A few weeks ago, when we were delving into cloud computing for healthcare, I narrated how a sick friend of mine cost me a fortune to take to the hospital. Well, he is now in good health and still working on a plan to refund me the camel I had to sell in a hurry to fly him to the nearest health center since we live in a very remote part of our country.
The government barely recognizes the arid areas, and we have to work up with solutions of our own when it comes to issues such as water and security. Thankfully, a bit of private investment in the neighboring county has opened up more opportunities for the residents of my county, who are now flocking to the place in huge numbers.
Improving Healthcare
Today, we will look at databases and how we can use them to make our healthcare better. Have you ever had an experiencing going to a hospital you had been to before, but they can barely remember you? This is most likely because of the record management system that the hospital has in place for their patients.
When the hospital uses paper records, they are easily spoiled or even lost, and accountability is lost. They will be poorly managed, and even keeping track of the patients they had treated in the past will be very difficult. The use of paper records is highly inefficient and does not help hospitals offer any better services.
However, databases are an attractive alternative that holds a lot of promise and massive potential to help hospitals remember you better when you visit them for subsequent visits. With the use of a database, the hospital will remember a lot more about you than just your name.
Keeping Track of Recovery Progress
They will keep track of your medical progress and how well you are faring with your treatment course. The use of the database will also ensure that all your medical history is kept track of and not repeat any medication courses. With modern databases, the hospital can become so much more efficient, and it will ensure that it provides better services to all its patients.
The use of information management systems and cloud computing can also be added to the mix to make the soup a lot thicker and palatable for the patients. With a better quality of healthcare, the overall cost of providing medical services will also be reduced. The hospital will keep better track of all their information, and their levels of efficiency will have been increased.
Hospital Efficiency
An increased level of efficiency will also cut the hospital’s operational costs as it will no longer need to be worried about the records that it keeps. Digital records are more reliable and will be one of the best ways to ensure that a hospital remembers all its patients and the medical treatment options.
With the use of a database, a hospital will be able to keep its patients in good records, but it will also be able to reduce clutter and get rid of all redundancy of its records. It will no longer be necessary to make several copies of the same records since the database can be shared across different hospital sections and coordinated among all the wings of the hospital.
No matter where the patient is sent off to, the use of the database will ensure that all the doctors and officers at the hospital can access the records belonging to the patient with much ease.
As such, there will be no need to replicate the information across many systems as the database will be there to offer centralized access to all information about the hospital and its operations. The use of databases in hospitals also enables the hospital to consolidate all its information in one place.
As such, the medical institute gets to become more efficient, and it can handle a more significant number of patients without feeling the strain. The use of digital information management systems has been known to keep hospitals in top operational condition. It improves the quality of services that they are capable of providing to their patients.
More Patients
With the databases in place, the hospital can store the records of hundreds or even thousands of patients for many years and reduce the need to keep registering patients every time they visit the hospital. With the database systems, the hospital will also tackle the challenge of dealing with double records, and duplication of entries in their records will no longer be an issue of concern for them.
Access to the information in the databases is also made easier with the use of the database. Many hospital-based applications and information systems can be connected to the database to make the operations a lot more efficient and streamlined.
The hospital staff, for instance, will be able to run their operations with a lot of ease when they have a database that they can easily rely on for all their information needs.
Additionally, the use of a database by the hospital means that there will no longer be incidences of wrong diagnoses being made by the doctors. The quality of services that the hospital staff, such as the doctors, will provide will also be improved, and the level of healthcare that is available will be significantly improved.
For instance, scheduling for the doctors and the general staff will be a lot easier when there are appointments that have been saved in the database. The team at the hospital will know what to expect at what time, and the resources at the hospital will not be strained.
Increased Capacity
Assigning the available staff to the pool of patients will also be a lot easier when there is a database to store the information. Using the database, it becomes easier to determine which cases are more urgent and require immediate attention from the doctors.
Additionally, it will also be easier for the patients to get better services when their information has already been saved to the hospital medical records.
The time required to wait before getting medical attention will also be reduced when the hospital staff uses digital records to keep track of the patients. The use of digital records makes information access a lot faster, and the team at the hospital will be able to provide a better caliber of services.
