August 27, 2024

The healthcare industry deals with a hefty amount of data. What do you think was the data produced just four years ago, in 2020? According to Statista, the global healthcare sector generated more than 2,300 exabytes of data in the year 2020. It’s almost 2,300,000,000,000 gigabytes of data. These numbers are truly mind-blowing. Believe it or not, healthcare data will make up 30% of all global data in 2024, and it’s expected to increase to 36% by 2025.

You may be asking yourself why these stats matter. The answer is to highlight the importance of healthcare information systems (HIS) that can manage vast amounts of healthcare data. Adopting these digital health tools and technologies is a step forward towards smarter healthcare. 

In this article, we’ll discuss healthcare information systems, types, benefits, and important things to consider while working with these solutions.

What is a health information system?

A health information system is a technological solution that is used to store, access, manage, and share healthcare data quickly and conveniently. This healthcare data can be protected health information (PHI), administrative information, financial information, etc.

Healthcare providers are increasingly adopting these healthcare IT systems due to their numerous benefits. A MarketsAndMarkets report reveals that the global healthcare information system market was $290.4 billion in 2022 and will reach $547.2 billion by 2030.

These systems help to improve patient outcomes, streamline healthcare operations, and make it easier for professionals to communicate. The result? Raising healthcare delivery standards and serving humanity better.

5 Types of Healthcare Information Systems

Any authorized person can utilize information management systems in healthcare, be it a caregiver, a patient, or the public health sector. Now that we know what health information systems are and their potential users, let’s explore various examples of health information systems.

1. Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) & Electronic Health Records (EHRs)

One of the most used healthcare information systems in healthcare practices is EHR and EMR solutions. Undoubtedly, these two have some similarities, but they are distinct. Before we jump into the core differences between these two healthcare systems, let’s understand their purpose.

EMR and EHR systems are introduced to replace paper patient records and improve patient outcomes. These patient records are collected and stored digitally so each authorized person can access them quickly. These records include medical histories, lab results, vital signs, billing histories, etc.

The difference between EMR and EHR systems lies in their scope and usage. EMR solutions contain the medical history of patients within one practice and are not intended for sharing beyond that practice. On the other hand, EHR solutions are designed to share patient data among multiple healthcare providers.

2. Telemedicine & Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM)

Telemedicine and RPM solutions empower healthcare providers to extend their services outside the clinical settings. These solutions complement each other to deliver healthcare services to underserved areas and the people who need them the most.

RPM solutions allow healthcare providers to collect patient medical data remotely using wearable AI technologies. The data include patient vital signs, sleep patterns, glucose levels, etc. It is a life-saving system that helps to reduce hospital visits, early detection of health issues, and deliver personalized care to individuals.

Telemedicine solutions utilize telecommunication technologies to enable healthcare providers to connect and deliver healthcare services remotely. Patients can consult their preferred providers via messages, audio, and video calls.

3. Practice Management Software

Practice management software is another important example of a health information system. It helps you to streamline the day-to-day administrative and clinical aspects of your practice. These solutions help you with appointment scheduling, patient registration, billing and invoicing, etc. Here are some notable benefits of practice management software for your practice:

• Automate Administrative Tasks
• Improve Accuracy
• Better Patient Experience
• Financial Management

Healthcare providers of any size, whether a small practice or a large hospital, can benefit from implementing medical management software. 

4. Patient Portals

Today, patients want to be involved and informed in their healthcare processes. Patient portals are great healthcare IT systems for providers to keep their clients engaged. These types of healthcare information systems allow patients to access their medical information, appointment information, lab results, etc.

Modern patient portals allow patients to actively communicate with their physicians, enable prescription refill requests, and offer the ability to schedule appointments. They empower patients and motivate them to actively participate in achieving better health outcomes.

5. Master Patient Index

The master patient index is a necessary part of any hospital information management system. It acts as a centralized database dedicated to patient identification within healthcare organizations or across various healthcare systems. It helps to link and manage patient information from different sources.

The main goal of an MPI is to establish a singular, authoritative reference for patient identification by creating a unique identifier for each patient. This identifier can be consistently utilized across all systems within a healthcare network. It supports care coordination and informed decision-making.

What are the benefits of health information systems?

The core aim of any healthcare organization is to achieve efficiency in operations and deliver high-quality care to their patients. That’s exactly what information management systems in healthcare have to offer to your practice. 

Let’s explore the benefits of integrating health information systems to have a better understanding of what you can expect from them.

1. Better Patient Care

Do you want to improve the quality of care in your practice? A hospital information system is most likely what you want for your organization. It empowers you to access accurate patient medical records quickly so that you can begin patient care quickly and uninterrupted. 

