13 Feb Successful Business Process Transformation in Healthcare Are Driven by Tightly Integrated, Secure, Flexible, Collaborative Tools Built for Trilateral Communication
Feb 13, 2024
Successful Business Process Transformation in Healthcare Are Driven by Tightly Integrated, Secure, Flexible, Collaborative Tools Built for Trilateral Communication
Samrat Chowdhury
Content Architect-Healthcare in collaboration with Eprenz
Why smaller nimble SaaS providers can excel where biggest name SaaS software providers fail to improve business processes in healthcare
Effective communication is a fundamental prerequisite for the provision of quality and secure patient care. When it comes to patient safety, substandard communication practices among healthcare providers have been identified as a pervasive issue, contributing to patient harm on a global scale. In 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) highlighted that lapses in communication constitute a primary source of unintended patient harm.
In England, successive Health Service Ombudsmen have consistently highlighted communication failures as a primary cause of patient complaints. Notably, in the 2014-2015 period, poor communication, encompassing both the quality and accuracy of information, was implicated in one-third of all healthcare complaints. Across the Atlantic, an analysis by CRICO Strategies of 23,000 medical malpractice lawsuits identified over 7,000 cases linked to communication failures, leading to $1.7 billion in costs and nearly 2,000 preventable deaths. Further, the Joint Commission reported that miscommunication during patient handovers accounted for 80% of serious medical errors.
Healthcare Software as a Service (SaaS) for Improving Trilateral Communication
Healthcare Software as a Service (Healthcare SaaS) revolutionizes the industry by shifting key operational responsibilities, like maintenance and installations, to a cloud-based, subscription model. It integrates specialized applications designed for managing patient records, billing, and analytics. Furthermore, it fosters trilateral communication among healthcare professionals, patients, and technology solution providers.
The role of SaaS and cloud computing as industry platforms hinges on firms embracing open technology strategies with industry peers, rather than simply rebranding traditional software products for web-based delivery and pricing. The nature of competition in these markets, whether mirroring a “winner-take-all” scenario as seen with Microsoft’s operating systems, or a “winner-take-most” situation akin to Google in search, remains uncertain. This matter can be discerned through the framework of platform dynamics.
Why is the Healthcare Industry Slow to Adopt SaaS?
Cloud-based SaaS applications have been recognized for their potential to address existing challenges in healthcare. However, the adoption and efficient utilization of cloud computing in this sector are notably limited. Comparative statistics reveal that, while the retail industry reports a 57% adoption rate for cloud computing, the healthcare sector’s adoption stands at 31%.
The “2023 Healthcare Edition of The Data Dilemma: Cloud Adoption and Risk Report,” published by SkyHighSecurity, a California-based cloud security company, underscores the healthcare sector’s cautious approach to cloud technology adoption and its heightened vulnerability to cybersecurity threats, notably data theft, in 2023.
This hesitance is understandable given the sensitivity of healthcare data. The report, encompassing views from IT and business decision-makers across various healthcare domains, emphasizes the sector’s lag in cloud adoption and data security compared to other industries. Healthcare entities face unique challenges, such as a higher increase in security issues for SaaS users and network performance issues such as latency for remote and hybrid workers.
The sector’s approach to cloud security management, with a greater reliance on managers than C-level executives, contrasts with practices in other industries, highlighting a distinct sectoral stance on responsibility allocation in cybersecurity management.
In addition to that, the current medical landscape, marked by fragmented small datasets, creates suboptimal conditions for data-driven innovation. The full potential of digital medicine hinges on developing an interconnected data infrastructure with swift, secure interfaces, international data exchange standards, and precise medical terminologies. Essentially, the success of digital health is fundamentally dependent on interoperability.
Why Is Interoperability So Important in Healthcare Service Delivery?
Interoperability is the ability of computer systems to exchange and use information. It is crucial in healthcare due to the sector’s diverse stakeholders. It streamlines patient-provider interactions, enhances service efficiency, and increases patient satisfaction, with high-rated hospitals earning significantly more revenue.
