Digital Transformation in Healthcare for a Compliance-Centric Ecosystem

“Like many other industries, healthcare is constantly evolving. Healthcare management must look for innovative approaches to satisfy patient demands using emerging technologies. Digital transformation in healthcare is an efficient approach to this. The survival of healthcare institutions depends on digital transformation, even if this term has grown to mean different things to different individuals. Here’s a deeper look at digital transformation, why it matters in healthcare, and what benefits, technologies, and challenges you should expect if you’re interested in this sector.”

Improvements in technology have allowed the healthcare industry to undergo a digital transformation. Innovative digital healthcare solutions have improved outcomes for both professionals and patients. According to a survey conducted by Deloitte, 88% of healthcare technology professionals stated that improving the patient experience is the primary goal of their investments, and these solutions help them achieve these goals. 

Moreover, global Industry Insights, Inc.’s research report projects that the global digital healthcare industry will reach a valuation of $504.4 billion by 2025. This is a blatant indication that the healthcare sector understands the transformative power of digital transformation. All healthcare professionals, including physicians, nurses, hospital administrators, and others, must provide value-driven business models and hospital management systems for a seamless process. 

What is Digital Transformation in Healthcare?

Digital transformation in healthcare simply means using the latest tech stack and processes to provide quick, accurate, and result-oriented digital health solutions for patients, healthcare experts, and institutions. It is all about adapting and utilizing cutting-edge technologies and creative solutions to reap maximum benefits. 

Some of the main objectives of digital healthcare transformation are better patient outcomes, reduced costs, more accessibility, and enhanced experiences for patients and healthcare service providers. Many healthcare providers are utilizing digital solutions in healthcare to improve outcomes for all stakeholders involved. Additionally, the Deloitte study showed that approximately 92% of healthcare facilities anticipate improved performance from patient-centric healthcare solutions.

Benefits of Digital Transformation in the Healthcare Industry

There are several benefits of digital transformation solutions for medical professionals, healthcare institutions, and patients. These include improvements in healthcare web app development, medical diagnosis, extracting real-time data, and conversational chatbots, which are just a few benefits. Moreover, a well-researched digital transformation strategy can help acquire trustworthy patient data for health assessments. 

Benefits of Digital Transformation for Healthcare Institutions

Let’s check out the benefits of digital transformation in healthcare for healthcare institutions and patients.

• Provides Better Interaction With Patients

Digital transformation in the healthcare industry can improve and increase the productivity of video conversations and chats with patients online.

• Offers Secure Database For Electronic Health Records

Thanks to digital innovation in healthcare, a secure database can be built for encrypting, storing, and accessing patient private medical records. This allows patients to effortlessly share their data with healthcare experts, laboratories, and medical professionals. 

• Helps With Data-Driven Decision-Making

Transformation in healthcare has enabled healthcare companies to access more accurate, timely, and comprehensive patient data. This allows providers to make better clinical judgments and care coordination.

• Streamlined Workflows for More Productivity

Digitalization of healthcare can shorten patient examination times, enable quicker and more efficient access to patient health records, and replace paper records with digital ones.

• Cost Reduction to Improve Bottom-Line 

Healthcare digital transformation makes process automation possible, allowing healthcare institutions to provide services at a lower cost and stop unnecessary spending on traditional healthcare services.

Benefits of Digital Transformation for Patients

Digital transformation in healthcare for patients offers significant benefits. Let’s look at them below—

• Easy Access to Personal Health Records

Patients have easy access to manage their health records, and they can even do in-depth online analyses of their health metrics. 

• Offers More Personalized Medical Services

Implementing new technology in healthcare provides more precise health diagnoses, more efficient data management, and more individualized treatment.

• Hassle-Free Appointment Scheduling 

Because of the digital transformation in healthcare, patients can now book medical appointments on the day that works best for them.

• Improved Communication With Doctors

With healthcare transformation, patients can now receive precise prescriptions via email, healthcare apps via video calls, chats, etc.

• Track Your Health-Related Metrics in Real Time

Innovative digital technology in healthcare, such as health wearables, allows patients to monitor key health measures in real-time.

Real-World Use Cases of Digital Healthcare Transformation Solutions

Digital transformation applications present an innovative way for the healthcare business by leveraging healthcare digital transformation trends to drive efficiency and productivity. Let’s check them below:

• Automation

Automation in healthcare streamlines administrative procedures such as appointment scheduling, billing, reporting, invoice processing, claims processing, etc. Moreover, AI in digital healthcare services can analyze medical images, identify patterns in patient data, and improve the quality and consistency of care.

