How to Improve Medical Сare Through IT Systems

While creating IT products, we often conduct research and focus groups for formulation or tests of various hypotheses. For example, while designing a medical solution, we have analysed the working processes of several private clinics. We wanted to find out:

• whether medical organizations are prepared to provide convenient services to their patients;

• how they interact with customers;

• what do they do to increase loyalty.

Our specialists made appointments through various channels and watched the work of doctors, registrars and how the work in the clinic was organised. As a result, we have identified the main shortcomings of the clinics:

1. It is impossible to schedule an appointment at the clinic through the site. Therefore, the patient must spend his time calling the clinic.

2. On some sites you can sign up, but you can’t log in. With each visit to the clinic, the patient must provide their data again and again. After the patient sends a request, the clinic administrator calls him and specifies all the data: name, phone number, time of admission. If the website of the clinic had a personal account for every client, then all the information would directly flow to the administrator.

3. The patient does not receive an SMS or email with information about the upcoming visit to the clinic. Without such a notification, the patient may forget about the consultation, which would lead to unnecessary time spent by the patient and the doctor.

4. On the day of consultation, the patient first comes to the registry for a medical card, and then goes to the doctor. By the way, the registrar can transfer the patient's documents to the doctor’s office himself before the visit.

5. At the appointment, the doctor often fills out paper documents manually. There is no information system where you can enter the examination data and follow-up dates (second appointment, vaccinations, etc.). Sometimes the document management system of the clinic is partially automated, but it still does not send any notification to  the patients.

During our study, we obtained all required data on the working processes in clinics. Based on this data, we put forward a hypothesis about the improvement of business processes in clinics to our health partners.

We have proposed several solutions, including the integration of the Medical Information System (MIS) with the website and other IT systems of the clinic. This software is designed to automate work with patients and to make the job of the medical staff more convenient.

Consider the possibilities given by Medical Information Systems:

• The patient can see the schedule and sign up to see the doctor through the form on the website and other resources (for example, on social networks);

• The system independently checks whether the patient has previously applied to this clinic;

• The information system stores all patient data: medical history, vaccinations, recommended dates for follow-up appointments, etc;

• On the MIS basis, you can create a recommendation system that analyses patients’ data and transfers tasks to the clinic administrator. Examples of such tasks:

- invite for a checkup;
- reminder to do tests to control the dynamics of a disease.

• Based on the doctor's records and control dates, the system is able to form a personalised message for the patient and add a link to the appointment form.

For example:

"Hello, Alex! We are reminding you of the additional tests to control the dynamics of your disease. We will do a biochemical blood test and check the changes in the indicators".

 The doctor’s task is to fill in all the necessary data at the appointment and make recommendations for the patient. The Information System itself automates further work with the patient, including upcoming invitations and loyalty program. Automation of medical docflow increases the number of second appointments and attracts those patients who forget about visiting the clinic. As a result, the work of the clinic becomes faster, more convenient and more efficient.

At SimbirSoft we create software for various business sectors, including healthcare, and we know how to improve the work of a medical organization with the help of IT solutions. You find our medical business cases in the portfolio on our website.