Deloitte’s research underscores the financial implications of patient satisfaction, revealing that hospitals with superior ratings generate, on average, an additional $444 of net patient revenue per adjusted patient day, compared to their lower-rated counterparts.
Increased efficiency is a notable benefit of healthcare interoperability. For example, HealthIT reports that the implementation of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) has been instrumental in improving patient care and augmenting healthcare productivity.
Healthcare providers implement interoperable systems to significantly reduce administrative costs by minimizing paperwork and redundant procedures. Additionally, as healthcare organizations handle vast amounts of sensitive data, modern interoperable systems are crucial for ensuring rapid, secure data transmission, thus protecting against cyber threats.
The compatibility among diverse devices and systems in the healthcare sector offers numerous benefits; however, medical institutions frequently encounter significant challenges with respect to interoperability and SaaS for healthcare.
The Challenges and Roadblocks
The dependence on external entities for data security or storage in undisclosed locations has fostered concerns about increased susceptibility to data leaks and privacy breaches.
Furthermore, the inherent structure of hyperscale clouds, characterized by their multi-tenant framework where data centers are utilized by numerous clients, is perceived as a potential security vulnerability.
Interviewees of an AWS Study drew parallels between the security of healthcare data stored in the cloud and the security of mainstream office productivity Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions, such as Office 365, asserting a perceived uniform level of insecurity across both platforms.
Additionally, healthcare data is often isolated and disjointed. The process of aggregating and normalizing this data imposes substantial costs, stemming from the necessity for multiple systems to intercommunicate both within and beyond the boundaries of healthcare institutions.
Even Big SaaS Companies Failed in Healthcare – The Case of Amazon
The healthcare SaaS model is recognized for its potential for efficient and recurring revenue streams, yet its market penetration remains modest, constituting approximately 10% of the healthcare sector’s $950 billion administrative spend. This has resulted in a limited number of healthcare SaaS companies achieving ‘Centaur’ status, indicating revenues exceeding $100 million annually.
Among the giants, Amazon’s foray into healthcare has been met with mixed results, despite substantial investment. The company’s challenges stem from the healthcare sector’s complex and heavily regulated environment, contrasting sharply with Amazon’s traditional domains like e-commerce.
Additionally, Amazon has struggled to establish strong relationships with healthcare providers, a crucial component for market penetration. Patient reception of Amazon’s healthcare products and services has been lukewarm, possibly due to the sensitive nature of healthcare.
Amazon’s operational model, centered on scale, does not align well with healthcare’s emphasis on local market understanding and personalized patient care. Furthermore, Amazon’s relative inexperience in healthcare, compared to established entities like UnitedHealth Group and CVS Health, and the rapidly evolving nature of the healthcare industry, add layers of complexity.
Healthcare Landscape Is Evolving – Are Smaller Companies Riding on the Waves of Change?
Healthcare funding is increasingly orienting towards value-based models, moving away from the traditional, multi-generational institutions.
Contemporary Healthcare Software as a Service (SaaS) providers and nascent enterprises are instrumental in assisting hospitals and medical providers to meet accountable care objectives, thereby enhancing patient outcomes, curtailing costs, and enriching patient experiences.
Tom Main and Adrian Slywotzky of New York-based global management consulting firm Oliver Wyman’s contend that the evolution towards patient-centric population health frameworks is poised to reallocate over $1 trillion in value from conventional models to emergent ones, concurrently fostering the development of numerous high-growth markets, each potentially exceeding $10 billion in value.
In this transformative healthcare milieu, entities such as EverLeagues are rapidly gaining prominence. They offer innovative alternatives and potential remedies to the enduring challenges inherent in the triadic communication structure of healthcare, exemplifying the shift towards more efficient, patient-focused, and value-driven healthcare solutions.
Role-Based Collaborative SaaS Platforms – The Way Forward?
Certain SaaS platforms offer a range of features designed to optimize communication and information management within the sector. One such example is the EverLeagues platform, which demonstrates how technology can be leveraged to enhance healthcare operations while adhering to regulations such as HIPAA.
