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Increasing Accessibility and Emphasizing Interoperability

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Technology brought so many of us together during the past year, but it’s not as accessible to some as it is to others. In certain underserved and remote communities, the digital divide is quite real — as are its implications. Many rural areas and locations heavily populated by disadvantaged groups have inconsistent internet access, and plenty of households lack the devices necessary to connect to the internet.

Households in rural areas were 11% less likely to have broadband access than those in more urban areas; those with incomes under $25,000 were also 45% less likely to have broadband access. Black and Hispanic patients with certain chronic conditions were respectively 51% and 42% less likely to have quality internet capabilities. A number of factors (e.g., age, sex, socioeconomic status, disability, and geographic location) play a role in decreasing the likelihood that some have better access to an increasingly digital world than others.

Without access to consistent, quality internet, patients can’t use video functionality to access telehealth. In some cases, they might even struggle to get an audio connection. There is a clear need to bridge the gap between hospitals and healthcare organizations looking to expand their digital front doors and enhance their telehealth options to the patients who would like to engage virtually but cannot.

Increasing access to healthcare is critically important — particularly digitally. Although the healthcare industry alone can’t address the problem, health systems can do their part now to ensure that their technology foundation is strong and capable of supporting a more accessible future.

Interoperability and the Digital Front Door in Healthcare

A major part of being ready to open the digital front door in healthcare is considering whether all of your integrations are digital. If a health system offers a fantastic digital registration process but still relies on paper documents once patients arrive for appointments, the lack of consistency hurts everyone involved.

However, implementing new digital healthcare solutions means nothing without a focus on interoperability. Any new technologies added should integrate with existing software for optimal data exchange and efficiency. For digital solutions to power health systems and expand their digital front doors, everyone involved must ensure seamless integration between existing and new technologies — also known as interoperability.

Here are three of the main benefits of interoperability:

1. Improved operational efficiency in healthcare.

Having digital healthcare solutions that communicate with one another in real time cuts down on repetitive tasks. The technology also improves data accessibility in healthcare, decreasing the administrative burden and streamlining clinical functions.

2. Increased efficiency — and quality of care.

With integrated, interoperable solutions, staff in healthcare organizations see improved and more efficient workflows. The automated nature of Interlace Health’s solutions frees up staff time, allowing them to focus on providing quality care.

3. Reduced burnout.

When digital healthcare solutions work together as intended, physicians and healthcare staff can minimize repetitive tasks and streamline manual processes. As a result, they can benefit from reduced burnout and improved workflows.

Interlace Health offers digital solutions that integrate seamlessly with other technologies health systems have in place. Contact us today to learn more about how your organization could benefit. We can help you prepare to open your own digital front door.

 

The Digital Front Door and Risk Mitigation in Healthcare

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Every healthcare organization has spent the past year trying to mitigate the risk of coronavirus exposure for both patients and staff. A large part of these efforts depended on a digital transformation in healthcare and the virtual care and telehealth solutions that resulted. Ideally, telehealth reduces the risk of exposure and increases access to care for people everywhere.

But “everywhere” doesn’t give the full picture. There are still significant barriers to virtual healthcare access in certain places and for certain groups of people. Low-income households, rural households, and households that include someone enrolled in Medicaid were all less likely to have the broadband access necessary for virtual care — as were Black and Hispanic patients with certain chronic illnesses.

This is all indicative of a real and persistent “digital divide” in the U.S. Knowing that characteristics like age, sex, ability, and socioeconomic status hold people back in many areas of life, it’s just as important to note that these traits also hold them back from receiving the virtual care that has taken the world by storm.

How do we move forward with an increasing reliance on telehealth as a way to keep patients and healthcare providers safe? With an end to the pandemic in sight, health systems will undoubtedly continue to use the technology to reduce the risk of exposure to myriad illnesses — not just to prevent the spread of coronavirus. That means increasing access to telehealth solutions by finding ways to open the digital front door in healthcare to more people.

How Digital Healthcare Can Help

Access to healthcare in rural areas and underserved communities is limited, making in-person care more of a necessity. For many services and specialties, fewer healthcare professionals are expected to serve more patients per capita — and fewer opportunities for virtual care exist because of the barriers to healthcare mentioned earlier. These communities also have less access to PPE and other supplies than some larger communities. This means physicians and patients alike are at a higher risk of infection because they’re inherently in a position that requires in-person care.

Opening the digital front door to these communities by implementing digital healthcare solutions helps mitigate this risk. At Interlace Health, we are proud to offer digital solutions that do just this:

· Electronic Informed Consent – Our Informed Consent solution helps health systems offer more contactless care, mitigating the risk of contact exposure. Several illnesses have been shown to spread by touching contaminated surfaces, especially in hospitals and physician’s offices. A survey we conducted in April of last year found that 41% of health systems use shared clipboards and pens in their registration areas; this means Informed Consent can push open the digital front door, positively impacting safety and reducing the risk for everyone involved.

