grants the following advantages:

• Greater accessibility and availability of healthcare.
• Optimum use of available resources.
• Availability of medical records and history to both doctors and patient.
• Automation of the administrative tasks.
• Quicker online consultations and diagnosis using chatbots.
• Real-time health inputs and remote patient monitoring with integrated medical devices.
• Centralised operations and management.

Use Cases of Integrated Digital Healthcare Solutions

Now that it is clear that digitisation impacts clinics, hospitals, and other healthcare organisations positively, here are some ways to implement and incorporate telemedicine:

On-Demand Online Consultation

Online consultation through telemedicine is, hands down, one of the most common use cases in digital healthcare. The proliferation of remote technologies, such as video conferencing and instant messaging, has brought your physicians to your home. Clinics can make use of flow-dependent chatbots that can carry out preliminary diagnosis before connecting the patient with an appropriate doctor. The patients get instant access to prescriptions, which may be augmented with third-party medical suppliers.

Thus, the patient enjoys end-to-end healthcare services.

Asset and Resource Management

Digitisation of clinics improves the operational efficiency of the institution by tracking the inventory, staff members, equipment, and patients. Thus, it helps in optimum resource tracking, planning, and management. Now, clinics no longer have to rely on conducting physical audits or paging employees during emergencies.

Remote Patient Monitoring and Care

In cases where home check-up is not possible, wearable integrated medical devices such as Cardiotrack can capture patient vitals and communicate these to a healthcare centre. This system is particularly useful for patients suffering from chronic diseases. During a regular telemedicine consultation, healthcare professionals can pull up details from integrated medical devices to monitor their health for a given period.

Any anomalous reading could also raise a real-time SOS alarm to the emergency services, which can orchestrate or carry out an at-home check-up. 

Health Insurance Claim Settlement

One of the most unappreciated aspects of digital healthcare is its ability to pair with digital health insurance. With all medical records available in the digital format, health insurance agencies can make use of automation to implement a data-driven flow. Thus, admitting and settling claims, whether it is for an individual or against corporate health insurance plans, becomes more streamlined. As a result, claim settlement becomes a painless process with the quick and easy disbursal of funds directly into the beneficiary’s account!

The Way Ahead

Digital Healthcare is the future, and there is no denying this fact.

Even after we put the pandemic behind us, the sheer convenience of remotely accessing top-notch healthcare will dominate the industry. Hence, now is a good time as any to incorporate technology in all operations.