Could real-time health software benefit doctors?
In today’s fast-paced health ecosystem, the pressure is on healthcare professionals to make clinical decisions faster and more accurately than ever before. So it’s no wonder ‘real-time’ healthcare is now surfacing as a powerful enabler for offering better, flexible and more personal patient care.
In this article, MedicalDirector’s Chief Clinical Advisor and GP, Dr Charlotte Middleton, reveals some of the clinical benefits she sees arising from accessing real-time information through the cloud.
Real-time health software defined
The term “real-time” refers to the ability to do or perform particular tasks right at the very moment you plan to execute them. Real-time software allows users to execute various tasks and activities – often all at the same time.
In healthcare, solutions like cloud clinical and practice management software, allow health professionals to access, update and share patient information in ‘real-time.’ Unlike server-based systems, cloud solutions allow information to be accessed through a desktop app or web browser, allowing users access to the infrastructure information systems from any device.
Better clinical decision-making
A key benefit of cloud software is that it enables instant, real-time population health predictions, which is particularly valuable at the point of care. Leveraging this potential clinically could be extremely useful to the time-poor professional who needs access to faster and more accurate information to optimise clinical decision-making.
Access more up-to-date drug information
One of the great things about getting everything in real-time through cloud software is you can get instant drug updates, unlike server-based systems where you might have to wait days, weeks or even months to offer the same information.
For instance an innovative cloud-based solution like the clinical and practice management platform Helix, ensures all drug warnings, drug safety and drug interaction alerts are visually enhanced and are updated in real-time. This ultimately helps improve patient safety, while providing professional peace of mind.
Instant software updates
A great time-saving benefit of cloud software is that it supports automatic software updates in real-time. This means less time and money spent on costly server upgrades, and more resources open to your practice to offer more patient-centric care.
Anywhere, anytime access
One of the benefits of cloud software is accessing patient information instantly anywhere and on any device. This means while at home, or on the go seeing patients, you could access test results, write clinical notes, update patient information, all in real-time, without having to wait and go back into the office.
Better health communication
A key benefit of cloud health software is that it supports better real-time communication. For instance, it supports digital referrals, faster communication between primary healthcare providers and hospitals, as well as better communication between GPs and allied health providers. Ultimately, it is this real-time benefit of cloud software that helps support interoperability in the wider health ecosystem.
