Although automation is normally associated with operations and revenue cycles, there is also great opportunity to improve hospital care delivery through the use of hospital-specific software, data and resources. An Advisory Board report notes a variety of pitfalls due to human error and staff capacity strains that could easily be solved using automation.1
Through this integration, factors such as workloads of hospital staff can be greatly reduced. It takes away the burden of day-to-day administrative tasks as well as manual data entry – allowing staff to focus their attention on patients in need of specialized care.
More specifically, hospital automation helps:
- Streamline care coordination
When automation is implemented into a hospital’s operations, care coordination is improved. For example, the report notes that “automation platforms can send out appointment reminders to patients, as well as automate intake forms and digitize them for easier access within hospital EHR systems.”
Having a system that can supply reminders without the need for manual entry helps to make sure certain patients don’t fall through the cracks. This is especially critical as lower risk patients can often be seen as less of a priority compared to those labeled as high risk. By keeping patients top of mind, regardless of risk factor, patient satisfaction and outcomes can be substantially improved.
- Medical reconciliation
Another common error associated with manual data and information entry is incorrect medication management. “Effective medication management is of the utmost importance in preventing adverse drug events, which are dangerous for patients and costly for hospitals,” the report states.
This will allow hospital teams to effectively identify where medication should and should not be allocated – helping to avoid situations of opioid abuse and the potential for rehospitalization.
The integration of automation systems across a hospital’s care continuum allows staff to enhance their care offerings in an efficient and effective way. It has also been shown to lower workforce turnover and help hospitals avoid CMS penalties that often result from data entry errors.
Read the full Advisory Board report
References:
- Nathan, K. (2021, November). Automation blog series part 4: Helping streamline care coordination and eliminate care gaps. Advisory Board. Retrieved March 23, 2022, from https://www.advisory.com/Blog/2021/11/automation-part-4