Better Quality of Healthcare
With the better quality of medical services being provided, the overall cost of getting medical services will be reduced. People from my county will be able to go to the hospital instead of letting their wounds fester due to the lack of readily available medical services.
Sometimes, the patients are worried about the high costs of medical services and would rather rot while they see themselves instead of risking the fortunes of their families and closest relations to seek medical assistance.
This is very bad and stinks to the core, which is why I feel that hospitals would be much better having digital records and databases that can store our medical pains for more accessible references the next time we visit the doctor with a body full of painful infections.
In addition, to keep track of the patients, the database can also be used to keep track of the available staff at the hospital.
Resource Management
Balancing and managing the available resources with a load of patients that need medical attention is a delicate act, and with a database, accountability gets to another level. The number of available doctors, nurses, and interns at the hospital is known, and determining the hospital’s capacity is made a lot easier.
Getting to provide the best level of services also means stretching the resources available to cover the number of patients at the hospital. Knowing how many doctors you have available also makes you more prepared for disasters and other kinds of emergencies.
When the doctors have a free slot on their schedule, you can assign them the patients waiting for their services, thanks to using a database that makes everything clear and transparent. Doctors who have many patients to attend can also be relieved of their burden by sharing the patients with the other doctors that are not as busy as the others.
With this in place, you will ensure that all the patients are getting the best level of services. The time needed to wait for medical services will also be reduced, and the doctors will render their services at a better level of quality.
My deepest pain lies with the current records that are still in paper form. Not only are they causing the destruction of our natural resources, but they are also heavy and seem like a burden to the people who manage them.
Dragging huge paper files and records around might sound like an uncomfortable task which is why walking around with a tablet in hand sounds more attractive. The use of digital records will also reduce the amount of manual work that the hospital staff has to do in relation to providing medical services. As such, they will be able to handle a more significant number of patients.
The use of tablets connected to the hospital WiFi will also ensure mobility for the hospital staff, meaning that they can go to the patients in pain and attend to their needs where they are instead of making them move around while they are in a lot of pain. No matter where the patients are, the hospital attendant will be able to move to where they are and take their records, tapping them into a tablet held in hand instead of filling forms in illegible handwriting.
Digital Records
The use of digital documents is a lot more convenient, saves time, and is even more reliable than paper records. The medical service providers can benefit significantly from mobility and tablets, which have constant access to the hospital database.
If the patient is already in the database, they will get assigned a doctor and their turn scheduled up. If they are new patients, their records will be taken in a matter of minutes and made part of hospital records. As such, the hospital will still have the records the next time the patient visits the hospital.
The records only need to be entered once, and they won’t need to be entered again as long as they are in digital form. We might save more lives if the hospitals can manage themselves better and keep track of their patient records without resorting to offices full of paper records.
Without having to enter records twice, the work that has to be done by the hospital staff will also be reduced, and as opposed to record-keeping, they will be able to focus on the core services provided by the hospital.
No matter what happens to the hospital, they will still have the records of their patients even when the management is shuffled around and a lot of changes and restructuring take place in the hospital organization.
With the database, the new staff will take less time getting familiarized with the record-keeping practices of the hospital, and they will be up and running in less time. The use of databases is essential for the modern world.
A lot more lives can be saved when hospitals can provide medical services instead of keeping medical records. The hospital’s operational costs will also be reduced when working with digital records, and an essential factor will increase their efficiency.
The next time my neighbor is sick, the database will ensure that we do not wait with painful bodies before getting allowed to see a doctor. The staff at the reception will get our records quickly from the database and assign us to the next available doctor.
This will all be automated, and we will get the services that we need in significantly less time. With the use of digital records and the database, the hospital will have an information system that they can use to offer the best level of services.
The database will be used to ensure that doctors get assigned a fair number of patients and are not overworked. This will also ensure that the working condition for all the staff at the hospital is fairly and fully compensated for.
The use of databases and digital information management systems will ensure that the hospital does not lag in providing the best services. The staff will focus on providing the best services, and patients will have experiences that are worth remembering any time they pay a visit to the hospital.
