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ESKADENIA Blog

The future of HIS and what you need to know

By Cesilia Faustina

Hospital Information System, also known as HIS, has become an important part of hospitals today with many healthcare providers adopting HIS as an important mean to establish efficiency.

HIS itself is a data system used to manage associated hospital activities, such as finance, administration, planning, and documentation. It functions as a centralized platform where all data about patients, doctors, staff, and any hospital-related information are stored and collected.

This system has made it easier for hospitals to function in a more productive manner, limiting the amount of errors and achieving speedier results in the process. The rising demands for healthcare nowadays have made it impossible to manage overwhelming amounts of data through manual processes, which is why HIS has become an integral part of the way hospitals function.


Market and forecast

The HIS market is thought to experience significant CAGR over the forecast period; it was projected to grow at a CAGR of 11.5 percent. Technological solutions have become the ideal answer when handling rising costs and demands. Due to growing needs for better workflow, streamline operations, and efficient distribution of patient data, there are great demands for IT solutions.

With the rise of coronavirus though, many questions the HIS market and how it is being affected. The healthcare sector itself is going through uncertainty, as with many other sectors, however, healthcare spending has experienced a significant increase with high demands for healthcare supplies.

According to Deloitte, global health spending over 2019 to 2023 is expected to rise at a CAGR of 5 percent up from 2.7 percent from 2014 to 2018. In fact, the utilization of HIS as a robust and integrated system may be a great solution to handling the amount of intake hospitals are experiencing due to COVID-19.


Hospitals and COVID-19

The coronavirus is causing huge constraints for healthcare workers around the world. Hospitals are having it especially bad with the sudden rise of inpatient care due to the pandemic. Many hospitals are struggling to meet demands even with the help of HIS. With such conditions, we are experiencing a lack of liquidity and administrative overload which causes delays in reimbursement. Handling a pandemic like this with the help of HIS is much more efficient compared to when things were done manually, however, current conditions now show how unprepared we are at managing a sudden pandemic; this is especially worrisome for developing nations.

Due to the pandemic, we are seeing a shift in the way healthcare is moving. Most likely, there will be greater investment in healthcare technology even more due to this experience, including greater developments in HIS.


What to expect

We are witnessing the world changing, by experiencing a viral outbreak, many industries, especially healthcare are noticing the importance technology is having in restoring the world to a new normal. HIS will likely be utilized and developed more into a system that can manage even more patients, demands, and data.

The healthcare industry has already realized the use of digital transformation since way before the coronavirus, such as with eHealth platforms, Cloud computing, Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS), EHR (Electronic Health Record), web-based technology, Radiology Information Systems (RIS), and Software as a Service (SaaS); and we can expect to see these progressions develop more.

The use of smart tools is also a prominent factor in the development of HIS. Many software management systems now easily link to mobile apps and web portals, creating ease of access for any users, be it the doctors, nurses, employees, and most importantly, the patients. This can be seen with the rise of virtual doctor appointments and health consultations; we are witnessing a change even in the way we are receiving treatments.


The importance of integration

One of the most dominant factors about HIS is its ability for integration. Integration is key to performing efficient hospital workflows, it creates smooth business processes and reduces errors and costs among departments.

Through integrations, HIS can connect with various other healthcare providers to support any external tasks and transfers, such as with clinics, radiology centres, and pharmacies. On top of that, it fully supports inpatient management, handling all patient care needs along with connecting to other relevant departments, such as insurance, financial, HR, and third-party systems.

This huge network of connectivity creates a constant flow for hospitals to achieve the best results. That said, this continues to be one of the main benefits of an HIS system and would most likely be the main solution to handling the development of healthcare technology. We are witnessing greater flexibility and connectivity amongst software and this feature will most definitely be used more in the future to create an even more accessible and efficient HIS system, especially with the amount of changes the industry is facing.


Conclusion

The rise of COVID-19 has taught us that the healthcare sector is greatly important and unpredictable at the same time. Digitalization acts as our answer to handling various forms of issues and problems the healthcare industry is facing, from virtual health consultations during this pandemic or even just registering for a doctor’s appointment via a mobile app. These things are becoming the new normal and HIS is becoming the essential norm for running efficient healthcare workflows. We are witnessing digital transformation at great speed in our generation today and we can only expect to see greater developments for the HIS industry.


For more information about HIS, you can check out ESKADENIA’s hospital management software, ESKA Carenet, and our whitepaper on “The Merits of Full-scale Integration in the Healthcare Sector.”

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