When medical professionals provide patient care, they must keep track of important information so that each person’s medical records contain accurate details. A patient’s medical history may come from different sources, and this is often the case if the patient sees multiple healthcare providers throughout their life. Patient’s medical records also usually consist of the health insurance information needed for billing purposes to ensure that each person receives adequate care.
Digital data management systems were created to simplify the process of gathering important healthcare data so that it can readily be accessed. Today’s digital data management programs make it possible for information to be stored and reviewed in a centralized virtual location so healthcare providers don’t need to search through multiple sources for the details.
Digital management, just one of many technologies that has improved the healthcare industry, has opened the door to other technological advances that are intended to benefit all of humankind.
Specific information stored on data management systems
Many details about health treatments and patient demographics are recorded and stored on data management systems. These details often include:
- A patient’s name, home address and age
- Doctor visit summaries
- Treatment histories
- Family health histories
- Insurance billing
- Medicare coding
Types of healthcare data management systems
Health Data Management (HDM) is broken up into different system categories so information can be stored and processed under the correct classifications easily.
The Electronic Health Records (EHR) and Electronic Medical Records (EMR) systems have proven to be reliable resources for storing patient information that doctors can pull up quickly to review. However, most healthcare centers rely on the EMR program because of its capability to store more comprehensive patient details.
The information from a Healthcare Customer Relationship Management (HCRM) system can be used by medical office staff to communicate with patients and helps doctors give each individual the personalized care they deserve. Office staff often use this type of data management to compile patient demographic and financial details and engage with patients better to reduce appointment cancellations and no-shows.
Helps provide more accurate treatments
Proper data management in healthcare plays a major role in ensuring that each patient receives the correct treatment. A digital management program prevents errors from being made in patients’ medical information that could result in serious health risks.
When physicians and nurses prescribe medications, the information can be recorded in a data management system and referenced by current and future healthcare providers. The stored prescription information can prevent medication mix-ups, which could be fatal if a patient receives the wrong medicine or incorrect dosage amount. If certain medications are ineffective or cause allergic reactions in a patient, this information can also be stored in a data management system so that these medicines aren’t prescribed again.
Surgery is another area of medicine that has been improved through digital data management. Information regarding the type of procedure that’s being performed along with clinical findings and patient outcomes can be recorded and stored on a database so that all healthcare providers can access the correct information. The patient data can also be studied by researchers to improve surgical procedures and minimize errors on a wider scale.
Ensures correct diagnoses
When a patient has bloodwork or a biopsy done, or another diagnostic testing performed, a healthcare management program is a useful tool. Proper data management is needed so that each patient has the correct testing performed and receives accurate results. The user-friendly format and ease of information retrieval that today’s digital management programs offer also prevent doctors from prescribing treatments based on the wrong test results.
Provides crucial information for emergency care
Emergency healthcare staff can use stored data to make quick decisions, which could mean the difference between life and death for some patients. Modern digital data management technology saves doctors, nurses, and paramedics from having to sift through different data sources to find information about a patient’s current health condition, health history, and other crucial details that may factor into the care they receive.
Easier information-sharing between healthcare providers
A person usually sees more than one doctor in their life, and today’s digital management systems allow healthcare providers to share information easily with one another. This is especially practical when a patient is referred to a specialist, who can use the information recorded by a primary care doctor or nurse to proceed with treatment.
Better patient confidentiality protection
Digital healthcare data management helps medical staff protect confidential patient information better in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Healthcare providers can give patients the option of having their information exchanged electronically, which is much easier with today’s data management programs. The most reliable digital data management systems also include security features that protect patient information from hackers.
Enhances patient self-reporting
With the invention of mobile apps and other mobile health monitoring technology, more patients are now able to report their symptoms and details about their health conditions to their doctors from home or other remote locations. This patient-generated health data (PGHD) is now an important factor as the healthcare information can be analyzed and provide an additional source for medical professionals to devise more personalized treatments for patients.
In addition to health and treatment history, patients can now self-report details about their biometrics, current symptoms, and lifestyle choices. This extra information can be processed and stored in the patient’s records so that medical staff can provide even better care.
Easier patient access
The digitization of healthcare data now makes it possible for patients to access their personal information easier. Many medical centers allow patients to access this data through online portals.
If a patient needs to review their medical or treatment history, they won’t have to dig through old records to find what they need and can instead log onto an online portal to find the information in one place. Patients can also get their test results faster and don’t always have to rely on phone calls from the doctor’s office or hospital to get the information thanks to today’s innovative data management solutions.
Better legal protection
Modern data management systems mean doctors and other healthcare workers can protect themselves better against lawsuits involving the misuse or compromise of patient data. Additional charges can be brought against medical establishments that violate patient privacy laws, which can be further prevented with digital data management programs.
Useful for health analytics
Healthcare data is even sometimes used to predict the patterns of medical conditions that affect specific demographics. The massive amounts of information that are collected and analyzed by experts can be used to develop better treatments. These analytics have also been useful in predicting patterns during major health events, such as the outbreak of COVID-19.
This data can also be used to help medical centers run more efficiently. The analysis of this information has proven to be especially useful in reducing healthcare costs and addressing the healthcare worker shortages that often impact patient care.
Lowers overhead costs
Medical offices can save money through the simplification of the process of managing data. With its digital, easy-to-use format, a modern-day data management system can save office workers time and money when managing the retrieval of patient and insurance information. Data management software can reduce operational costs further by keeping staff compliant with regulations that must be followed to avoid fines and other serious consequences.
Accurate insurance billing
If a patient has health insurance, their doctor will bill the insurance company for services that were provided to the patient. Stringent data management is needed so that insurance providers know exactly how much they should pay and can see the breakdown of services to make sure they’re approved for coverage. Effective data management programs can often prevent insurance companies from underpaying or overpaying on a particular claim.
Education requirements
Doctors, nurses, office staff, and other workers in the healthcare field work closely with healthcare data regularly and require specific training to manage the information correctly.
Earning a Master of Nursing degree can open the door to a career in this field. Anyone who wants to advance their career further after earning this degree can study for a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) or Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) degree to do more in-depth work in the nursing and healthcare data management fields.
If you’re interested in a career that combines nursing and the frequent management of healthcare data, any of the online DNP FNP programs from Walsh University may be right for you.
Data management: An integral part of healthcare
Digital data management enhances the healthcare industry in different ways. Without effective data management, patient care and the medical field as a whole would be at a much lower standard. With advancements in technology, healthcare data will likely be managed even better in the future.