Greater Productivity
The productivity of the hospital staff will also be increased when they have the database to see who’s getting assigned what tasks. The availability status of a doctor, for instance, will be straightforward to establish from the use of the database. Suppose some patients have been assigned to the doctor.
In that case, the availability status will change to engaged. Any new patients who come will be told to visit a different hospital section or get assigned another doctor who is currently available. The use of digital information systems is crucial for ensuring that doctors are getting time to rest and breaks between appointments.
With this in place, they will have a peaceful working environment that will add to their productivity, the quality of services they provide to their patients, and the number of hours they have to work each day. There will be no doctor getting overworked, and all the shifts will have a fair number of patients to be attended to. Booking appointments with specialized doctors will also be made possible by the use of a database.
When the hospital has a database of the doctors with them, they will easily book appointments for their patients and ensure that the doctors have a full appointment schedule when they visit the hospital. Some doctors are scarce to find, and they are also in high demand. Meeting them requires an appointment that has to be made early to ensure that it gets added to the doctor’s schedule.
The patients will be able to get specialized treatment, and the overall quality of services provided at the hospital will also be significantly improved. The hospital’s reputation will also grow, and more patients will seek medical assistance from a better-managed hospital and keep track of all its records digitally.
The quality of medical services is important and determines how soon a patient will receive their treatment.
Better Planning
Even when there are long queues at the hospital, an equal distribution of the responsibilities to the available staff is possible if these patients have been entered into the hospital database. They will be able to get the services they need in good time, and the staff will not feel overwhelmed by the influx of patients. The patients will also get services based on the severity of their medical conditions.
Patients with emergencies will get a higher priority, something that can be included in the information management system. The applications that are being used at the hospital can also include ratings for the doctors and urgency meters for the patients.
A patient on the verge of collapsing will get a higher urgency rating and get to see a doctor immediately. The others will get their issues sorted out and be given time to see the doctor. With these measures in place, it becomes a lot easier to take care of patients.
The hospital will be able to provide better healthcare services, which will add to its reputation and grow the faith of the patients and their level of trust in healthcare services. The patients will not need to wait around for long or even struggle to receive medical services. The records and the appointments will be more organized and better ordered.
Additionally, the patients will be able to see the doctor when they need to, and they will not have to wait for long before they can get the medical services they have been waiting for.
The use of medical information systems also ensures proper diagnosis. Getting medication for your illness will be automated, and you will not have to carry a card around to get the medication you need. All you will need is to visit the pharmacy and provided your reference number.
With such a simple means of identification, you will get the medications you are entitled to. Your visit to the hospital will be short, and you will come out feeling fulfilled and in much better shape. The use of medical information systems also improves the accuracy of the diagnosis provided by the doctor since they already have access to all your medical history.
As such, they can provide medication based on your past treatment, which will improve your chances of getting better. Recovery rates will be a lot higher when the information that the hospital works with is properly organized.
The patients will be able to get the best quality of services, resulting in better livelihoods for them. Improved lives also mean a more productive workforce and citizens that can contribute to their economy when they are in good health and physical status.
A Healthier Nation
Members of the public that are in good physical shape will also be able to take part in meaningful activities and promote the growth of their nation. Their economy will be a lot more stable. They will provide a better livelihood for their families when they are taking part in good and well-paying jobs due to their physical and mental fitness level.
Additionally, the overall economy will be able to edge forward due to their fitness and good health. They will no longer feel sick and unfit for work when getting the best medical services level. If someone falls ill at work, the database will ensure that they get quick treatment and are in shape to return to work.
The patients will no longer have to wait for weeks or months before getting an appointment with a specialized doctor for their treatment. They can even be referred directly to the specialized doctor when their condition is urgent. This will ensure that they get the treatment they need and get back to meaningful and productive activity without many delays.
Job Opportunities for Doctors
Doctors will not lack work since they will be able to fill in the slots made available by more efficient information systems. Digital systems will ensure that the doctors can find work in understaffed hospitals and get a high influx of patients.
