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Operational processes in a healthcare institution are time-sensitive, dynamic and unpredictable. The interruption of a process can have enormous consequences for patient care.

AfyaServe, a new generation hospital management system aims to streamline healthcare center processes in Africa by offering advanced technology at affordable prices.

With this in mind, AfyaServe enables a seamless HMS deployment, with ongoing support at every stage of the deployment.

The implementation of the hospital management system is done in phases to ensure a smooth transition from the existing system.

Our responsive HMS facilitates system integration with accuracy and speed, which are essential to healthcare practices. The risk of critical data loss is eliminated by continuously backing up data at every implementation stage.

The healthcare consulting sector has witnessed widespread growth in recent years. Increased access to health coverage across the country has led to more demand for services, resulting in new challenges for healthcare providers. 

Healthcare consulting helps organizations navigate the common challenges facing the industry. 

THE IMPORTANCE OF HEALTHCARE CONSULTING FOR PROVIDERS

There are several major factors

The Affordable Care Act has expanded coverage     to previously uninsured individuals, increasing patient levels

New technologies have emerged that can     streamline health services, but must be implemented correctly

Providers are dealing with more complex and a     higher number of managed care contracts

The process of managing a practice has become     more difficult, with an increased need to focus on business growth to     remain competitive

Costs of services have skyrocketed, making it     more difficult to manage revenue cycles

Patient needs are shifting, with people     expecting more from their healthcare coverage

 Consulting firms are uniquely capable of assisting healthcare providers to meet these new challenges and adapt to shifts in the sector. 

HEALTHCARE CONSULTING: IMMEDIATE EFFECTS FOR YOUR PRACTICE

If you are interested in contracting a consulting firm to assist your practice and meet the challenges ahead, it is important to understand the immediate effects that healthcare consulting can have on performance.

There are four important effects that are worth noting:

1.     Increased efficiency

2.     Enhanced profits

3.     A more structured organization

4.     Value extraction

1. Increased Efficiency

Most healthcare providers, big and small, do not have the resources to manage and negotiate their payor contracts efficiently. Staff is either under-qualified or over-worked and cannot effectively complete these tasks. 

A healthcare consultancy can come in and immediately revamp your contract management and payor relationship processes. 

Review each contract currently under     management

Identify the best contracts that are missing     from a practice

Ensure that payors permit access to a given     network

Standardize contracts so they are easy to     manage once projects are complete

2. Enhanced Profits

It’s simple—better contracts equal enhanced profits. Hiring a healthcare consulting firm will mean deeper access to networks that may have hard to reach with your current practice.

1.     Build a strategy to increase profits with your team

2.     Coordinate directly with payors on contract negotiations and improvements

3.     Communicate progress on contract management consistently to stimulate an open learning environment

4.     Sign better contracts to increase patient levels and immediately impact profits

  3. Structured Organization

More efficiency plus increased profits results in a structured organization for years to come. Consultants are experts at building organizational competencies and cohesion. 

  Increased role understanding among staff

Better informed employees will be equipped to     handle business challenges

Less overlap between team members and enhanced     ability to perform day-to-day tasks

 4. Value Extraction

The cost of hiring a direct employee to oversee these activities is steep. Consulting firms allow providers to immediately extract value from their services through employee cost savings. 

Realize ROE early by providing a clear     strategy for profit maximization

Limited costs for services and no requirement     to pay benefits 

Minimal administrative tasks as everything is     handled by the consulting firm

With AfyaServe, enjoy customized HMS Consulting services that focus on identifying and streamlining bottlenecks in your hospital facility management.

Every health center has different patient volumes and team sizes and we understand that your service needs and operational concerns are unique. We combine our management services expertise and cutting-edge technology to offer the HMS package that best fits your need.

Some health centers may require only certain modules of our HMS, while some require the entire gamut of hospital facility management services. Our solutions are flexible to make available individual modules or the comprehensive kit based on your facility needs.

Electronic medical record has the most advanced features to help people. Today, a patient's health information can be accessed in fractions of a minute and patient care is coordinated with leading hospital physicians and medical experts. The global pandemic gave humanity a glimpse of how the future world of medicine became involved with more technological tools operated by normal people without any specialization.

 Electronic medical records (EMR) are a repository of patient health data. In a nutshell, it's the transfer of paper patient data to a more organized and retrievable form in the cloud. The electronic medical record software does not stand alone, but is an integral part of the Hospital Management System software - HMS. For example, the implementation of the electronic medical record results in the integration of patient data with other systems of a health center.

For large hospitals, the implementation of electronic health records means that patient data can be made available across departments for better communication and faster patient care. Electronic medical record software allows you to enter certain set categories or field values such as gender, weight, height, body mass index (BMI), etc.

