13 Software Solutions for Healthcare - Software Used in Hospitals and Clinics

Introduction

Is it worth developing digital healthcare solutions? Let’s just say that up to 83% of patients search for health information on websites and browsers, and the value of the IT healthcare sector is growing by 19.8% per year. It's not only worth it – it's a must synchronizing article, we will discuss the 13 most important software solutions for healthcare.

Digital healthcare revolution

Digital medical services today are not just an add-on, but the core of effective daily work of hospitals. Their main goal is to optimize the work of medical facilities and support the treatment process for patients. The covid 19 pandemic has accelerated the inevitable process of digital transformation, and today it is difficult to find a medical company that does not use technological solutions.

Software solutions for healthcare - benefits

• Time savings.
• Cost reduction.
• Better communication with patients.
• Easy access to medical data.
• Improved medical business management.
• Increased patient satisfaction.
• Reduced paperwork.
• Better cooperation between organizations and specialists.

13 most popular types of healthcare software

Remote Patient Monitoring

Specialized tests require a visit to a facility, but many health measurements can be taken from home, saving the patient and doctor time. 

Remote patient monitoring is currently one of the most important trends in modern medicine. This broad term encompasses all tools, systems, and procedures that allow a person's health to be observed without direct interaction with a medical professional.

Examples of remote patient monitoring tools:

• Mobile and desktop apps where patients enter measured parameters, for example, weight, blood pressure, glucose levels, temperature, and mood.
• Devices used to measure vital functions, such as blood pressure monitors, glucose meters, or advanced IoT devices.
• Healthcare software that collects and analyzes patient health data and sends alerts and reports to qualified medical personnel.

Remote monitoring allows patients to easily update information about their condition and encourages them to follow up regularly. Medical personnel, meanwhile, can use their time more efficiently and focus on emergencies instead of performing routine examinations. In addition, remote patient monitoring ensures that doctors have the most up-to-date information about the patient's health status and can respond immediately to alarming symptoms.

For whom?

Clinics, hospitals, and patients.

Most important benefit

They allow observation of health conditions outside the facility, reducing costs and examination time.

Use case example

• Prevounce is a manufacturer of software solutions for healthcare offering its customers a remote patient monitoring tool. Any logged-in doctor can check, upload and update data about their patients, and the system sends them notifications if the condition of any of them is of concern. Patients can regularly add information about their health via a mobile or web application.

Telemedicine

According to the CDC – the national public health agency of the United States – more than 50% of visits to medical facilities are for primary care. In the face of overcrowded hospitals and staffing shortages in the medical industry, solutions that allow primary care consultations to be provided effectively outside of a medical facility are crucial. Fortunately, such a solution already exists and is gaining popularity in the healthcare sector. 

Telemedicine is a form of providing medical services through digital communication channels, such as phone calls, video calls, or chats. In this way, patients can get advice, a prescription, or a referral without leaving home. 

According to the CDC, 37.0% of adults used telemedicine at least once in 2021. Moreover, 65% of physician practices with a telehealth solution already in place plan to make further investments, up from 45% in 2018. This kind of software solution for healthcare is also a valuable support for the elderly as even 43.3% of adults aged 65+ use it (compared to 29.4% of adults aged 18-29).

For whom?

Medical facilities and patients

Most important benefit

Telemedicine increases the efficiency of doctors by allowing them to more quickly give a routine consultation, prescribe a prescription or refer for further tests. Patients do not have to drive to the clinic when they are sick or need brief advice.

Use case example

• ‍Healee is a powerful software used by hospitals and medical facilities to schedule and conduct doctor appointments virtually. Patients can also use the discussion forum and check the doctor's profile and reviews.

Electronic Health Record Software

EHR is probably the most important software used in hospitals because it allows them to store and update patient data, treatment history, diagnoses, prescriptions, medical records, allergy information, and more. EHR software maintains the continuity of treatment and significantly reduces administrative work. What's more, different facilities can use a common database to keep patient information complete. This solution also reduces the risk of data loss or duplication common with paper records.

The EHR system often also has a financial module for billing and invoicing. The software is usually integrated with CRM and remote patient monitoring software.

For whom?

Clinics and hospitals.

Most important benefit

Storage and organization of medical records and the exchange of data between medical facilities.

Use case example

• ‍AdvancedMD is a provider of EHR solutions. Their software enables medical records collection and synchronization in the cloud, physician and medical staff workflow management, ePrescribing, reporting, patient communication and more. The tool is also available in a mobile version.

Patient CRM software

Healthcare customer relationship management (CRM) software enables patients to manage their appointments, documents, medical history, and prescriptions. CRM software solutions for healthcare are often used by private medical facilities to build relationships with customers and improve their user experience. Patients appreciate convenient and intuitive technological solutions and are more likely to entrust the care of their health to a company that allows them to freely manage and monitor their medical data. Such a solution also has a benefit for medical staff, as it reduces administrative work.

For whom?

Patients.

Most important benefit

Patients get quick access to medical history, treatment data and prescriptions. They can check all the necessary information on their own instead of calling the reception desk of the medical facility.