Even doctors that work on a contract basis will be called into the hospitals to deal with a growing number of patients, and this will mean that they can take their kids to school, take care of their parents and live better lives thanks to such opportunities. The doctors will always be able to find work.
With a database showing their information, the hospitals that need them will easily get in touch with them whenever they need someone to take care of patients and reduce the strain that the staff at a hospital has. The use of hospital management systems also ensures that there is no shortage of staff at the hospital, and they can hire new doctors at a moment’s notice.
The effectiveness of the hospital as a medical institute will also be increased when they have a database that they can refer to whenever they need information about doctors and other experts in the medical field.
The use of digital records is a lot lighter and more efficient. With the doctor’s contact information in the database, reaching out to them to ask about their availability will no longer be a problem.
Easily accessible medical services can be made possible with hospitals employing database management systems to ensure that their records are well organized and sorted properly to ensure that the hospital can provide more efficient services. With the use of digital systems, the hospital will be able to get doctors when it needs them, and this will also open up opportunities for the unhired doctors out of work.
The quality of healthcare that citizens can access is crucial. The hospitals should establish a reputation for better service providers and be more efficient, transparent, and accountable for all their operations. The use of databases can make it possible for hospitals to operate at a greater level of efficiency.
For instance, with the staff being readily available and adequately documented, it will be possible to offer services in shifts that will keep the hospital running around the clock. The provision of round-the-clock medical services is possible and can make healthcare more accessible and even cheaper for hospitals.
The use of the databases will ensure that all the staff can get replaced at certain times of the day, and the ones that take over have all the information at hand and can quickly work with the patients that arrive in their shift without causing any patient to wait. The loads that the hospitals have to take care of will also be reduced when they can provide credible medical services in the least time possible.
Without having to push work to the next shift, the doctors and the medical staff will be able to clear their plates within the time they are active and get rest for the other hours when another shift comes in. medical services are an essential aspect of keeping any economy or nation busy and running effectively.
With digital information systems and databases, the hospitals will get to keep the country healthy and in the best shape possible. No longer will patients have to get referred to several medical institutions before they can get the medical services they need. The use of a database will reduce all the unnecessary work and moving back and forth between hospitals.
Instead, accurate records will ensure that the patient only gets sent to the right experts who will be able to take care of their medical conditions and put them on a treatment plan that guarantees good results. Specialized treatment is also possible with exceptional doctors being hired for the cases in their area of specialization.
With the use of the databases, the patients will get the best possible kind of medical services. The use of databases will also reduce the overall cost of medical services. Usually, a lot of the cost comes from inefficiency at the hospitals with regards to the management of records and schedules or appointments.
However, a database eliminates all the inefficiencies and provides a lifeline for the patients who need these services urgently. The patients will reach the doctor in less time, and the time taken to undergo treatment for all kinds of medical conditions will be significantly reduced.
For this reason, it is essential that hospitals get rid of the clutter and inefficiencies in their systems, clear themselves up and increase their capacity to take on patients and give them hope in life.
Less Waiting in Queues
A reduction in waiting time means that a lot more lives will get saved at our hospitals, and with the use of digital information systems, the services provided to the patients will be improved.
The use of databases and other applications will also make healthcare services a lot easier and even more affordable for the patients. Anyone experiencing symptoms will be able to determine what is wrong with them before they can meet the doctor for a proper diagnosis.
Without having to wait for hours, there will be greater capacity at the hospitals and medical institutions, which means that they will be able to process many more patients in a day while keeping their staff shuffled around and replaced in shifts to ensure that they are not overworked. Healthy working conditions are encouraged for the staff at the hospitals, and with the use of digital systems, logging in the hours that have been worked will be a lot easier.
The access to sensitive resources at the hospital will also be restricted based on the staff that is on the current shift. A medical staffer who is not in the present shift will not access the resources that the other medical officers require to offer services to their patients.
The operations of the hospital will also be a lot more transparent and reliable. The medical staff will be able to rely on the information system to track their working hours, overtime, and anything at the hospital. Incident reporting will also be much easier with the use of digital systems.
