6 min read
August 25, 2022
Nick Deshais
Sr. Director | Agility
9 Articles
Author's Articles
Nick Deshais
Sr. Director | Agility
9 Articles
Technology
Data
Security
Solutions
Management
Let’s Take a Look At The Healthcare Industry
The healthcare industry is facing a number of important challenges with technology. The more organizations can integrate their systems and data, the better they can provide care to patients. In this blog post, we will look at five major problems in the industry and how to tackle them!
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Data Management and Integration
Data is the lifeblood of healthcare, and it’s being generated at an unprecedented rate. Healthcare organizations are faced with the challenge of managing this data while ensuring it is secure and accurate.
The sheer volume of information being generated can be overwhelming–and that’s just on one side of the equation! On top of this, you have to consider how many different systems exist within each hospital or medical practice (or even at different facilities within a single system). Each system may have its own way of collecting information from patients as well as storing it once collected: in paper forms; on computers; through observation by staff members; via text messages sent from patients’ phones; etcetera.
This makes integrating disparate pieces into one coherent whole complicated enough already…but wait! There’s more! Most hospitals also need access to patient records when they’re away from their base location–which means ensuring security for those records when traveling outside secure networks like those provided by companies such as IBM or Microsoft Azure Cloud Services
Seamless Billing Processes
One of the most common problems in healthcare is billing, which can be a complex process for patients and providers alike. While many hospitals use technology to automate certain aspects of their billing processes, there are still situations where manual intervention is required to ensure accurate payments and avoid errors. This can lead to delays in reimbursement that cause problems for patients who need access to funds quickly or at all.
The best way to solve this problem is through AI-enabled software solutions that can automate much of the work involved with processing bills–and even provide predictive analytics so you know what kinds of costs are likely coming down the line (so you don’t get blindsided).
Telehealth Infrastructure
The need for a robust telehealth infrastructure is a common problem. The ability to access and share information securely, reliably and quickly is essential for the success of any telehealth program.
The network must be flexible enough to handle changes in technology as they occur over time. For example, if you are using an electronic medical record (EMR) system today but plan on switching to another EMR tomorrow, then your current network needs to accommodate both systems at once. It’s also important that your data storage system have enough capacity so that no one has trouble accessing their files when needed–and this includes everyone from doctors all the way down through nurses’ assistants who may need access during emergencies.
Security and Privacy
As technology becomes more and more integral to healthcare, data security and privacy become paramount. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requires healthcare providers to protect patient data from unauthorized use or disclosure. A breach of HIPAA can result in significant fines for organizations that fail to safeguard patient information, so it’s important that you ensure the security of your organization’s electronic records.
There are many ways that hackers can gain access to sensitive information if they aren’t prevented from doing so:
In Conclusion
Healthcare is facing a number of important challenges with integrating technology. These include data management and integration, seamless billing processes, telehealth infrastructure, and security and privacy.
There’s no question that healthcare needs to embrace technology, but it’s important that we do so in a way that improves the quality of care and makes it more accessible for patients. These five issues are just some of the many challenges facing healthcare today.
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