Use case example

Private medical care such as Medicover, Bupa, or Cigna offer their customers advanced CRM panels for booking appointments, following a treatment plan, checking doctor's orders, viewing medical history, prescriptions, and sick leave notices.

Hospital management software

Hospitals are large and complex organizations where a huge number of processes need to be kept under control. HMS is a tool for optimizing the work of the entire hospital and managing administration, supplies, doctors' work, room booking, etc. HMS, together with EHR, is the most important medical software used in hospitals and the backbone of an effective health service.

For whom

Hospitals, clinics, and medical facilities.

Most important benefit

It optimizes hospital operations, increases the productivity of the medical team, and prevents errors.

Use case example

• ‍Smartsheet is one of the leading providers of HMS systems for hospitals. The main capabilities of this healthcare software are: workflow automation, resource management, team collaboration and integration with external platforms.

Appointment scheduling software

Managing patient appointments and physician availability is one of the most time-consuming tasks of medical facility administration. Fortunately, the days when all appointments and availability had to be organized manually are behind us. The appointment booking tool is an essential software solution for healthcare. It allows a clinic or hospital to work smoothly and automatically update appointment data. As a rule, such a system has two panels – for patients, who can book the services of specialists at selected facilities, and for medical staff, who can enter the availability of doctors. Data in the system is updated in real-time to prevent several people from booking the same appointment. The tool can be integrated with EHR and CRM systems.

For whom

Patients, clinics, and hospitals.

Most important benefit

Reduce queues in the facility, managw the availability of specialists, optimize staff time.

Health tracking apps

Mobile health monitoring apps provide a quick and easy way to update information about one's condition and well-being and encourage patients to check-ups regularly. In 2022, 77% of young adults (18-29) used their smartphones to monitor their health conditions, while 84 million people in the U.S. used healthcare apps. Health tracking apps send reminders to take measurements, generate periodic reports and support medical education through tips, videos, and posts. They can connect to IoT devices and patient monitoring software.

Use case example

• ‍QuitNow supports smoking cessation. The app reports how the user's health improves by not smoking (based on WHO data) and calculates the money saved.‍
• Calm is used to reduce stress and anxiety, plan meditation, and improve focus and sleep quality.‍
• Clue is an app used to monitor one’s menstrual cycle. It allows users to predict the next period, PMS or fertile days.‍
• Noom helps form healthy eating habits, lose weight, and calculate the nutritional and caloric value of meals.

IoT devices

Medical IoT devices are used to collect information on a patient's vital functions, such as blood pressure, glucose levels, heart rate, sleep quality, body tension, etc. They’re a great way to continuously and automatically monitor a patient's health and analyze their results under different conditions, such as during sleep or after exercise, which helps doctors to diagnose more accurately. 32% of consumers who purchase wearable technology use it for health and clinical reasons. Modern accessories of this type are small and convenient, so patients like to wear them which support regular checkups. Data collected by IoT devices can be synchronized with the software used in hospitals and healthcare mobile applications to provide a broader view of the patient's condition.

For whom?

Patients and medical facilities.

Most important benefit

The patient can easily and effortlessly measure his vitals, and the doctor has access to up-to-date information.

Use case examples

• ‍MorePro's SmartWatch tracks a person's blood oxygen, blood pressure, heart rate, sleep patterns, breathing rhythm and physical activity.‍
• Sensirion has created smart inhalers to help people with asthma monitor their breathing, improving medicine dosing and even anticipate the next attack.‍
• Kinetic is a band that measures body tension to warn athletes and manual workers of possible overload.

AI-based diagnostic tools

Diagnostic software based on Artificial Intelligence uses machine learning to collect and process data on the symptoms of specific diseases. This allows the software to indicate a patient's condition using information about previous accurate diagnoses. This type of software solution for healthcare is a tremendous support for doctors during diagnosis because it gives them access to far more data and experience than one person would be able to gather during their entire practice. AI-based diagnostic tools are particularly useful when diagnosing rare diseases with non-specific symptoms and enable knowledge sharing between partner units around the world.

For whom?

Clinics, hospitals, specialists.

Most important benefit

AI-based software used in hospitals increases the accuracy of diagnosis and reduce its time.

Use case example

Diagnostics.ai is a provider of AI-based software used in hospitals and medical facilities to ensure safe and automated diagnosis of diseases. The effectiveness of this multi-patented algorithm is confirmed by a peer-reviewed clinical study.

Blockchain solutions

Blockchain technology-based solutions are gaining popularity in industries that operate on sensitive data, such as finance, law, retail, and healthcare. The global blockchain technology in healthcare market accounts for $1.97 billion. Blockchain is of great importance in cybersecurity because it records the full history of operations, and the data it contains cannot be manipulated or falsified. Private blockchains act as closed databases that can only be accessed by verified users, and their activity is reported in the system. Since medical records are some of the most sensitive data, and their theft can have colossal consequences for patient protection, medical companies are among the main adopters of such solutions.

For whom?

Hospitals and medical facilities.

