Digitization is a megatrend of today’s world. Hardly any development is shaping the future of industrial companies, but also of public institutions such as clinics and hospitals, as much as the digital transformation. The term Smart Hospitals refers to hospital concepts that deliberately use digital tools to treat and care for patients more efficiently and with higher quality.
The smart hospital is no longer just a dream of the future. Today, progressive clinics and hospitals are already relying on digitized processes to optimize their diagnostic, treatment and management quality. Innovations such as paperless administration through digital patient records, interfaces and portals for patients with mobile apps, and internal communication systems for hospital staff are ushering in a new era in nursing.
In this article, IDERI gives you an insight into the most important aspects of digitization in hospitals and shows how hospitals are already increasingly successful in relying on digital solutions.
Paperless and interoperable - efficient processes in the Smart Hospital
Digital innovations in the field of clinics and hospitals mean that relevant information is available directly on demand and no longer has to be managed manually. The interoperable optimization of work processes in the Smart Hospital creates more time again for patient care. Hospital staff can therefore once again focus on their core competency, the treatment and care of patients. Safety in hospitals is also decisively increased by smart software solutions.
Smart Hospital - the trend towards cloud-based solutions
In the hospital sector, too, the trend in digital solutions is clearly moving away from in-house servers to practical cloud solutions. More and more clinics and hospitals are doing away with an in-house server room and relying on cloud-based technologies instead of the classic on-prem solution. This is due to the fact that the server room continues to grow in proportion to the number of installed solutions, becoming a gigantic server rack that consumes a lot of resources. Modern cloud solutions, on the other hand, score points with a high degree of flexibility and security, which is why they are ideally suited for the complex digital applications in the field of clinics and hospitals. They are also much more resource-efficient compared to the in-house server.
With the digital patient file for simplified administration
In the analog age, the management of medical data on each patient still involved a great deal of administrative work. A digital patient file not only saves paper, but also significantly simplifies the management of patient data. At the same time, digital management systems improve clarity.
With the help of modern software solutions, it is possible to create digital patient records from all relevant patient data and documents. In this way, it is possible to keep the data together and retrievable at all times – a great advantage for the management of treatment measures. In addition to pure data, MRI images, videos and many other media can also be integrated into the digital patient file.
Good software solutions also have a number of interfaces that enable the integration of documents from other systems. Thanks to an archiving function, the digital patient file can also be accessed over a long period of time during and after treatment, for example, if there are side effects or complications with the treatment.
Information and interaction - digital interfaces for patients
Thanks to digital technologies, patients in a smart hospital can also benefit from simple processes. Special patient portalsand patient apps digitize the entire process, from inpatient admission to length of stay and follow-up. The app not only collects all relevant data of the respective patient in one place, but also simplifies communication with the hospital. Thus, even after treatment, consultation with the hospital as well as the attending physician can be made in case of sudden side effects or unexpected complications.
From contract management to service accounting
Contract management takes up a lot of time in clinics and hospitals. This often involves inefficient management and evaluation of contractual obligations. The points of contact between the individual employees from the various departments of the hospital and the contracts cannot be mapped consistently with conventional systems either. Contract management software helps hospitals put the contract inventory in the clinic or hospital into a clear form and simplify the management of all contracts.
In addition to digital patient files, smart hospitals are also increasingly relying on personnel files that transparently digitize and automate HR processes. From application documents and employment contracts to benefit accounting, the software solution enables internal processes in the area of human resources to run quickly and efficiently. Sick leave and vacation can also be easily managed via the personnel file. The billing of services is carried out simply and conveniently by electronic means. In this way, the time-consuming and cost-intensive dispatch by mail is replaced, so that the resources can be used purposefully in other areas of the hospital.
Patient management and invoice processing made easy
In the Smart Hospital, developments relating to the patient can be documented easily and seamlessly, so that all data is available at any time, from admission to treatment to discharge and beyond. Communication and interaction with patients is also simplified by a centralized system.
Invoice processing in hospitals can also be decisively optimized through digitization. Classically, hospitals are required to manually capture, process and manage incoming invoices, which not only takes an enormous amount of time, but also results in unnecessarily high costs. For example, the sometimes long wait and processing times ensure that clinics and hospitals exceed the profitable cash discount periods of their invoices and thus have to bear unnecessary costs.
Smart Hospitals have a digital system for invoice processing, which makes processes not only more efficient and economical, but also more transparent. This makes it possible to keep track of the current status of incoming invoices at all times, as well as to see with which clerk a particular invoice is currently located and what its current status is.
Digital information systems for internal communication
But it is not only communication between patients and the hospital that is being revolutionized by digital technology; internal communication is also much simpler, more direct and more reliable in the smart hospital. In many cases, especially in emergencies such as a violent assault, a fire incident, or an unexpected medical emergency, it is necessary to make information quickly available to all employees. With software solutions such as the alerting software IDERI note, it is possible to keep a cool head in emergency situations and to inform the entire team simply as well as unambiguously. This is particularly important because the building complexes of clinics and hospitals are generally very extensive and therefore require a special communications infrastructure.
In addition to sending alerts quickly in emergencies, digital tools like IDERI note also improve day-to-day communication within the smart hospital team. In this way, the software solution creates maximum transparency around the clock and connects the staff on the wards with the administration and the volunteers. As a result, hospital employees can not only be kept up to date at all times, but also send valuable feedback and connect with each other in person.
Conclusion: Digitization in the hospital as a great opportunity
It is hard to imagine modern hospitals without digital tools. After all, they simplify the management of patient data, open up new communication channels to patients and also optimize internal processes. This is complemented by smart diagnostic and treatment tools that provide valuable support to doctors and nurses in their work.
Like any other digitization process, the path to the smart hospital also involves certain costs. Likewise, the digital transformation in the hospital will not succeed overnight. However, due to the great benefits of digital innovations in the hospital sector, it is worthwhile for facilities to start digitizing communication as well as administration as early as possible. Only in this way can the scarce resources of the health care system be sustainably and purposefully directed toward the adequate care of patients.
IDERI - digital solutions for the smart hospital
For more than 15 years, IDERI has been supporting clinics and hospitals with holistic software solutions on their way to becoming Smart Hospitals. In doing so, we implement simple, reliable and efficient solutions that optimize hospital workflows and create greater security.
The IDERI note messaging and alerting system enables targeted transmission of relevant messages to the relevant employees. In this way, internal communication is digitized and made more efficient. In emergency situations, such as the outbreak of a fire, a medical emergency, or a violent attack by visitors, for example, IDERI note guarantees that the message is immediately noticed by the desired group of employees.
The smart room air system IDERI care is also part of the digital infrastructure in modern clinics and hospitals. Precise measurements and intelligent desktop notifications make it possible to keep the quality of indoor air for employees and patients at a health-promoting level at all times. This is a great advantage, especially in sensitive premises such as clinics and hospitals.
If you are interested in IDERI’s software solutions for hospital digitization, please feel free to contact our competent team. Thanks to more than 15 years of experience in the field of hospital digitization, we know exactly what matters in the digital hospital of the future. Make an initial consultation appointment and take an important step towards Smart Hospital.