The health system of small and medium-sized hospitals was adapted using this strengthening alliance to provide better care to each individual by knowing their complete medication history. Hospital-verified EHRs are regularly updated with the latest lab results and suggested medications. The manual work of archiving and storing medical data is made so easy in the Electronic Medical Record, and the automated processes help an organization perform special analysis to find treatment information.

Increased working hours

 Electronic Medical Record allows physicians to extend their clinical working hours and to treat all patients from their respective locations. Doctors in remote locations can perform live assessments on patients as if they were real.

 Only the first visit requires a physical visit and all follow-ups can be done through this electronic platform, so the prescription, bills, medical information, everything is integrated in the respective profiles. EMR helps improve your business in times of lockdown and serves as a future platform for medical information.

 improve self-care

 Follow-ups aim to bridge the communication gap between patients and doctors. Patients know the details of their medical condition better. Medical experts can share educational materials to learn about patient statistics and act as coaches for people in remote locations.

 As a famous saying goes, awareness precedes change, patients get enough knowledge from doctors to take care of themselves during medication time. Electronic medical record helps people connect with doctors when they need a consultation. This improves health while reducing paper and storage costs.

stay connected

 Today, consumerism has evolved more with technology. Healthcare organizations focus on providing valuable compensation to patients by providing various forms of communication. This helps doctors and patients stay in touch for their ongoing and non-emergency treatments.

 Long-distance people can check the availability of medical experts or therapists and book an appointment in the Electronic Medical Record according to their convenience and time available.

 In response to the global pandemic situation, doctors and patients need good access, such as electronic health records, to analyze big data on a regular basis. Therefore, the policy makers get the right information which helps a lot in the rate of insurance claims.

Some of the basic capabilities of electronic health record software include:

data integration

Provides a single point of access for a large amount of patient data

 Test results management

Enables the generation, storage and consultation of accurate and timely results

 Decision

Supports and empowers informed decision making using analytical tools.

 Continuous patient-physician interface

Enables real-time data sharing with patients and patient access to their medical records

Benefits of Electronic Medical Records Software for Hospitals/Clinics

Easy search, access and retrieval of patient data

Improve communication between inpatient and outpatient departments

Minimize errors, data redundancy

Reduce billing costs with improved efficiency

Improve patient experience and satisfaction

Expansion of medical records at no extra cost

Save space

 Benefits of Electronic Medical Record Software for Patients

Get better care from staff.

Access to personal health records

Get ePrescriptions

Faster service at the reception

AfyaServe, a company specializing in HMS offers electronic medical records as a module in the basket of software solutions. Electronic medical records software, in conjunction with other modules streamlines operations in a healthcare facility while reducing oversight-related errors and data inaccuracy.

Advanced electronic health record software helps identify and inform patients who need follow-ups, preventive screenings, vaccinations and more. In large hospitals, the implementation of electronic health records provides a single view of data across departments and physicians, rather than maintaining multiple charts across different departments for a single patient.

Digitization is inexorable. Healthcare providers are realizing this and are embracing digital tools to improve patient care, administration and even marketing. Digital transformation is driving exciting and radical changes in patient care.

Digital hospital management tools and hospital management software now help verify patient eligibility in real time, maintain electronic health records, file insurance claims, automate billing systems, and receive payments online.

Here we see how digitization is transforming the healthcare sector:

1. Patient record:

Scheduling patients for admission or visits, collecting demographics, obtaining insurance documents, authorizations and approvals for admission are all powered by digital systems.

When the patient comes in, a patient account is opened or their existing account is used. New patients are registered via online forms and an electronic signature.

2. Patient Portal and Access:

Patient history, previous treatments and scheduling of doctor visits are done through the web-based system. Once a patient signs up, they can get information about their doctor's visit, schedule or cancel appointments with them, and even chat with doctors. Hospitals and healthcare providers can deliver digital services to patients even in remote locations.

3. Electronic Medical Records:

All physicians and professionals have access to their patients' EHRs. The required level of care for patients, ongoing medication, treatment history and patient vital signs such as height, weight, blood pressure, blood and sugar levels, etc. are recorded. With this information, doctors can access information on their mobile devices while treating patients.

4. Follow-up of treatment and progress:

Doctors can use the portal to enter the data of the treated patient. The digital system allows them to choose CPT or ICD codes for patients. These codes are indicators of diagnoses, diseases and symptoms, etc. Patients are monitored using automated growth charts to see how they are doing in relation to height, weight, BMI, normal blood pressure/sugar, etc.

5. Billing and Account Management:

Hospitals and healthcare providers can submit their claims to insurers via the web-based system. Submitting claims, tracking their status, receiving payments and patient statements can all be done through online systems. Accounts receivable, patient bill review, cancellations, refunds, payment tracking and the entire revenue cycle can be automated using the digital system.