• Robotics

One of the significant healthcare digital transformation trends is robotics. Advancements in robotics could enable healthcare institutions to perform many tasks, such as removing plaque from arteries, taking tissue biopsies, cleaning and preparing patient rooms, which can reduce person-to-person contact, conducting lab testing without human involvement, etc. In the future, healthcare robots can also assist in radiotherapy and speak to patients about their symptoms. 

• Health Wearables

Digital trends in healthcare have accelerated with wearable technology. Nowadays, health wearable devices like smartwatches, fitness trackers, or biosensors can monitor a patient’s health in real-time. For example, heart rate, blood pressure, ECG, sleep patterns, blood sugar levels, oxygen levels, step counts, etc., can be measured easily. Additionally, they can assist in managing chronic illness, identifying anomalies, and even treating health conditions.  

• Data Aggregation

Digital transformation in healthcare also helps with data aggregation. Aggregated data assists healthcare institutions in speeding up clinical research. Sometimes, it takes several days or weeks to retrieve and combine data from soiled systems and various sources. However, with data aggregation in healthcare, researchers can quickly find the required information and proceed with analysis. 

• Patient Portals

Convenience is one of the main advantages of patient portals in healthcare. The patient portal allows patients to conveniently access their personal medical information from their phone or computer. Using one tool, they can pay bills, schedule appointments, view test results, and contact their healthcare professionals.

• On-demand Healthcare

On-demand healthcare apps further encourage the effective utilization of healthcare resources. These applications provide virtual consultations for non-emergency patients, which helps reduce traffic in physical healthcare facilities. This guarantees that vital resources are directed toward problems that demand prompt care. 

• Electronic Health Records (EHRs)

EHRs can help diagnose by providing access to a patient’s medical records. This offers a thorough picture and speeds up the diagnostic process for medical professionals. EHRs include patient-level information gathered both for clinical and during treatment. 

 

The diagnostic billing codes, procedure codes, vital signs, laboratory test results, clinical imaging, and doctor comments are among the data contained in the electronic health record. Contact a top digital transformation agency to integrate EHRs in one place in your healthcare mobile app. 

• TeleHealth

Telehealth helps in remote consultations. It enables patients to get medical-related advice and treatment from their homes. Healthcare professionals can conduct a telehealth visit online with a computer, tablet, or smartphone. You can have phone or video conversations with your doctor with telehealth care. This enhances accessibility and convenience, mainly in remote areas.

Emerging Healthcare Digital Transformation Trends

Innovation in the healthcare industry covers a wide range of solutions, from mHealth, e-consultations, and telemedicine to leveraging robotics for surgery. Here is a list of emerging trends that provide advanced care facilities and enhance patient life.

• Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI in healthcare is mainly used to increase speed and accuracy. AI algorithms assess medical imaging data, like X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans, to help healthcare experts make accurate and hassle-free diagnoses. Moreover, Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) technology uses advanced algorithms and ML models to change spoken language into written text, offering a more effective and accurate way of documenting medical information. AI also helps accelerate drug discovery and development by accessing large data sets.  

• Machine Learning (ML)

Machine learning in healthcare supports clinical decisions and robot-assisted surgery. Moreover, ML-powered apps can access large amounts of patient data to assist doctors in identifying diseases, determining treatment options, and enhancing patient care efficiency. ML in healthcare can be utilized to predict disease early and speed up the diagnosis process. 

• Blockchain

Blockchain in healthcare can be utilized to build, edit, and store electronic health records (EHRs) in a HIPAA-compliant manner. It can also assist in patient consent management through pre-decided smart contracts. Blockchain for healthcare assists in data security in clinical trials and medicine supply chains and facilitates secure transactions between all parties involved.

• Internet of Medical Things (IoMT)

IoMT can assist healthcare professionals and institutions in several ways, including tracking patient vital signs like blood pressure, glucose monitoring, or oxygen saturation from remote locations. IoMT allows patients to send their metrics to doctors quickly without visiting the hospitals, thereby reducing costs.

• Big Data Analytics 

Big data analytics in healthcare is utilized to comprehend past and present healthcare decisions and convert helpful information to better patient quality and informed decision-making. Moreover, it can forecast the response of various patient groups to different dosages or clinical trials and foresee hidden patterns.

• AR and VR

A revolutionary change in medical education is using AR and VR in surgical training. Using lifelike simulations, surgeons may hone their abilities without running the danger of injury from more conventional training techniques. 

In particular, AR provides remarkable anatomical insights and precision in real-time through 3D visual overlays during surgeries; this improves patient safety and results while elevating the surgeon’s skills.

