Technological advancement cuts through the entire fabric of our existence. Indeed, you are likely reading this blog entry on a device that would have been virtually unimaginable a few years ago. However, there are very few fields with where, technological advancement is as significant as healthcare. The technology evolving in the healthcare world can directly impact our lives — and maybe even save them if we ever get sick or injured.
This technological advancement comes in many forms, including new diagnostic improvements, improved cures, and enhanced back-office operations. However, some trends are more evident than others. As such, let's examine what industry healthcare technology trends are changing.
Virtual Reality
There was probably once a time when you only associated virtual reality with video games. That day has long since come and gone. As the technology behind virtual reality continues to evolve, it has become increasingly apparent that virtual reality can significantly impact the healthcare world.
These changes are occurring across multiple areas in healthcare. Perhaps most important is training: Virtual reality has sharpened to the point that physicians can use it to train on new procedures, simulate specific scenarios, and familiarize themselves with the latest technology. In addition, high-speed internet can be folded into new virtual reality modes and used to create simulated in-person training — even when people live and work in different locations worldwide.
Furthermore, virtual reality is being used increasingly in treatments. For example, virtual reality has the potential to be used in the deployment of psychological therapy, and it can be helpful for the elimination of certain phobias or types of anxiety. Specific apps have also been created that can be used in pain management, allowing patients to simulate particular environments and use relaxation techniques to remove pain.
Artificial Intelligence
The applications of Artificial Intelligence in the healthcare world are almost limitless. For example, artificial intelligence can help identify patient problems, alert healthcare management to potential staff issues, and help to identify problems that healthcare professionals may not be aware of.
Your organization can export data for other uses. For example, you can deploy Artificial Intelligence to identify trends. You can use these trends in countless back-office operations, such as supply ordering and personnel management. Your business can also deploy Artificial Intelligence to produce business insights in numerous key areas. For example, Artificial Intelligence can display real-time information that best suits straightforward human interpretation. This information can allow healthcare practitioners to make better and more insightful decisions.
Wearable Devices
Wearable devices have become particularly popular with patients. Many doctor's offices now understand how to use these devices better to monitor sleep quality, blood glucose levels, heart rate, and countless other vital health metrics. Wearable devices can automatically send patient data to EHRs. When then leveraged with other technological improvements — like properly calibrated Artificial Intelligence — doctors and other healthcare practitioners can be alerted to concerning trends or potential problems with a patient.
Wearable devices can also provide information about healthcare practitioners in busy clinical settings. Wearable devices — along with other mobile devices — can be used to determine the health of a doctor, nurse, or other practitioners. Your healthcare organization can use this data to track the location of a practitioner, monitor steps, and keep track of vital health metrics. In addition, wearable devices have incredible potential to determine the overall well-being of their wearer. The information from these devices is particularly useful for healthcare professionals, a high-stress position in the best times.
Use of Technology to Address Employment Challenges
The employment challenges of the healthcare industry are well-documented. Generally speaking, the industry was struggling with maintaining adequate staffing levels, and this was all before the COVID pandemic. As such, the healthcare industry is working and looking for any advantage it can find. Thankfully, appropriate deployment of technology can assist in their area.
For example, your organization can use technology to monitor the overall satisfaction of employees. With appropriate surveys and evaluations, healthcare organizations can track which employees seem happy and which may be in danger of "burning out" or quitting. In addition, by integrating specific programs with existing HR systems, technology can monitor an employee's happiness and determine when actions you may need to take to remedy employee problems.
It is also worth noting that your business can deploy technology to monitor employee effectiveness and happiness. For example, an ERP can help a healthcare facility monitor an employee's productivity levels and outcomes. Your business can do this manually, or you can do this by creating automated algorithms that can craft reports showing how an employee is doing and when their performance is becoming problematic. For example, if an employee shows less-than-ideal outcomes, it may signify that they need training, assistance, or to be let go. Alternatively, it may indicate that they are overburdened and overstressed, which may give your healthcare facility a chance to recognize a problem.
Improved ERP Financial Software
It may not be as directly impactful to patients' lives as some of the trends mentioned above, but no question that improved ERP financial software can change the face of the healthcare industry.
Consider all of the ways that improved ERP software solution can assist individuals who are involved in healthcare:
Properly deployed and installed ERP financial software can allow information sharing across an entire healthcare network. This information can include billing, contact information, HIPAA-compliant patient information, purchasing, and more.
With the proper training, an accounting ERP can ensure that various departments within a hospital are aware of what the other is doing, thus ensuring better communication and collaboration across the healthcare system.
An accounting ERP solution can deploy business insights and artificial intelligence, thus enabling it to make more impactful insights.
Healthcare-specific ERPs can be created in a manner that is HIPAA-compliant. These systems can not only better protect patient data, but they can do so in a way that may be more robust than traditional setups. After all, when installed correctly, these devices can regulate or prohibit individuals from accessing certain HIPAA-restricted pieces of data.
ERPs can eliminate clunky paper records and ensure that information can be digitized, thus making it easier for individuals to access information.
ERPs can consolidate many functions, including purchasing, accounting, and billing. With this information reduced and automated, different departments of a healthcare system can have an easier exchange of information and enhance their overall efficiency.
Stay on top of Healthcare Trends with Multiview Software
ERP financial software can fundamentally alter the playing field in the healthcare industry. It can incorporate wearable devices, automate supply functions, operate in compliance with HIPAA regulations, and so much more. However, any off-the-shelf product cannot fulfill all of your healthcare organization's needs. To do that, you'll need to work with a product that has years of experience in healthcare, understands how to adhere to HIPAA regulations appropriately, and can pull in sources of data from across multiple networks to create helpful information that you can use across the entire healthcare or hospital network.
At Multiview, we have decades of experience creating healthcare ERPs that can serve many client needs. Contact us today to request a demo and learn more about how we can help your organization thrive with healthcare solutions that we can customize to fit your business model.