6. Marketing and Campaigns:

The way hospitals and health centers now reach their customers has changed a lot due to digitization. Customers today everything in an increasingly comfortable way. Customers are looking for chat tools, an online intake process, electronic health records, and seamless consultation.

Healthcare providers are also trying to attract customers by creating valuable blogs, social media engagement and digital campaigns based on demographics.

7. Doctors and Staff:

Physicians can use the online portal to accept appointments, update their schedule, and communicate with patients. Physicians also learn about the historical details of treated patients, CPT/ICD codes, and other details.

Management can also use the portal to assign tasks to employees and track their performance. An integrated portal also ensures better communication, better patient care and simplified administration.

8. Medical Tourism:

With the rise of digital products and services, healthcare providers can attract customers from all over the world. The medical tourism industry is growing rapidly with digital processes, rapid communication enabling new opportunities for healthcare providers.

9. Advanced Reporting & Administration :

Management may also review insurance claims submitted, dates, payments received, reports of payments due, unpaid, etc. In short, digitizing operations makes management easier and more effective.

10. Digitized Services and AI:

The digitization of entire companies and healthcare institutions has now become a standard. Patients expect hospitals to offer multichannel and digital support options. This also enables healthcare providers to create tools that also allow them to communicate with outpatients.

Digitization simplifies everyday processes in healthcare. It provides comprehensive platforms to merge all medical services. Searching and booking appointments, faster access to doctors, diagnosis and medical care are some of the services to mention. An integrated digital portal saves time by automating repetitive tasks, putting the patient experience at the center and creating value for healthcare providers.

With all of these factors coming together, there is no reason to wait to get your medical records digitized. With the Afyaserve Hospital Information Management System Health administrators can reduce costs, increase data security, improves accuracy, and, most importantly; makes the lives of health practitioners and patients easier.

An umbrella approach is required for larger facilities that house outpatient departments as well as inpatient departments within the same hospital unit. An inclusive HMS package that covers the entire gamut of medical practice management needs is required in such cases.

AfyaServe conducts an initial assessment and evaluation of your establishment, its functioning and patient turnover to identify critical gaps, if any, and present feasible HMS solutions for your practice. The sections covered under the HMS would include hospital inpatient department, hospital outpatient department, ward details, pharmacy data, operation theatre records, specialties’ details blood bank data, stock and inventory information, emergency response service information, etc.

Additionally, it involves integration of these data to the new system and data sharing between departments for efficient inter-operative processes. Introducing a robust HMS for the inpatient and outpatient departments of your hospital favors:

• Quick, Accurate, Real-time Data Sharing

• Improved Inter-department Communication

Every hospital aims to make patients feel reassured of their health and offer them hassle-free treatment. However, this can only happen when the hospital’s functioning is aligned with the patient’s needs.

An effective Hospital Management System is one of the most critical links in the chain that keeps the hospital productive. It is therefore vital to select the best system for your practice. Below are some factors you need to keep in mind while choosing a hospital management system.

Features 

The first thing you need to consider is the list of features you need. The management system needs to integrate other hospital software, data reporting, patient data analysis, scalability, and excellent after-sales support.

Modules

Having modules that do not serve your hospital’s specific needs is a waste of money. Choose a system optimized for the functions of your practice. You could talk to peers to get insights into what best fits the offerings offered at your facility.

Reporting and data analysis

The system should generate data rich reports and analyze them effectively. Practical analysis of the data can help hospitals predict future trends and improve on current processes. The data should provide actionable insights that are measurable and quantifiable.

Training and support

Consider working with a solutions provider who will train your team and provide support as and when needed. Afyaserve assigns a direct liaison to deal specifically with issues affecting a client’s organization minimizing downtime incidents.

Conclusion

Laboratory information system (LIS) is a module in HMS dedicated to lab management. Large hospitals or health centers often have in-house diagnostic laboratories. Small practice centers are also mostly affiliated or linked to a particular lab or group of labs.

Lab information system software functions to collect, process, and store medical data at every stage of lab test or lab processing. A well-integrated laboratory information system empowers clinical decision making by ensuring data accuracy and quick response time. A sound laboratory information management system (LIMS) can store a vast amount of data for future reference.

Lab technicians and medical professionals use the data available through laboratory information management system to link, diagnose and treat patient ailments. It is convenient to put together a range of test results – hematology, immunology, lipid profiles, biochemistry, etc., to generate meaningful reports for accurate and timely diagnosis and treatment.

AfyaServe has the latest technology interface for lab information system software that makes the laboratory information management system compatible with almost any lab equipment fitted with a communication port. The robust technology facilitates precise sample collection – in terms of specified measure and patient details. Systems can also be employed for sample validation in case of small sample measures.