The platform is characterized by its integration capabilities with existing EMR/EHR systems, facilitating efficient communication among healthcare providers, patients, and ancillary service providers. Notable features of such platforms include:
1. Patient Connection – This feature enables healthcare providers to engage with patients, staff, and other service providers within a unified and secure environment. The aim is to streamline communication and collaboration, thereby enhancing the overall patient care experience.
2. Secure Instant Messaging – Some advanced platforms may offer a messaging system allowing for real-time interaction between healthcare providers and patients. This system supports a range of activities, from appointment scheduling and medication refill requests to the dissemination of wellness information.
3. Video Conferencing – Secure video conferencing capabilities enable remote patient consultations and staff meetings. Such systems ensure encrypted video streaming and are accessible across various devices, ensuring real-time synchronization of communication across platforms.
4. Medical Record Sharing – Secure sharing of medical records and documents is facilitated through features such as encrypted storage, file access restrictions, and user-friendly interfaces for uploading, viewing, and sharing files.
5. Simplified Signature Collection Process – Electronic signature collection for documents such as intake forms, waivers, and consents is streamlined within the platform, ensuring that all actions occur within a secure and protected environment.
6. Mobile Document Capture – Platforms may offer mobile applications equipped with features like PDF form scanning with edge detection and editing functions, allowing for efficient document digitization and storage.
In the rapidly evolving healthcare environment, where the average duration of doctor visits is diminishing, the incorporation of such technology can aid healthcare professionals in maintaining high standards of care while efficiently managing their workload.
The integration of these features into daily routines can significantly enhance the productivity and quality of healthcare delivery, demonstrating the pivotal role of technology in modern healthcare practices.
How Can Patients Benefit from Collaborative SaaS Platforms Like EverLeagues?
Healthcare Software as a Service (SaaS) extends beyond streamlining administrative tasks, playing a pivotal role in augmenting patient care and engagement.
A fundamental attribute of Healthcare SaaS is its capability to centralize and proficiently manage patient data. This centralization affords healthcare providers a holistic view of each patient’s medical history, medications, test results, and treatment plans.
Access to real-time patient data equips healthcare professionals to make timely, informed decisions. Healthcare SaaS facilitates secure and immediate access to critical patient information, irrespective of the healthcare professional’s location, whether in a local clinic or a major medical center.
This instantaneous data access fosters enhanced care coordination, diminishes medical errors, and bolsters patient safety. Moreover, Healthcare SaaS integrates tools and applications fostering patient engagement. For instance, secure online portals allow patients to review their health records, schedule appointments, and communicate with their healthcare providers.
Telehealth solutions, a component of EverLeagues SaaS for healthcare, offer virtual consultations, remote chronic condition monitoring, and post-discharge follow-ups, thereby not only enhancing patient convenience but also promoting adherence to treatment plans and improving health outcomes.
Additionally, Healthcare SaaS serves as a conduit for personalized medicine. Leveraging AI-driven algorithms to analyze extensive patient data, SaaS applications can discern patterns, forecast disease risks, and propose customized treatment options, exemplified by platforms like EverLeagues Cloud Files for secure data management.
Through these capabilities, Healthcare SaaS emerges as a comprehensive model for modernizing healthcare provision, patient interaction, and treatment personalization.
Winding It Up
The transformation of healthcare, driven by emerging Software as a Service (SaaS) models, marks a departure from traditional medical practices. Healthcare SaaS entities, like EverLeagues, play a pivotal role in this evolution by aligning their services with the evolving demands of the sector. Their success hinges on advanced tools and a commitment to innovation, significantly enhancing healthcare delivery and experience.
REFERENCES
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[3] O. Seneviratne, “Enabling Data Interoperability for Decentralized, Smart, and Connected Health Applications,” 2023 IEEE/ACM Conference on Connected Health: Applications, Systems and Engineering Technologies (CHASE), Orlando, FL, USA, 2023, pp. 214-215, https://doi.org/10.1145/3580252.3589433
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