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The Importance of a Competent Hospital Information System in the Covid-19 Era

The Importance of a Competent Hospital Information System in the Covid-19 Era

The quality of patient care is determined by the quality of hospital infrastructure, reliability of data, skill levels of staff, and operating system efficiency. Additionally, the comprehensiveness and accuracy of hospital records are amongst the critical factors for improving the quality of patient care. The absence of such quality data causes low patient satisfaction scores and poor patient outcomes. 

A Hospital Information System (HIS) is an essential ingredient for achieving a higher quality of care and better patient management. In this pandemic era, HIS is especially important for clinical decision support, emergency/crisis response, and risk management.  

What is a Hospital Information System? 

In simple terms, a Hospital Information System (HIS) comprises a series of applications that focus on the administrative needs of a hospital. It operates as a centralised database that collects and stores all sorts of data including patient records, medication lists, lab reports, inventory, financial and billing, and other valuable information.  

It also contains systems that process data relating to operation management or decision-making in the hospital. Without HIS, it will not be possible to gather and process a vast amount of data. Especially in the Covid-19 era, aside from the normal operations of a hospital, it is also necessary to process a substantive patient data set containing patient health records, vaccination status, Covid risk status, and submit reports to the local authorities.  

Coordination Between Services And Departments  

An essential aspect that contributes to high quality and efficient care in the Covid era is the proper coordination of patient healthcare services. With a HIS storing patient health information, such effective coordination of care can be achieved. The quality of healthcare across the continuum depends on health information integrity, reliability, and accuracy. 

Through well-defined procedures such as monitoring bed capacity and patient electronic medical records (EMR) in real time, a hospital will be able to effectively manage time and resources in the event of a surge in patient numbers. Utilising information from multiple data sources across facilities can facilitate and speed up the operational processes. The use of alerts and order sets is also effective in helping hospital staff respond to potential medication or material shortages and aid in making treatment decisions. 

Better Management and Operational Planning  In the Covid-19 era, a better understanding of the information provided by healthcare professionals to the patients can lead to higher patient satisfaction, a better follow-up to the treatment guidelines, improved doctor-patient relationships, lesser treatment times, faster recovery, and lower costs.  Real-time access to clinical data through HIS can bring about the following benefits: 
  • Improved quality of clinical records 
  • Fully informed clinical decision-making 
  • Better decision-making 
  • Accelerated workflows 
  • Streamlined operational processes 
  • Better balance of resources with demand through better planning 
  • More effective communication between the departments 
A good HIS will significantly reduce the manual work required by hospital staff, leading to lesser human errors and lower operational costs. Healthcare providers can also harness the power of HIS to optimise resource capabilities, eliminate friction and remove the gaps in care delivery and operational processes. The moment has arrived to make that shift from traditional care delivery to a data-driven, real-time health system. 

Fast implementation and upscaling with Cloud-based System: 

Cloud-based systems gather data on servers, allowing access through the Internet using a computer or mobile device. The cloud-based medium of storage allows providers of healthcare and patients to access information anywhere.  

Data interoperability is one of the key ingredients in a cloud-based HIS. HIMSS defines it as “the ability of health information systems to work together within and across organisational boundaries to advance the effective delivery of healthcare for individuals and communities.” 

A key benefit of a cloud-based system is the fast implementation and upscaling across a range of settings. It does not require the hospital to purchase additional hardware and can be implemented remotely with a short turnaround time. This system offers broader integration and enables easy and reliable data sharing between health professionals, improving healthcare functionality during challenging times such as a pandemic. 

Preparing for the Future: 

The Covid-19 pandemic is grim reminder that we live in a highly unpredictable world. HIS has played a critical role in helping hospitals respond effectively and quickly, facilitating clinical management during this period. It is a platform that allows efficient and effective communications, better coordination between departments, and a fundamental change in how healthcare services are delivered. Healthcare organisations, especially those that have entered the recovery and rebuilding stages, should look back at experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic as good reasons for upgrading to a more agile and competent HIS. 

About myNapier

myNapier

myNapier is a comprehensive cloud-based Hospital Information system with AI enabled decision making features built-in. It is specially designed as an integrated, multi-facility and scalable platform, with over 15 modules to cater for the needs of most hospitals. myNapier can be configured to meet the decision making needs of clinical, administrative, and operational departments of medium to large hospitals and hospital networks. It provides all stakeholders involved in hospital operations with a secure and enhanced visibility into and control over their functions. 

Today Napier works with leading Hospitals in Asia, Middle East, and Africa. Leveraging this experience, myNapier delivers best-business practices out-of-the-box allowing providers to implement a world class enterprise software solution in their facilities. With a quarterly approach to feature updates coupled with Napier’s unique Voice-of-Customer tool, clients are empowered and become partners in the product journey.   

To find out how Napier Healthcare Solutions can help your organisation drive top dollar returns on IT investments, make your way to www.napierhealthcare.com today. 

AI-enabled and Cloud-based Technology in Transforming the Healthcare IT Journey

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