Most important benefit

They enhance data security, ensure transparency of actions taken and prevent information falsification or hacking.

Use case examples

• Medical records exchange – transferring information via blockchain allows for the creation of a single encrypted database and protection against hacking attacks.

• Authentication of drug transfers – blockchain transactions can serve as a way to verify the history of drug transfers in the supply chain. This ensures that information about the transfer of prescription drugs to other facilities or patients cannot be falsified.

• Verification of insurance data – blockchain creates a single source of data updated in real-time available to stakeholders, such as hospitals and insurance companies. This prevents fraudsters from falsifying insurance certificates and using services to which they are not entitled.

• Instant medical classification - the speed and security of data transfer using blockchain technology allows hospitals to reduce the time of verification of medical classification and provide help to patients who need it most as soon as possible. 

Virtual Reality Medical Solutions

We associate VR mainly with entertainment, but the possibilities of this technology in medicine are blooming. According to a PWC report, the annual growth rate of VR technology is 30.3%. Virtual Reality makes it possible to design a simulation tailored to the specific needs of a case and to go through the therapeutic process under controlled conditions. Such solutions are long-term cheaper and easier to carry out, as patients can train at home. In addition, VR can also be used to educate doctors, for example, in performing surgeries. According to a Harvard Business Review study, VR training improved students' overall surgical performance by 230% compared with traditional methods.

Virtual Reality in healthcare is used for:

• Reworking traumatic situations of people with post-traumatic stress syndrome.
• Motor stimulation for people with cerebral palsy or Parkinson's disease.
• Phobia therapy and anxiety reduction.
• Memory rehabilitation for people with dementia or Alzheimer's.
• Cognitive-motor rehabilitation of people after brain injury.

For whom

Patients and medical staff.

Most important benefit

Supporting the therapeutic process of patients and educating physicians.

Use case example

• ‍MyndVR helps seniors develop their memory, cognitive, motor, and social functions.‍
• Psylaris is a module provider for Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for phobias and PTSD cases.

Medical education software

Medicine is one of the most difficult fields of study in the world, and the healthcare industry is evolving rapidly so doctors need to constantly expand their knowledge. For this reason, custom medical education software can be a tremendous support for students and practicing professionals to improve their skills. E-learning platforms with tests, online lectures, quizzes, and memorization apps help to improve the quality of medical staff education.

For whom

Students, practicing physicians, clinics, hospitals, and medical schools

Most important benefit

Improving the quality of education in health care.

Use case example

• ‍Osso VR is a training software for future surgeons that allows them to practice procedures using virtual reality simulation.
• ‍Complete Anatomy provides the user with three-dimensional images of individual parts of the human body.

Use case example

Companies such as SimplyBook.Me, Clinicminds, or Setmore allow you to book appointments at selected medical facilities and implement in hospitals and clinics.

E-commerce solutions for healthcare

Between 2019 and 2020, the e-commerce sector grew by as much as 43%! The medical industry has also benefited from this explosion in the popularity of online sales. And it's not just about medications, supplements, and equipment. Healthcare providers are increasingly expanding the potential of e-commerce to offer their customers packages of tests and services tailored to their needs. Patients through an online store can book an appointment with a specialist, purchase a test or examination, a package of appointments with a physical therapist, comprehensive dental treatment, and much more.

For whom

Patients, healthcare providers, clinics, and laboratories.

Most important benefit

It improves the user experience of healthcare patients, and increases the customer base of healthcare providers.

Use case example

• ‍Medistore is the platform of private healthcare leader Medicover. Through it, customers can buy examinations, tests, medical services, treatment packages, and consultations as in a classic online store.

Biggest healthcare industry trends for 2023

• The use of technology in optimizing data storage and synchronization will be one of the biggest tasks for the healthcare industry, so cloud solutions and EHR software will become increasingly important. About 83% of the healthcare sector is currently using the cloud for their core operations and 88-95% of medical facilities are using EHR systems.
• Hackers are using increasingly sophisticated data capture techniques, so cybersecurity will increase in importance. This will boost the popularity of blockchain solutions in healthcare – this sector is about to grow by 61.3% till 2028!
• As modern healthcare increasingly seeks to ease hospitals’ overcrowding and reduce shortages, technologies such as scheduling software, telemedicine, and remote patient monitoring will become a staple of doctors' daily work. 
• Paperwork costs the U.S. healthcare industry $812 billion a year. The goal of software solutions for healthcare will be to automate and digitize processes as much as possible, thus saving significantly.

Start preparing for the healthcare industry challenges

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Summary

It won’t be an exaggeration to say that the digital transformation of healthcare is a process that everyone has been waiting for years, even decades. At first, many companies were afraid of innovation, but once the progress took off - it could no longer be stopped. Today, almost all medical facilities use some form of software to optimize their work. Solutions such as AI-based diagnostic tools, VR software, EHR, CRM, and HMS systems make it possible to significantly increase the productivity of medical staff, avoid administrative errors, save time and money, and, most importantly, improve the quality of patient care. The future is now. And it's remarkable to see what it will bring!