Transportation safety experts frequently warn drivers that speed can be fatal. However, in healthcare, the story is different: speed can be a lifesaver, especially in urgent scenarios such as cancer treatment.
Early diagnosis and quick intervention are crucial for improving patient outcomes, especially for those who are critically ill. Delays in diagnosis and treatment can lead to serious repercussions, including increased mortality rates, organ failure, prolonged hospital stays, and progressed complications while waiting for necessary treatment. Every day of delay can worsen the patient’s condition and increase the risk of death.
One of the largest delays in care is caused by the time it takes to collect, organize and deliver medical histories. Due to the disparate methods hospitals and healthcare systems utilize for request and release of that information and lagging healthcare interoperability, that crucial first appointment is often delayed for days, or even weeks. This can have a detrimental impact on treatment.
Streamlining Care with Technology
Having the right technology can provide a fast, secure transfer of requested and actionable patient data directly into a clinician’s workflow. Complete and specialty specific medical histories allow providers to quickly assess a patient’s medical journey, determine an appropriate care plan, and have a meaningful first appointment.
Clinical teams spend countless hours within their electronic health record (EHR) system. In fact, physicians spend nearly six hours on an EHR for every eight hours of patient scheduled time. Clinicians spend as much as 50 percent of their time working in EHRs. Not only can that amount of time feasibly be reduced, but the time they do spend within EHRs can be far more effective.
When it comes to new patient evaluations, having all the requested medical history is necessary. When using a tool such as eHealth Connect®, clinicians are much more likely to have timely access to a patient’s comprehensive medical history directly in their EHR.
Additionally, the time it takes to review these records can be expedited if the information is organized in a meaningful way. Just one example of that is utilizing narrow AI to automatically remove duplicate records that can significantly slow down the review process.
The ability to customize what records and images are collected, displayed, and prepared for clinicians can make a significant impact on the time preparing for the patient’s visit.
Delays in care can cost you
Reducing time to treatment is not only critical for patients and care teams, it also has a significant financial impact for healthcare systems, providers, patients and insurers.
Delaying care can negatively impact a patient’s health and life, including their recovery and all costs associated with a prolonged medical journey. The longer a patient has to wait for that crucial first appointment, the more their condition can progress. This affects everything from insurance payouts to healthcare system revenue streams and, most importantly, burdens the patients.
Streamlining the processes relating to patient intake and preparing for a patient’s first appointment can reduce costs, improve a patient’s experience, and help achieve health system volume growth goals.
End Care Delays with the right Partner
It is time to bring an end to postponed care caused by delays in the collection, organization, and delivery of patient medical histories. eHealth Connect is an advanced technology solution embedded with AI that cannot only give clinicians back their time but can positively impact patient care and outcomes.
Discover how eHealth Technologies can help transform your healthcare delivery. The eHealth Connect solution streamlines the collection, organization, and delivery of comprehensive medical histories to clinicians, allowing healthcare providers to focus on what they do best—caring for patients.
