With the seamless integration of automated processes using advanced systems specifically designed to streamline healthcare management, it is getting much simpler and more comfortable to bring doctors, nurses, patients, and other hospital staff closer, along with all the information and assets anytime and anywhere. Thanks to the recently advanced and more efficient hospital software systems.
As you know, today, every investment and effort is driven by customer experience, insights, and feedback. One aspect to note here is the kind of challenges that customers face with a specific brand. So, the race is on to engage with them and close the gap. The healthcare industry is not spared, either.
Fortunately, today’s technological advancements are enabling patients to access the most cutting-edge medical facilities and healthcare providers to deliver exceptional services to patients.
Hospital management software systems can help hospitals achieve unprecedented efficiency. However, these systems won’t be realized without first understanding the features and functions essential for a Hospital management software solution.
The following sections of this article will help you understand the top features to look for in Hospital Management Software that can interconnect various aspects of hospital administration and patient care.
Top Features to Look for In a Hospital Management Software Solution
APPOINTMENT SCHEDULING
The primary step of patient onboarding starts with hassle-free appointments. This feature helps you to book appointments literally from anywhere, cutting down on time and emergencies. What more? It also allows the availability of doctors, radiologists, and patients to be on the same page and fix appointments accordingly. This should be open for both online and offline modes, along with quick updates on the schedule status.
PATIENT REGISTRATION PROCESS
This section allows you to seek important information about the patient information chart and the available time slots of your most preferred doctor. After that, one can mark the timeslot for easy appointments. A few biometrics of patient information, like name, age, address, blood group, etc., are stored for further use and reference.
INPATIENT MANAGEMENT
Inpatient boarding
This feature manages the patient boarding details in addition to the patient demography, such as admission details, room, consultants, surgeon, diet preference, etc. So, each time a new patient is on board, they are provided with a unique admission number. Now, bed transfers and bed management have been made simpler. The user can check through the allotments and, based on the budget, book their bed.
At the end of the treatment, this becomes a one-stop platform for discharge summaries, the reason for discharge, and different consent forms or medical reports used during the treatment.
Inpatient billing
All the daily services, like room rent, operations, delivery, and consulting to nursing, are taken care of. The feature also contributes to preparing all the MIS reports. In case of a payment overdue cycle, it would send automated alerts. Last but not least, this feature allows patients to directly share the entire billing claim with their insurance provider, thereby reducing time and resources.
ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORD/ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD
Consultation Management
Consultation management feature is very much essential, and one of the key functions of a hospital management software system. If a patient is looking to block a doctor’s date, then this is possible with the consultation management feature with just a click! From viral fever to chest inflammation, this feature can guide users with a list of doctors and a wide array of specialists like ophthalmologists, General physicians, neurologists, dentists, urologists, and so on.
Report Amalgamator
Manage and update your lab test reports here. Not only this, but you get a customized alert on your report completion. You can also manage your lab workflow here. This feature allows you to preserve your reports for further consultation and retain them in your medical history. It helps you to streamline accurate reporting.
Managing Imaging and Diagnostics
Digital Imaging has simplified organ diagnosis procedures. This technology improves the understanding of radiology and oncology reports. Using the patient code, one can auto-sign into this feature and check the report status. With this feature, every process becomes easy, from taking appointments for diagnosis to the reports.
Vitals Tracking
As the name implies, this feature prioritizes vital management and security. Now, sample collection, lab accessioning, and lab workflow are accessible with one click.
Action Plan Management
This feature is useful for maintaining a detailed plan for all treatment goals. This solution facilitates everyone at the operating level's preparation and implementation of a related action plan. Doctors, staff, and patients are automatically alerted before and after every move regarding the action plan.
Case Management
This is the feature to look for when opening a fresh case to investigate. Users can initiate a case and track its progress until its execution. The feature contributes to better healthcare delivery and hospital-patient transparency.
EMERGENCY PRACTICE ENGAGEMENT
Emergency represents one of the most important aspects of the Healthcare Industry. This feature is focused exclusively on delivering emergency medical practices. Practice engagement isthe most vital part of this emergency relationship. A structured Practice Engagement is essential in order for practices to remain viable. This feature acts as a single point of contact to help connect and gather the best support that suits your needs.
Patient Portal
Engaging your patients through an online white-labeled patient platform allows you to gain quick access to their reports, pending check-ups, and appointments. But what happens when you need to share feedback with your fellow mates? Well, this portal takes care of that, too! You can easily share your feedback and access and share information within the group through this feature.
Programmed Alerts
If you can set your wake-up alarm, then why not wake up for your health check-ups? This alert system helps you trigger pre-decided reminders for better disease management.