· Remote Patient Intake – Our Patient Intake solution allows patients to register and fill out forms before appointments from the safety of their cars, homes, or workplaces. This helps them avoid unnecessary time spent in waiting rooms, limiting exposure for themselves and staff members. Instead of arriving 15 to 30 minutes before an appointment to complete the necessary paperwork, they fill it out from the comfort of home.

· eSignature Capabilities – Interlace Health digital solutions are equipped with eSignature capabilities. This not only helps clinicians provide and encourage contactless care but also expedites form completion and ensures that only the most updated versions of signed forms are stored. This saves staff time and eliminates the need to re-enter basic information more than once. The solution also strengthens compliance by accurately and securely storing patient information.

At Interlace Health, it’s our mission to help healthcare organizations everywhere open their digital front doors. To learn more about our solutions, click here.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Over the past five years, Lauren Ziegler has been a member of Interlace Health’s Marketing team, coordinating and executing marketing communication initiatives, such as copywriting and content management, public and media relations, social media, and corporate communications. She has over a decade of experience in working with technology companies. Lauren is passionate about helping the healthcare community understand Interlace’s Health’s value, vision, and commitment to improving experiences for providers, patients, and staff.

The Digital Front Door and Convenience in Care

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Patients increasingly are being asked to take on more responsibility for their healthcare. Complex information, confusing billing, and high-deductible health plans can make seeking and receiving that care difficult. Luckily, healthcare organizations have the power to help patients navigate all of this by adopting a digital-first mindset.

People can do just about anything they want with the help of their phones, computers, and devices. The same rule should apply to healthcare. Interacting with patients through technology — texting, mobile-friendly sites, and apps — gives them a level of control over an otherwise confusing process while increasing engagement with providers. It also helps healthcare providers improve efficiency within their organizations, more evenly distribute resources, and reduce costs.

Unfortunately, it can be overwhelming or difficult to adopt a digital-first mindset and open the “digital front door” to patients — especially patients in certain circumstances. Many rural areas of the country and underserved communities, for instance, still don’t have consistent access to Wi-Fi, which is needed to support digital interactions with healthcare providers. And even if they do have access, some patients might still struggle to communicate and operate digitally.

Opening the digital front door in healthcare isn’t usually the biggest challenge — reaching patients through that door is.

Why the Benefits Outweigh the Challenges

The advantages of digital healthcare far outnumber any barriers to it. It’s one of the best ways to reach and serve patients in even the most underserved, unreachable communities and one of the best ways of improving operational efficiency in healthcare organizations.

The impact of technology in healthcare has been great, with tools like telehealth solutions offering patients more engaging and convenient care. If we can reach people in remote communities, virtual care increases their access to quality care — access they don’t easily have if they have to travel to appointments physically. This can result in better appointment attendance and improved clinical outcomes.

Digital solutions also help health systems streamline operations. If patients can complete paperwork before their appointments, it saves staff members time and eliminates the need to sort through paperwork while patients sit in a waiting room.

Further, encouraging patients to use wearable and remote monitoring technology leads to less manual data collection for patients and staff members. When patients can more easily access their data, they can engage with it more. And when doctors and nurses have better access to that data, they can provide better, more efficient, and more personalized care.

How Tech Tools Can Transform Healthcare

With the overarching benefits of adopting digital-first practices and opening the digital front door in healthcare in mind, here are three areas in which technology can cut through bottlenecks in healthcare delivery:

1. Long wait times at appointments.

Appointment wait times are a common bottleneck in healthcare. Physicians might be free and ready to see a patient upon arrival, but that patient could be stuck filling out paperwork in the waiting room for 15 minutes, delaying the entire process. Using digital solutions that enable patients to fill out paperwork from their devices before an appointment eliminates this slowdown.

2. Surgical delays.

Every time a patient needs surgery or a procedure, they have to fill out a consent form and acknowledge that they agree to receive treatment. But lost or misplaced patient consent forms can cause surgeries to be delayed or postponed, impacting schedules for the surgical department — and revenue. Offering electronic consent forms consolidates the process to a central location, eliminating any risk that those forms are lost or misplaced.

3. Form management.

On the note of lost or misplaced forms, digital solutions can prevent health systems from needing to reach out to patients after appointments to recollect information. When forms exist only on paper, there’s no way to ensure that the most up-to-date information is being used. Having a digital repository of all forms, however, eliminates manual processes and reduces errors.

At Interlace Health, we are committed to offering digital solutions that help healthcare providers open the digital front door. To learn more about our solutions, contact us today.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Over the past five years, Lauren Ziegler has been a member of Interlace Health’s Marketing team, coordinating and executing marketing communication initiatives, such as copywriting and content management, public and media relations, social media, and corporate communications. She has over a decade of experience in working with technology companies. Lauren is passionate about helping the healthcare community understand Interlace’s Health’s value, vision, and commitment to improving experiences for providers, patients, and staff.

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