How technology helps doctors save time!

The basic underline need to incorporate technology and innovation in any field is to increase efficiency and improve accuracy. The same goes for healthcare where non standard processes have lead to an increasingly slow and painful integration of technology into that sphere of business.
However let’s take the case of an everyday Doctor, for this example say Dr. Thakkar. Now Dr. Thakkar is open to technology but is still unsure how exactly it will benefit him. So let’s list down the different applications, instruments and gadgets which can help Dr. Thakkar.
1. A website and Email Id
2. A Mobile Phone
3. A pen drive
4. A laptop or PC with Internet
5. An EMR solution
We have now listed down 6 common everyday solution used by doctors in their daily activities. Now let us go in depth and see how they actually benefit Dr. Thakkar.

1. Website and Email Id:
a. Contact Information with a map is readily available and hence it will save him time and give him peace of mind by not having to talk to his patients on phone about directions and numbers
b. Important information captured on the website: Dr. Thakkar likes each patient to fill in a comprehensive form before he sees them, this causes long lines. Now he can ask his patients to fill this form online and it comes to him as an email which he can read just before the patient comes in. Time saved, more patient seen.
c. Patient across the country or travelling abroad can now easily email their queries to Dr. Thakkar. This can help him provide service remotely to his patient improving his service levels and connectivity with his patients
d. Dr. Thakkar does procedures where he needs to give instructions to his patient for pre-procedure protocols. Often patients forget and keep calling him in the middle of consultations. Now he can re-direct them to his website where it is written down in detail and with proper explanations in multiple languages!

2. Mobile Phone:
a. Dr. Thakkar can now check his daily schedule on a mobile phone. The latest phones come with many calendar features and schedulers with alarms. Also by using Google Calendar or innovative EMR solutions get reminder SMSs on the phone for appointments and operations.
b. Dr. Thakkar will be able to access Email on his GPRS enabled phone which can let him see the latest blood report of his patient and take decisions quickly. All image files of low size can be easily seen on the phone helping him stay in touch with the patients vitals.
c. The latest phones also come with high quality cameras, now store all X-Rays and reports as images at the click on a phone button. Dr. Thakkar can now easily store 3rd party patient X-rays and Usg reports or Lab tests which he can access later on his phone. The latest Emr Solutions allow you to directly attach these images to patient records also!
d. The phone also comes in built these days with GPS navigation systems. Now find your way easily and be on time for the operation. Dr. Thakkar can get where he wants to go quickly and safely, especially if he is doing a house visit to the patient.

3. Pen Drive: A pen drive is a small and low volume file storage system.
a. Dr. Thakkar can carry all his patient report soft copies and word documents in his pen drive, hence he no more lug around a suit case to all the hospitals.
b. Dr. Thakkar can plug his pen drive into any PC and access his notes and presentation on the go. This saves him time in burning CDs or carrying and going through papers. All neat and put into folders.

4. Laptop or PC with Internet
a. Dr. Thakkar can actually maximize the use of all above technology by having his own PC or better still a laptop. Now all his data can be soft copy, easily transferable, viewable, and most importantly searchable with ease!
b. Dr. Thakkar can now access his emails and patient documents quickly and anywhere on his laptop. No need to go searching in the Folder closet.
c. Dr. Thakkar sometimes has queries on new medicines and procedures. Now he doesn’t needn’t wait for the MIMs books or a CME conference, he can simply go onto the internet and search and read about the same information. Why wait when it can all be at your fingertips. Saves time and also treat your patient with the latest knowledge!
d. Dr. Thakkar need not wait for hard copies of patient reports and test results. Now he can have the soft copy emailed to him so he can check them in his office or on his laptop on the move. This saves him time later when he would have to look at all together or make the patient wait for a diagnosis.

5. EMR solution: A software which helps him with his patients and clinic
a. Saves Dr. Thakkar time and improves accuracy in data retrieval of patient reports, statistics on his clinic and medical data, accounts, inventory and even referral management. No time spent auditing or searching in the clinic!
b. Email reports and send SMS reminders to patients and directly from the software to see that you and the patient are up to date on latest developments. Now Dr. Thakkar is always on time and so are his patients. No time spent waiting.
c. Dr. Thakkar likes to send his case reports to fellow doctors and writes to papers and makes presentations. Now he can do it quicker and faster with EMR softwares reports and stats modules. He can also instantly email the report to his associates. No more wasting time on post, fax or even scanning documents.

These are just some inputs on how technology can help you as a doctor get quicker and better on your feet. To know more how we help you with your pain points visit www.plus91.in