If the sample procured is too less to generate viable results, repeat samples can be requested immediately, thereby reducing time gap critical in such tests.

Post collection and validation, the sample is dispatched to the respective test center. On completion of the test, results generated are correlated to provide meaningful reports to medical practitioners for ease of diagnosis. This eliminates transcribing errors, as reports are auto-generated. Further, these can be made available to multiple doctors or departments, if required.

Some of the laboratory information system features include:

Accurate     Sample Collection and Validation

Data Indexing

Data     Cross-referencing

Data Sharing

Data Storage     and Retrieval

Analytical Report Generation

 The role of lab information system starts from the moment a patient visits a lab for undergoing medical tests. It continues to play a significant role at each step of testing, especially in labs that account for a high volume of patients.

Lab information system software intervention prevents errors due to patient-sample mismatch, wrong interpretation of tests prescribed, inaccurate interpretation of test results, and more. Most importantly, stalwart technology ensures timely medical response to patients.

 Below is a glimpse of the lab information system process flow :-

 PATIENT ENTRY:

Enter/update patient details

Registration (for new patients), database search option (for existing patients)

 ORDER ENTRY:

Key in prescribed test details; checks for redundancy

 SAMPLE COLLECTION:

Label and number samples

 SAMPLE ROUTING:

Transport sample (in case of multiple lab locations or separate collection and analysis facilities)

 PROCESS FOLLOW UP:

Enhance process time and result generation time

 REPORT SHARING AND RVIEW:

Dispatch reports to concerned doctors and/or departments for review

 FINAL REPORT GENERATION:

Conclude report and share with patient

 SAMPLE AND/OR REPORT STORAGE:

Store samples for long-term or short-term (for repeat tests)

Electronic medical records (EMR) are a repository of patient health data. In short, it is transferring patient data on paper to a more organized and discoverable form in the cloud. Electronic medical record software does not stand alone, but is an integral part of the hospital management system software - HMS. For example, the implementation of electronic medical records results in the integration of patient data with other systems of a health center.

For large hospitals, the implementation of electronic health records means that patient data can be available in all departments for better communication and faster patient care. BMI), etc.

It also offers the possibility to add certain fields according to the requirements of the clinic or hospital.

Some of the key capabilities of electronic health record software include:

Data integration

Provides a single point of access for a large amount of patient data

 Test results management

Enables the generation, storage and consultation of accurate and timely results

 Decision

Supports and empowers informed decision making using analytical tools

 Continuous patient-physician interface

It enables real-time data exchange with patients and patient access to their medical records.

 Benefits of Electronic Medical Record Software for Hospitals/Clinics

Easy search, access and retrieval of patient data

Improve communication between inpatient and outpatient departments

Minimize errors, data redundancy

Reduce billing costs with improved efficiency

Improve patient experience and satisfaction

Expand medical records at no extra cost

Save space

 Benefits of Electronic Medical Record Software for Patients

Get better staff attention

Access to personal medical records

Retrieve electronic prescriptions

Faster service at the reception

 AfyaServe, a specialized HMS company, offers electronic health records as a module in the software solutions basket. Electronic health record software, along with other modules, streamlines operations in a healthcare facility and reduces monitoring-related errors and inaccurate data.

Advanced electronic health record software helps identify and inform patients for follow-ups, preventive exams, vaccinations, etc. In large hospitals, the implementation of electronic health records provides a single table of data between departments and physicians, rather than maintain multiple tables in different departments for a single patient.

Electronic health records can maximize financial benefits by improving employee productivity, reducing paperwork and lowering costs due to data errors. AfyaServe electronic health record software provides partners with end-to-end support to migrate from existing paper records to cloud-based records.

A typical clinic establishment sees sizably smaller patient volumes, less extensive infrastructure and lower emergency service requirements compared to a hospital. Clinics also offer a more personalized approach to patients, with fewer medical personnel and administrative staff. Thus, the operational impediments faced by personnel at clinics are different from that of a hospital.

At AfyaServe, we recognize these differences and offer a bespoke value proposition, which addresses the on-site realities and situations of clinics and provides an adaptable clinic management system for doctors and other staff.

Our facile clinic management software focuses on concerns regarding outpatient management, queue management in limited spaces, computerizing paper data and bills, and personalized patient interaction. The clinic management software aids to index patient data and optimize patient scheduling.

Deploying a clinic management system can help:

Minimize     Paperwork

Hasten     Data Retrieval by Indexing

Improve     Patient-Personnel Interaction

 AfyaServe, a new generation hospital management system aims to streamline healthcare center processes in Africa by offering advanced technology at affordable prices.