Form Fast Solutions

In almost every industry, there is some type of protocol or procedure that documents workplace safety guidelines and in the event those guidelines are jeopardized, reports are often created that outline the event. Keeping records of such events is important to maintain internal and external transparency because they allow the organization to look back on records and find ways to prevent them from happening again. Additionally, the recordings can allow for outside viewing that helps 'investigators' understand the safety and efficacy of the organization, whether the 'investigators' are potential customers, prospecting employees or other outside beings.

Reporting safety events is a form off surveillance that can provide outsiders with a better look at the overall operations and with documentation, educated decisions can be made about the organization in question. With this being said, hospitals are becoming more transparent with voluntary incident reporting that can vary from patient safety events to employee safety events. Take for instance a patient in a hospital falls while they are walking; this incident is reported and documented with all the specific details of the event. Perhaps the patient fell because of a slippery floor, they simply did not have the strength to stand upright or they tripped over the IV pole they were pushing. These types of incidents can give valuable insight on situations that could be avoided in the future with different preventative measures in place.

It's extremely important for hospitals to voluntary report these unexpected incidents because it can help improve the organization as a whole with detailed records. They also serve as a valuable review resource for individuals seeking treatment at a specific healthcare organization because they may want to choose a facility that has clear and concise records about specific events. Furthermore, incident reports can help employees clearly facilitate the event to all within the organization which can improve the communication of the situation.

While more and more people are becoming covered by health insurance, the healthcare industry is noticing and you can expect to see some new trends emerging this year. Things like new technologies, patient demands and economic strength are shifting the industry into new models that will put patients them in the center of care! Check out the top five trends that will take the healthcare industry by storm.

1. Digital Health Metrics

While more and more people get their hands on mobile devices, they are also taking note of their extremely versatile capabilities. Health apps are creating a DIY hype when it comes to tracking personal health. Consumers are more health-conscious than ever and are using these apps and metrics when they visit a healthcare provider. They may help the healthcare industry better collaborate with the patient in terms of personal care and some organizations are taking this trend and developing their own apps to help patients.

2. Reducing Costs

Even though more people are being covered by health insurance, healthcare organizations are cutting back on spending to save money and help the environment at the same time. On average, a patient will generate about 25 pounds of paper waste, leaving hospitals with high paper costs. By reducing the amount of paper generated, hospitals are turning to forms management software that can make documents digital. This will essentially allow them to go paperless and become more organized.

3. Renovating For Modern Appeal

Some hospitals have already turned to the 'hotel' lobby feel, making the environment more comfortable for patients and visitors. With this growing trend, new construction healthcare organizations and those going through renovations will focus on creating a relaxing, inviting and welcoming environment to suit the needs of the modern patient. Amenities like WiFi, coffee-shop-inspired waiting rooms and higher quality hospital food will take 2015 by storm.

4. Additional Staff

Today, hospitals have to become more competitive in a health-conscious consumer market because more and more consumers are looking for treatment that’s fast, efficient and cost effective. This means hospitals have to take charge of their performance and improve it to meet the growing demands of our health-conscious society because consumers are becoming more in-charge of their health than ever before. Check out these four easy ways to improve hospital performance so consumers get more value out of their visit.

1. Communication

It’s important in every industry for a team of leaders who can delegate and inform others of what’s going on, but at the same time, it is important to have everyone be a team player. This means the level of communication should be even for every staff member because it’ll result in better patient treatment that can also lead into quicker service.

  2. Conversations

When doctors have discussions with patients, the last thing the patient wants to feel like is as if they were being quizzed on what the doctor is telling them. This means that the doctor explains something and says, “do you have questions?” which can lead the patient to calling for more information because they didn’t have an answer and it’ll just create more work later for providers. Turning discussions into conversations can help make it more comfortable and easier to understand. Instead of conveying the run-of-the-mill statement of ‘do you have questions’ perhaps re-word that to ‘how does this make you feel.’

3. Convey Concern

Follow-up calls after a visit can go a long way for a patient and reduce the chance of readmission and improves the compliance of post-discharge directions. Patients will feel valued and have a positive experience of their stay. However, follow-up calls should convey a voice of concern for their well-being and not just a lack of care. Think of it as customer service, you want the person on the other end of the line to be friendly and happy you are calling, not cold and uncaring.

4. Streamline Documents

To quicken overall workflow processes, hospitals can integrate output management solutions that will cut down administrative and paper tasks. By having tasks work behind-the-scenes, capturing data streaming through a hospital to automatically create documents and regulate where to print each based on incoming data can significantly reduce time and increase time handling patient care.

With almost 7 billion people living on the planet, it is without a doubt we need to converse, recycle and become more conscious of our environment. According to a recent study from Duke University, the average person generates 4.3 pounds of waste a day – 1.6 pounds more than back in 1960. With that said, it is quite obvious the world as a whole can generate some trash! They also found that just in the United States, there are over 3,500 landfills that account for the second largest human-related methane emissions.                         

If you think 4.3 pounds of waste a day is bad, the typical patient in a hospital increases that number nearly six times– and 45% of those 25 pounds is paper! Think about the number of patients on any given day in a hospital, that number can really add up to be a lot of paper waste. While hospitals begin to turn green, utilizing advanced technology like electronic forms can significantly reduce the amount of waste per patient. Not only will it reduce paper, it can also increase efficiency and overall workflow speed because it eliminates the need to print.

Hospitals will also save money by incorporating the technology because it reduces the need for ink, toner and paper. This small integration is just one step to becoming more environmentally friendly. Additionally, digital files and forms can make it easier to work – just imagine the amount of medical records and files that are sorted by hand…it could range from a few hundred to a couple thousand. Converting to electronic based forms can save time and make it much easier to retrieve important patient data.

It’s almost common knowledge that healthcare costs are the most expensive expenditure in the United States. From hospital upkeep to paying healthcare employees, there are a lot of cost factors when it comes to operating a healthcare facility. Did you know the US spent 2.47 trillion dollars on healthcare in 2009 and it is projected to reach 4.5 trillion dollars by 2019! That’s a lot of money considering many Americans struggle to pay various medical bills. In a recent study, approximately 41 percent of working age individuals either have medical bill problems or are currently paying off medical debt.

Another astonishing fact is that the average patient generates about 25 pounds of paper waste when in a hospital. That right there shows you the environmental toll hospitals displace on the environment because paper waste could be streamlined to digital documents to save money and to save trees. While protection of sensitive patient materials are always a concern, digitalizing documents could be the next step in streamlining a more efficient operation. Take for instance the amount of times a patient has to sign their name on any given document. Those documents could be transferred to an electronic signature pad that will store and secure the document in a server.