This efficient delivery of healthcare services helps you achieve better patient outcomes and earn their loyalty. Moreover, these solutions help you gain insights from patient data and offer personalized care to achieve better patient outcomes and satisfaction.

2. Improve Financial Performance

Is your healthcare organization struggling with finances? If so, you may need information management systems in healthcare to analyze your financial performance. You can track expenditures, revenue, and profitability by integrating a health information system into your IT infrastructure.

Not only can you analyze financial performance, but you can also reduce medical billing errors and ensure faster reimbursements by automating billing processes. These systems also provide insights into your resource allocation that allow you to utilize them efficiently. By doing so, you can ensure that resources are available where and when they are needed most.

3. Facilitate Coordination Among Healthcare Providers

If you’re a healthcare provider, there might arise a situation where a patient is getting treatment from some other doctor, and midway, he decides to change his caregiver and chooses you. In this scenario, you may not have access to complete patient health records quickly, thus resulting in delayed care delivery. 

With information management systems in healthcare by your side, you can easily access comprehensive patient information. They digitize up-to-date health records and allow a network of authorized people to share with each other. These solutions completely reshape the way healthcare providers collaborate and deliver care to patients.

4. Reduce Costs

Hundreds of thousands of organizations want to control the costs while also improving the quality of healthcare delivery. If you’re one of them, you should opt for healthcare IT systems like many others. Let us clarify how these solutions will help you minimize costs.

HIS helps you reduce overhead costs by automating several administrative tasks, including appointment scheduling, record-keeping, etc. Moreover, as we discussed earlier, you can utilize resources more efficiently; it helps you manage your staff and equipment efficiently, thus reducing waste and saving money.

5. Support Population Health Management

Are you still providing reactive care to your patients? If so, it is time to keep up with other healthcare organizations and shift toward preventive care. And guess who will be your partner in delivering preventive care? It’s health information systems—surely you didn’t see that coming.

Information systems in healthcare support population health management. Using a vast amount of healthcare data stored in HIS, healthcare providers identify trends within populations. These trends can be related to health behaviors or disease outbreaks. 

Having early information allows providers to make necessary arrangements to confront these challenges. Moreover, these solutions help providers identify at-risk individuals and enable timely interventions.  

Top Things To Consider For Maximizing the Return on Your Healthcare Information System Investment

The right hospital information system can help your organization grow in multiple ways if properly utilized. Keep in mind these essential things to get the most out of your investment:

1. Choose a Scalable Solution 

Healthcare software solutions are one of the things that you don’t want to change with your evolving needs. You will surely want your system to accommodate your growing patient base. For this, it is crucial to invest in a scalable healthcare information system. It helps you to save costs and run your operations with minimal disruptions.

2. Get Vendor Support

Another crucial thing that you must consider is having a reliable and dedicated healthcare AI company by your side. They will help you ensure the maximum efficiency of your healthcare systems by continuously updating them with the necessary features and functionalities. Moreover, they can help you train your employees to utilize your system to its full capabilities.

3. Prioritize Data Security

Healthcare organizations deal with sensitive health information. There must be robust data security protocols like data encryption and access controls in place to ensure data security. Organizations can also follow HIPAA best practices to protect patient data. It helps healthcare providers to avoid legal penalties and financial losses.

4. Train Your Employees

It’s impossible to leverage information management systems in healthcare to their full potential unless your staff is proficient in using them. It is necessary for you to arrange comprehensive training programs for all users so they feel confident and competent in using the system. By doing so, you can maximize the benefits of your investment.

Conclusion

Healthcare information systems will continue to reshape the industry for the good. Be it small practices or large hospitals, healthcare providers have to leverage these modern healthcare IT systems to improve their operational efficiency and deliver high-quality patient care. No doubt, it will cost you a bit, but the returns are immeasurable. We can confidently say that the industry will continue to grow, and the ones who won’t embrace these solutions will fall behind in the competition.

How Xeven Solutions Help You With Healthcare Information Systems

Xeven Solutions is a dedicated AI healthcare company that takes pride in helping businesses of all sizes improve operational efficiency and deliver quality care to patients. We have 10+ years of experience in delivering different types of healthcare information systems, including EMR, EHR, HIMS, and telemedicine solutions. Our solutions are secure and ensure HIPAA compliance to help you avoid financial and legal penalties. Book a free discovery call to learn how we can help you solve your business challenges.

About the Author: Taimoor Asghar

Taimoor Asghar is a Technical Content Writer with a passion for emerging technologies, continuously keeping himself updated with the latest industry and technological trends. He ensures that complex concepts are translated into informative pieces, catering to both experts and novices. He crafts engaging narratives through blogs, articles, and how-to guides that captivate audiences and inspire them to delve deeper into the ever-evolving world of tech innovation.