Leveraging automation in the fight against COVID-19
Automation in healthcare is not, by any means, a new idea. However, given the context of a pandemic, with numbers spiking across the globe, and especially in the US and Europe, we have to take a step back and analyze the best approaches to not only keep both the patients and the physicians safe but to cut costs in an economy struck by the same affliction.
Looking at the situation from a business perspective, there is a realization to be made. The fact that even though healthcare is getting support from government-mandated public funding and the demand for quality services is high, there is an innate fear on the patient’s side in dealing with in-person consultation and treatments. This leads to patients with preexisting conditions not seeking help alarmed at the prospect of contracting the coronavirus, as reported by The New York Times and NBC.
According to this Research Gate Article, a hospital’s website is often a patient's first point of contact. Clear design and useful features can help establish trust and explain the cost of medical services.
Four questions shape the case for healthcare website automation:
the reasoning behind website automation as a process;
what technologies are currently gaining popularity in the field;
the level of investment required to develop a performative website;
what impact website automation will have on the potential patient’s decision-making process.
Why automate?
Healthcare organizations currently face a particularly challenging time. Costs are expected to rise by 6.5% over the subsequent year, adding to the fact that the field itself is dealing with higher pressure in terms of regulatory compliance, increased competition, and tighter budgets. In this context, hospitals need to employ all the means at their disposal to scale back costs and streamline healthcare delivery processes.
Healthcare automation can reduce administrative costs while improving operational efficiency in several practical ways.
For example:
Automated scheduling maximizes resource allocation.
Telehealth reduces active consultation time and keeps both patients and physicians safe.
Automated appointment reminders prevent eleventh-hour cancelations, saving a surprisingly large percentage of profits.
The ‘Online reports view’ option for patients streamlines the bureaucratic process and offers a higher level of transparency to the entire process.
Automated billing details and invoice generation directly to the patient account ensure higher payments settlement rates.
Automation can reduce administrative staffing costs, improve workflows, and shorten billing and payment cycles. It must also protect patient data and support trust in the medical service.
There are also secondary benefits to automating, such as improvements to staff satisfaction and a higher employee retention rate. This comes as a direct consequence of a diminishing amount of repetitive tasks. All these factors collectively contribute to the creation of an organizational culture that will reflect externally, validating the good reputation and trustworthiness of your institution.
Technology and implementations
Up to this point, we’ve covered the types and benefits of automation, but what are the costs and where should you start?
Until you have sufficient proof of concept and are able to confirm that your efforts are being invested where they will yield the best returns, you want to avoid tying yourself to any particular solution.
Avoid committing heavily to AI, RPA, or blockchain before proving that a simpler implementation can deliver the required result. In 2020, the infrastructure and cost of these technologies could work against a healthcare institution's immediate need for efficient, transparent patient services.
Incremental implementation assists you in sidestepping the pitfall of over-hyped or overly complicated solutions, while you progress to systematically and selectively adding small yet worthwhile improvements known to bring a lot of added value to your entire institution.
According to McKinsey&Co., over 50% of data entry, collection, and processing tasks can be automated. Automating these tasks reduces human errors, breaks down silos, increases data integration, and fosters a culture of free-flowing information and professional collaboration across the organization.
This is where we can assuredly say that investing in your website is a good starting point, considering it is the main interface for all the automation processes mentioned above.
Flexible web technologies such as TypeScript and JavaScript can add these capabilities behind the existing interface while integrating with a country's public healthcare system.
Keep up with trends
According to studies done by Google Think Insights and CB Insights, healthcare services were moving toward digital delivery. Affordable, incremental changes offered institutions a practical way to begin that transition.
A full website redesign aligned with current trends can be the tipping point for uncertain patients, proving once and for all the value of IT&C in generating revenue and increasing retention rate. This is a particularly powerful argument for decision-makers justifying their growth strategies to stakeholders.
Though apparently minor, if marketed right, this transformation brings in a small following, as well, and even stirs up some healthcare social influencers on your side.
Rethinking the online experience can also expose opportunities to change the business model. Small digital improvements give staff practical experience with new tools and working methods.
Novomed: a case study
Novomed is headquartered in Dubai, with branches across Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, including clinics, hospitals, and home care services. It aims to offer the UAE the latest generation of technology and the best service, but above all, doctors who give honest advice.
Objectives
Our objective was to build a feature-rich and complex website that taps into the existing legacy system. The website needed to be client-focused and inspire trust. It needed to be easily accessible for the client base and the staff using it.
Our Solution
By using the flexibility of Apollo IS, GraphQL, and React, with the power of Microsoft’s Typescript, we created a scalable environment that adapts easily to staff needs and makes automation an integral part of the business.
Our main focus was on the client journey, primarily engaging in innovative aspects such as dynamic PDF medical report generation and teleconference tooling for online appointments.
Design-wise, we focused on a monochromatic aesthetic with clean, easy to use UI, and a client-focused photography selection.
Novomed was built around patient access and ease of use. Our ongoing work keeps the website current and adds features that support the business as it grows.
Within 4 months of analysis, we noticed a growth of 79% in website visits and a 27% raise in Conversion Rate for Online Appointments compared to the prior quarter. We also noticed increased usage of viewer reports as well as the physician rating system.
Conclusion
Healthcare technology changes quickly, but novelty is a poor reason to invest. AI and blockchain can become expensive distractions when the institution has not established a clear need for them.
The best place to start moving towards digitalization is by updating your website and slowly adding features such as automated scheduling, telehealth, automated appointment reminders, online reports view, automated billing details, and invoice generation, which can be introduced incrementally without interrupting current services or replacing the entire system.
