According to a study, the compound annual growth rate of data for healthcare will reach 36 % by 2025 which is 6 % faster than manufacturing, 11 % faster than media and entertainment, and 10 % faster than financial services (Source). In the continuously evolving healthcare industry, the growing amount of data can be difficult to manage without proper integration. System integrators can provide healthcare organizations with the necessary tech tools. As, these tools help can streamline processes, reduce costs, and ultimately, provide better patient care
In this blog, we will learn why healthcare organizations need system integrators.
What is integrated health and what are its benefits?
Integration in healthcare is combining data stored in multiple sources through collaboration between different care providers and their facilities. Integrated health systems help patients reap maximum clinical benefits by considering and analyzing different factors. These include health information, available treatment options, suitable medication, etc.
Healthcare integration helps you set up a clinical workflow to keep all the information in one place. An effective care program is vital in ensuring that there is no disconnected segment of the care delivery.
What is EHR?
EHR refers to an electronic health record that stores patients’ information as per their medical history. They keep track of the patient’s medical condition by documenting each treatment stage. Also, EHR can contain individual notes left by the physician. One can easily convert EHR into EMR to get a digital version of the patient chart. Healthcare companies must regularly update the EHR format as per the government guidelines. This can ensure that data exchange happens without any interruption.
Data integration challenges in healthcare
In the healthcare industry, you must take more precautions in data integration compared to other industries. Due to the fact that healthcare is the number one target for cyberattacks. Below are the challenges for integrating data in healthcare companies.
Recurring mandates and legislation
The healthcare industry is one of the most regulated industries in the world with new mandates and legislations coming frequently. They can affect how data is stored and shared. Thus, it is important to keep track of all the changes that occur. So, that system integrators can implement them in your organizational workflow.
HIPPA compliance and standards
The Health Insurance Portability and accountability act (HIPPA) is responsible for setting the standard for sensitive patient data protection. Healthcare companies need to have HIPPA compliance to ensure that they are following the protocols in place. These protocols specify the guidelines to share and store sensitive health information. Similarly, companies must also follow other healthcare standards like HL7. This standard specifies how to transfer clinical data from point A to point B.
Security risks
As mentioned above, healthcare organizations are the number one target of cyberattacks. If an integrated healthcare system is corrupted, the datasets are not only compromised but companies cannot share that data which can delay the right treatment.
So, with new ransomware and malware entering the market regularly, you need to have the right person who can fend off these attacks. Thus, you must constantly update your system with the latest anti-virus and other protection items.
Why are system integrators essential for healthcare organizations?
Each software application or system in healthcare has an API that should be easy to integrate with other applications and systems. Apart from flexible APIs, the application or system should easily adopt electronic data interchange standards. The system must also adapt the latest healthcare standards, HIPPA compliance, JSON, and XML standards among others. Healthcare companies and medical organizations need system integrators to adapt to the latest standards and check the ease of communication between different health systems. Also, they can check how long it takes for you to generate data, process it, and how the receiving system receives it.
Ultimately, these five core benefits:
- Streamlining of processes: System integrators can help healthcare organizations to streamline their processes by automating tasks, and integrating disparate software systems to ensure that they work together seamlessly.
- Interoperability: By connecting different software systems, system integrators can ensure that information is easily accessible across a healthcare organization, leading to better collaboration and coordination between staff.
- Increased efficiency: System integrators can help healthcare organizations to identify areas where they can become more efficient and implement technology solutions to address those areas. This can lead to better patient care and reduced costs.
- Enhanced security: System integrators can help healthcare organizations to increase the security of their systems and data by implementing measures such as firewalls, encryption, and access controls.
- Improved patient care: By streamlining processes and improving interoperability, system integrators can help healthcare organizations provide better patient care, which can lead to better outcomes and higher levels of patient satisfaction.
How can SkillGigs help?
If you are looking for a trustworthy partner to find the right people for data integration, SkillGigs can help you hire the best system integrators. Skill Gigs is a direct sourcing talent marketplace that organizes candidates’ information in an efficient manner including pay expectations, preferred location, and personal details. Also, the marketplace manages the credentialing of their key documentation, skillsets, and certification.
If the concept of direct sourcing for your facility is new, and you would like to learn more — no worries, it is why we built SkillGigs.com. Schedule a demo today to learn more. And get to using SkillGigs by posting your open jobs for free.
