Workflows can make the health care process more efficient
Health care providers have recently run into issues involving the implementation of electronic records for their patients, especially when this documentation needs to be shared between departments or practices.
However, when providers are able to start using automated workflows within a document management platform that more effectively ferry information where it needs to go, on-demand, they may be able to increase both their operational efficiency and the quality of care they provide, according to Patient Engagement HIT. The ability to pass along potentially critical health data in a timely fashion will likely improve patient outcomes simply because doctors and other medical personnel will be able to make the most informed decisions, potentially while in consultation with other practitioners.
Potential hurdles
Of course, it's not always easy to get everyone onboard with using document management platforms and workflows, but there's plenty of evidence to suggest its efficacy, the report said. And, while there may be something of a feeling-out period with these options, they will typically work out well in the end.
"Integrating shared decision-making into clinical practice does require provider education as well as a strategy to integrate it into the practice's workflows," Peter Goldbach, MD, Chief Medical Officer for Rite Aid's RediClinic and Health Dialog, told the site.
Other benefits
Meanwhile, many health care professionals now have to do at least some administrative work after they leave the office, and this can sometimes take hours every night, according to AMA Wire. However, some providers have begun using workflows alongside greater standardization of duties to ensure everyone at a practice can enjoy a better work-life balance, while still ensuring all necessary work gets done. One such provider in Minnesota said it effectively shaved an average of 30 minutes of so-called "pajama time" off its doctors' daily obligations.
When everyone understands their roles and is properly trained in setting up and utilizing workflows throughout the course of a day, medical practices are likely to operate at least a little more smoothly behind the scenes. That, in turn, can provide significant cost benefits in terms of hours being devoted to certain types of work, and also better care for patients on an ongoing basis.