CLAIMS MANAGEMENT
Claims management is one of the critical services, and it requires a flexible solution to handle the entire process. Many hospital management software have these days, including the claims management module too. The feature automatically routes the entire document to the concerned claims manager or the organization. With utmost speed and accuracy, the module allows anyone to carry out the claims, thereby reducing time and error.
PATIENT MANAGEMENT (OUTFLOW)
This is a portal that takes care of everything right from the medical, administrative, and clinical process that happens on a day-to-day basis. Patients moving out of the hospital, when they are discharged, go through multiple procedures. A systemic approach will automatically take care of your injuries, medicines, and other diagnostics in no time. This is a one-stop solution for basic challenges faced by any patient on a day-to-day basis. In addition to this, the patient is notified consistently on all payments that are due, and even about their next visits, etc.
PATIENT RECORD MANAGEMENT
A Patient record is primary for any patient’s health care. Better and faster access to data, faster retrieval, and high-quality data management can enhance healthcare delivery. This module can manage all your medical reports and lab tests for your future reference. The data is saved securely and is accessible via passcodes allotted to each patient and hospital management staff. Data analysis can also be performed on any of the fields by giving the patient number/ID and/or bed days.
HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Physician/Nurse Management
Managing your nurse and doctors has never been this easy. The module can help you understand the availability of physicians and nurses. Based on the listing, one can easily book an appointment or schedule a meeting with the concerned person.
Lab Management
Transparency in terms of pathology management was a farfetched process unless technology dropped in to save us! This integrated Lab Management module records and analyses all your pathological requirements. So, whatever has been performed or is yet to be performed goes through this portal. This platform records medical, commercial, and special laboratory activities under check. Both inpatients and outpatients can easily use and generate billing directly from this portal. If you are not sure about the report’s authenticity, then don’t forget to check out the list of authorized personnel updated on this portal, responsible for checking the reports.
Moreover, lab reports are entirely secure and are only shared via a patient portal, enabling a paperless solution. However, this system notices you when the results are available so that you do not miss out on your emergency!
Radiology Management
The internal system is integrated to ensure radiologists are booked automatically when a doctor refers you to book your radiologist's appointment. Centralized reporting tools are available for CT scans, ultrasounds, X-rays, and PACS and are compatible with all other radiological imaging technologies, bringing the best result. Again, authorized persons are appointed to authenticate the reports.
PHARMACY
Pharmacy Management
The digital version of the physical pharmacy can be managed through this platform. Additionally, this can be linked to the main billing as the patient collects their medicines, so would their charges be automatically updated on the same. This module also helps oversee drug distribution and stock management. But, how do you manage when an external doctor refers a medicine for you? Scenarios like this are taken care of simply as you can share your prescription from the consulting doctor and send the dispensing units to the concerned patient without any manual intervention.
Store Management
Well, this is something that is indirectly responsible for the delivery of your medicines. This portal takes care of the shipment of medicines from the distributors and Pharmaceutical companies and also keeps count of the stock and reorder levels. This feature is designed to even send alerts before and after the completion of stock arrival.
ELECTRONIC MEDICAL
Drug Reference Data Base
This feature is very helpful to both medical health professionals and consumers. Drug information, including adverse reactions (if any), brand names, combinations, dosing, FDA approvals, alerts, etc., is easily available with just a click through this feature.
Drug Reference Data Base is one of the primary databases that helps a medical consultant/doctor monitor your medicines. If a patient is unable to find a specific dose prescribed by the doctor, this feature will take your order through its portal. Moreover, you will be notified when the medicine is restocked.
Prescription cancellation
There are times when doctors cancel your old prescription and ask you to take a new one due to multiple reasons. To cancel your existing prescription, a doctor or the administrator in charge can use this feature.
Prescription renewals
At times, while you are admitted, you wish to renew any of the old prescriptions or renew the current one; this is your go-to portal.
Certification
Complicated or not, successful or not, treatments are always supposed to be certified for future reference. Although the patient would automatically generate the treatment certification through the patient reference number at the end of the treatment for a paperless process, multiple patient requirements deserve a hard copy. Generate your certificate easily through this feature.
Conclusion
As technologies evolve, healthcare providers must work hard to give patients a better experience by making every process smooth and accessible. Good Hospital Management Software is capable of building a connected experience by addressing a wide range of business problems related to hospitals.
Ensure that whatever Hospital management software solution you choose has the above-mentioned features.
If you are running a small healthcare setup, then you can initially test with Free and Open Source Hospital Management Software solutions.
HMS365Cloud, eHospital Systems, Practo, and Promed are some of the best commercial software solutions available in the market. OpenClinicGA, OpenMRS, and Open Hospital are some of the best free and open-source Hospital management software solutions.
