Like every modern company, medical service providers are faced with the task of making their organization – as well as all internal processes – efficient and cost-effective at all times. In healthcare, however, these challenges are tied to strict requirements. The quality of patient care must always be optimally guaranteed and – if possible – even improved. Thus, automation offers a solution to this.
So, here are some of the main reasons why automation is essential than ever in healthcare industries.
Improves patient care
Hospitals are a business model in which the service provided is the maintenance of human health, directly interfering in people’s lives. In all business models, the customer is the most important. But in this case, the client is the patient who needs more comprehensive care and attention.
In smart hospitals, from the reception of the patient, through medical/surgical procedures to complete recovery, all activities are composed of more efficient and less debilitating techniques. And this is only possible because of the safe instrumentation and machinery equipped with technology and quality. Hospital automation avoids problems such as failure of medical / hospital equipment and patient identification, improving the quality of diagnoses and exams, and increasing the quality and safety of care.
Besides, the chance of medical failure also decreases, as the procedures become standardized. Thus, it is possible to provide a more accurate service with fewer adverse consequences.
Paperless Activities
This is a new term that is here to stay and means “out of paper”. Nowadays, through the internet, it is possible to access important information from anywhere. This speed is very beneficial for the hospital context since they deal with people’s lives.
A good example of this concept of not using papers is the sharing of documents in the cloud, which can speed up the care of several patients and avoid long lines in hospitals. Health institutions generate considerable volumes of reports, referrals, and reports. Handling this amount of paper produces administrative, logistical, and financial costs.
Hospital automation is a facilitator because it enables the standardization, cataloging, and digital signature of the most frequently used documents. This is a trend that promotes the scalability of the most critical business processes.
Minimizing rework
The main characteristic of several outdated processes is the time it takes to complete them because of repetitive work or reworks. Hospital automation has as main objective the optimization of processes, that is, to eliminate methods that cause edit. Thus, throughout the hospital, there are mechanical processes that can be automated, that is, processes that can be performed by a system.
For example, the confirmation of medical appointments schedules has become so easy today. There are automated systems on the market that send requests for confirmation to patients, all electronically and significantly reducing the phone calls process for this process. With this type of automation, you and your team can be directed to activities that truly enrich the patient’s experience and add value to him.
Patient nutrition
One of the most necessary functions of a hospital is related to the nutrition of its patients, essential for them to be able to recover well. So, you have to be very careful with your diet. Through automation, it is possible to establish control over how meals are being administered. This involves checking whether they are being given at the correct times, for example, whether they meet nutritional requirements – taking into account the calories the patient should be eating – or even other aspects, such as possible allergies and intolerances.
Conclusion
These were some of the advantages when it comes to hospital automation. Understanding also about Design Thinking is an interesting strategy for a good mapping of your hospital’s processes according to the best practices of RPA.