In the healthcare sector, medical personnel are constantly confronted with new challenges under high time pressure. Patients are the first priority. They need to be advised on the right treatment based on the recorded data, while at the same time being offered maximum comfort and reassurance. In some cases, the smallest details can make the difference between life and death, and efficiency must be optimized in every respect. Why the implementation of Intelligent Data Capture (IDC; automated data entry) in healthcare is therefore more than welcome, you can read in this article.
Despite their enormous complexity, healthcare providers are constantly challenged to do more with less. In an extremely cost-intensive industry such as healthcare, it makes sense to focus on process optimization in order to provide relief to the often already scarce medical staff where this is only possible. This requires an overall solution that provides support right from the start of each process. For physical or digital documents, this means where they arrive and the data is captured. The image of medical personnel holding a clip board in their hands at the patient’s bed is probably still in most people’s minds. Information about the patient is captured manually, the data is entered into a system and added to any existing information about the patient. Based on all this data, problems must be anticipated and the right treatment recommended. It is obvious that this administrative process takes a long time because of manual data entry and processing, and is counterproductive because it does not happen in real-time and unnecessarily takes up the capacity of specialist staff. In contrast to other industries, where employees fear for their jobs due to digitalization and automation (usually without justification), the opposite is true for most of the healthcare sector. Every little relief in the stressful workday is welcomed with open arms. Intelligent Data Capture not only provides administrative relief for medical staff, but also offers numerous other advantages.
More safety and accuracy
Mistakes due to human error happen everywhere and again and again. The consequences can be enormously high, especially in the healthcare sector. With data capture software, which, let’s not fool ourselves, can also make mistakes, manual and error-prone work is reduced to a minimum and process accuracy is increased. The necessary security of the captured data, as well as the sensitive diagnostic information, is always guaranteed.
Basis for more comprehensive process transformation
The first step on the road to solid automation has been taken with Intelligent Data Capture software, but further steps are needed for end-to-end automation. After all, it only becomes particularly valuable for medical personnel when newly captured data can be linked to existing data, for example in a patient file. It is therefore advisable to combine further subcomponents into a complete system in order to process the data that has been converted simply and cost-effectively. For example, laboratory test results, previous treatments and other specific identification data can be efficiently compared and the best possible decisions for patients can be made in real-time and on the basis of all relevant data.
More time for patients thanks to automation
The concern that automation of processes that were previously carried out manually will lead to the loss of the core of the healthcare system, which is focused on people, is not only largely unfounded, but rather the opposite is the case. Automation and the real-time data allows medical staff to maintain a closer relationship with their patients and to take care of the work that corresponds to their qualifications.
Data for clinical studies
Automated data capturing is of crucial importance, not only because it makes everyday medical practice life easier and increases efficiency thanks to process optimization. By extracting data via software and making patient data anonymous, it can also be used as a basis for clinical studies. In the future, this will help medical staff to identify clinical pictures and, based on this, make better treatment decisions, which in turn will benefit patients’ well-being.
For the healthcare sector, an Intelligent Data Capture system implementation offers a path to increased operational excellence, more capacity for interpersonal interactions and many other benefits.