Since everything will get to be stored in a database, the patients will be able to lodge any complaints about the system with the hospital. This information and feedback is beneficial for the evolution of the medical systems and will make it possible for the patients to handle any complaints and concerns from their patients.
Improvement for the medical services will be made possible, and with a clear store of all the records about the hospital throughout a couple of years, it will be possible to see where progress is being made and where changes need to be made.
Evolution of Medical Services
Digital systems are not stagnant and can constantly improve and adapt to meet the growing needs and demands of the areas in which they are being used. For instance, if the hospital is upgrading its digital systems by introducing the internet of things in the hospital, they will provide better services, and the applications will be upgraded to interface with these devices.
Sensors around the hospital can determine the level of cleanliness around the hospital, the cleanliness of the air, and other sanitation measures in place at the institution. The internet of things is being applied in many areas and institutions and adds to the efficiency of various systems.
These systems use the available networks to ensure that systems are connected and able to talk to each other. With the internet of things being installed at hospitals, the applications used at the place will be automated, more efficient, and effective at providing the best level of services.
The automation of many systems will no longer be a challenge for the hospitals, and they will be able to improve the effectiveness at which they can render services to their patients. The patients will not have to wait long before getting services, and the overall level of efficiency at the hospital will be increased.
Databases are useful applications connected with all kinds of digital systems to power decision making, automating, and many other essential features for modern information-based systems.
With the use of databases, the current systems will get to be more efficient and offer better services. Connectivity to other advanced systems such as the internet of things will also be made possible by using databases to store the information from the sensors and other devices connected to the internet of things.
Easier Coordination
For this reason, it will become easier to coordinate the services and activities that are taking place at critical institutions such as hospitals. No longer will any portion of the hospital be inaccessible from the rest of the hospital since the use of the connected internet of things will ensure that doctors know where to be at the right time.
By being in the right place, the doctors will attend to all the patients on their appointment list and render the best level of services to all their patients.
Modern information systems are also getting more connected and with this connection comes better utility out of the systems. The use of interconnected systems makes it possible to have automated systems at the hospital that will keep track of the patient’s recovery progress and the medication they are currently on.
With the use of databases, it becomes possible to be more accountable for everything done at the hospital, every decision made concerning the treatment course of the patient, and what problems, challenges, and complications are encountered in the course of the treatment.
An interconnected system ensures that critical alerts and notifications are sent to the concerned parties in good time. Suppose the patient needs urgent attention from the doctors and medical staff on shift.
In that case, automated alerts will be sent to the staff members, informing them about the critical condition of their patients and the need for immediate attention. The patients will not have to wait for long before getting the medical attention they require, and they will be able to get the best experience at the hospital.
The use of databases also means that reference to medical information and the history of any case that has ever been handled in a hospital will be very easy. The doctors will be able to look at their patients’ medical records and determine the best course of treatment for any complications that they might have developed.
Accurate Diagnosis
Giving them the correct medication will be possible with these records, and the database will ensure that the patients can get the best kind of medication for their illnesses. The doctors will also have an easier time dealing with their patients, and they will also have more friendly experiences with the patients.
When the doctor has the patient’s medical records on their tablet, they will be able to make the experience a lot better for the patient by including their name into the conversation and credible references that will make it possible for the patient to trust them.
As long as the patient trusts the doctor, the treatment will be a lot more effective, and the patient will take less time to recover. The kind of service that the doctor can provide to the patient will also be improved when the doctor is working with credible and reliable information that comes from a database that has been in operation over the years.
The use of modern database systems is essential for better healthcare, and the hospitals will be able to have the best throughput in terms of how many patients can be attended to in a day.
There will be no substantial waiting lists to get an appointment when information is used correctly to create appointments for the patients and ensure that they meet the correct doctor that can take care of their medical condition.
Modern medical institutions should be more effective and efficient at the level of services they offer to their patients. With databases, web applications, the internet of things, and other applications, they can quickly render the best services to all their patients. They will also lessen the time taken to recover from illnesses and the overall fitness level of the workforce and the entire nation. I’ve not gotten compensated for my camel, but I am still patiently waiting.
