Healthcare + Workflow Automation = Opportunity
Nowadays, industries are succumbing to technology. Among these technological trends is automation. Automation holds the idea that repetitive tasks can be done without much input from humans. This type of automation is called workflow automation. Workflow automation allows for tasks to be automated while humans spend time on other things.
Now, healthcare is looking into workflow automation, when it comes to health and patient databases. This overview will explore the following:
• The importance of automation
• The benefits, AND
• The cons
Automation Is Tech-Based
“Workflow automation involves using technology to perform repetitive tasks,” says Edgar Combs, a business writer at Essay Roo and Paper Fellows. “This is especially true for healthcare, since the industry is often doing repetitive tasks in its day-to-day operations. Therefore, the use of things like robots and apps in healthcare can be a plus for working on patients, manufacturing prescription medications, and monitoring human health.”
The Benefits?
With that in mind, workflow automation has many benefits for healthcare. Here are just some of the most significant benefits of implementing workflow automation in healthcare:
Reduces Likelihood Of Staff Burnout
Burnout is a constant pet peeve for everyone, including people in the healthcare industry. Too often, healthcare staff are overwhelmed with busy schedules, medical emergencies, ensuring the health and well-being of patients, and so on.
With workflow automation, smaller tasks can be done by machinery and apps, while staff focus on more tedious work. This reduces burnout – and even stress – among staff.
Better Patient Safety
Patient safety should be a healthcare institution’s top priority. However, human errors have jeopardized patient safety in the following ways:
• Prescribing the wrong medication
• Surgical errors
• Inaccurate data, etc.
Workflow automation ensures that data is entered correctly, and that all communications are understood well by both healthcare providers and patients.
More Patient Processing
No patient wants to wait hours on end to be seen. Patients on wait lists create unnecessary bottlenecks in the running of a facility, such as a hospital. This can be detrimental, if a patient requires immediate medical attention.
Workflow automation makes sure that healthcare providers see patients right away without being overwhelmed by wait lists. In addition, automation can separate the non-emergency patients from the quick-admissions. Automation can also handle tedious tasks like:
• Patient discharges
• Patient registration
• Patient billing
• Insurance processing, etc.
Better Resource Planning
Resources are distributed left and right in the healthcare industry. However, such resources need to be effectively used and distributed in a healthcare institution, rather than leave quality and quantity of said resources to chance.
Today, many hospitals have made good use of cloud-based applications to help handle:
• Staff scheduling
• Patient admissions and discharges
• Staff schedule approvals, etc.
Better Communication
Finally, ensuring effective communication is a must. With workflow automation, communication is given and directed to the right places and people. From relaying text messages, to improving voice and video calling, there’s less confusion on who needs to do what, and where to send important messages. The good news is, healthcare facilities can utilize workflow automation platforms that can be compatible with EHRs. No longer are healthcare staff slaves to traditional pagers when they can use their smartphones to effectively communicate with both their fellow staff members and patients.
The Cons?
“One big issue with workflow automation in the healthcare industry is using systems that aren’t fully able to interact with each other,” says Charlie Hart, a technical writer at Boom Essays and State of writing. “Interoperability is essential when it comes to systems and machinery. When systems and machinery are able to work together, then interoperability is successful. However, with hospitals and other medical institutions still holding paper health records, it’ll be a while until every single paper file is digitalized and fed into the machine learning part of automation.”
Conclusion
Ultimately, the use of workflow automation is here to stay in industries like healthcare. Healthcare staff can now take advantage of the flexibility and quickness that workflow automation offers. With repetitive tasks being automated, healthcare staff are then given the freedom to work on more important tasks like giving patients more time and care.
While workflow automation comes with its own setbacks, it can still come with plenty of benefits for both healthcare providers and patients. As is, workflow automation is continuing to make waves in the healthcare industry and showing no signs of stopping. As healthcare continues to evolve, so will workflow automation.
Christina Lee is a writer and editor at Write my admission essay and Essay services. She is also a contributing writer for OX Essays. As a project manager, she oversees many projects in various companies in her hometown in New Jersey. As a content writer, she writes articles about marketing news and tech trends.