Automated processes aren’t a new way of doing business. We’ve long been accustomed to having repetitive tasks managed by systems that don’t require a high degree of human intervention. Not only do they lower overhead and increase efficiency, but they help protect our valuable human assets from losing their minds by repeating the same simple action over and over for 8 hours a day. To be sure, we’ll always need people involved at some point in any process—automation isn’t meant to be infallible and makes a poor substitute for human connection, especially when we are talking about our customer’s health care—but we are increasingly seeing the value of how automation can improve performance rather than flat out replace our employees.
Of course, we’re not talking about robotics on automotive assembly lines. We’re talking about software applications that help capture and manage data. In the healthcare world, capturing thorough and accurate information is critical at every step of the patient experience. From the first moment of contact between a healthcare provider and a potential patient, key data points need to be captured and maintained.
From an operational perspective, there are many routines but critical data elements that need to be tracked on a daily basis, not just for efficient business function but to meet the demands of regulatory bodies and accreditation agencies. These can include:
- sanitation logs
- temperature logs for sensitive medications
- equipment calibration logs
- room cleanliness/setup checklists
- fire and safety protocols
- regional manager visit preparation
- brand standards audit checklists
With an application like the OpsAnalitica Platform and its advanced rule builder in place, you can not only retain all of this data in one place but ensure that your employees have an easy, digital method of recording it. When information is easy to capture, it gets documented the first time correctly. And the less you have to worry about the quality of your data, the less you have to worry about when an audit comes around.
Another aspect of our platform that lends to accurate data is the ability to create and disseminate custom checklists and logs for your various operational needs. Constructed correctly, these lists can be a valuable asset to your business and lead to better outcomes for your patients. Even the most mundane tasks can have an adverse effect on patient safety and the success of your business if not performed correctly each and every time they’re needed. Having an easy-to-follow and readily available step-by-step protocol is crucial. And when it’s digital, you cut back on the needless errors that can occur with transcription and the manual management of these protocols.
Think about the difference between a hand-written grocery list and a list located on your phone, maybe in an app specifically designed for that purpose. Only one of those options carries the risk of important items being unreadable. Only one of those options allows you to instantly update and save those grocery list items for easy future reference. Your hand-written list will get the job done. But unless you have perfect handwriting and a kitchen drawer dedicated to old grocery lists, that information won’t be readily available to you down the road.
As important as these things are for the well-being of your patients, let’s not forget about the employees who directly serve them. Their well-being is important too! When they feel like the automated systems they use to manage patient care are helpful rather than a new-fangled obligation, they’ll be more likely to endorse them and use them to their fullest potential. Help your staff see the benefit of change by providing them with changes that actually make their jobs better.It’s easy to rush through or be inattentive when it comes to recording basic tasks dozens of times a day. But if you can streamline these logs and create workable checklists using the OpsAnalitica Platform, you can make these critical tasks a simpler and less time-consuming practice. And when your staff is able to spend less time on the simple but crucial tasks required to maintain a healthy provider practice, your employees are better able to focus on quality treatment for your patients. When your healthcare practice can focus more on outcomes, everyone wins. Health improves, and business improves—neither at the expense of the other.