• Cloud Computing

Cloud computing in healthcare simplifies and secures the exchange of medical records, streamlines back-end processes, and even makes it easier to handle vast data sets. It also reduces costs and boosts efficiency.

• 3D Printing

Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, is a method that builds layers of raw materials to make three-dimensional objects. Anatomical models, implants and prosthetics, bioprinting, tissue engineering, and 3D-printed organs are just a few of its numerous use cases in the digital health industry. 

• Chatbots and Virtual Assistants

Virtual assistants and chatbots can schedule appointments, handle patient requests, check medication schedules, and provide health updates and insights. Moreover, artificial intelligence in healthcare resolves user queries through AI-powered medical chatbot development. You can consult a medical software development company to build interactive chatbots and virtual assistance.

• Digital Twin Technology

Digital twin (DT) technology in healthcare may mimic, forecast, and improve patient outcomes using virtual representations of real-world things. DTs can symbolize people, groups, or things like medical equipment and human hearts. 

Challenges Encountered in Digital Transformation in Healthcare and Their Solutions

Digital transformation is challenging, particularly for a sector like healthcare. Here are the biggest obstacles to digital transformation that healthcare organizations typically face and how they can overcome them.

• Data Security

All healthcare institutions prioritize cybersecurity when it comes to digital transformation. Cyberattacks typically target critical, private, and sensitive personal health data, which may disrupt patient treatment.

Solution: Utilize Blockchain Technology in Healthcare

We strongly advise using blockchain technology to overcome this obstacle. Blockchain for Healthcare detects errors in patient health records, prevents cybersecurity breaches, and gives patients access to and share their private health information on a secure distributed ledger.

• High Cost

Healthcare app development costs are another reason many healthcare facilities, startups, and enterprises are delaying their healthcare digital strategy. Regretfully, healthcare institutions overlook digital transformation’s value instead of concentrating solely on ROI.

Significant technological investments and collaboration with a healthcare digital transformation consulting are necessary for a reliable health-related solution to achieve greater scalability profits. 

Solution: Leverage Agile Development Methodology

We use an agile development methodology that significantly boosts the digital transformation process’s speed and flexibility. Its progressive and iterative approach has shown to be incredibly economical when implementing digital healthcare trends. 

• Resistance to Change

In a survey, most healthcare professionals acknowledged that they typically need more time to learn how to utilize new software due to their busy schedules. However, they frequently spend hours on administrative hospital activities that digital transformation could easily automate. Thus, overcoming the resistance to change mindset is essential before starting the digital healthcare transformation. 

Solution: Empower Stakeholders and Train Staff on New Software

Familiarizing stakeholders and employees with new software created during the digital transformation may be challenging. To educate your stakeholders and employees on using new healthcare software, you must establish a robust training program and prioritize everyone’s participation.

• Complying with HIPAA Regulations

One significant challenge to digital transformation in healthcare is adhering to HIPAA regulations. These regulations mandate that private health information and individual medical records be protected at all costs. If your healthcare solution is not HIPAA-compliant, you may have to pay hefty fines. 

Solution: Consult with a trusted HIPAA compliance app development company

Creating custom HIPAA-compliant software takes a lot of work, money, and time, so you need to work with a leading healthcare app development company with years of experience building similar products. Thus, it’s vital to check that healthcare software development agencies review their prior HIPAA-compliant projects and contact past clients for feedback before starting digital transformation in the healthcare industry.

How Can SparxIT Help in Your Healthcare Digital Transformation Journey?

With more than 16 years of experience in the field, SparxIT is an ISO-certified software development company that has created various software solutions for 35+ industries, including the healthcare sector. We have developed a feature-rich and secure wellness and retreat services platform. 

Additionally, we have ensured that every healthcare app, software, and solution we provide complies with HIPAA regulations. We built a web and mobile app platform, Manastha, that connects people with certified therapists and psychologists.

Therefore, when you work with SparxIT, you can be confident that your digital transformation journey will be successful, seamless, and—most importantly—cost-effective. If your healthcare organization is about to start its digital transformation journey, contact us for a free consultation and expert advice.

Wrapping Up

Digital transformation in healthcare is increasing at a pace never seen before. It has sparked several enhanced healthcare services that have improved patient outcomes and care. Additionally, the healthcare sector cannot afford to remain stagnant as patients demand more contemporary healthcare services to stay fit and healthy. Moreover, digital solutions for healthcare can improve patient care and free healthcare providers and organizations time to handle administrative tasks seamlessly. A more data-led, secure, and interoperable healthcare ecosystem can benefit everyone. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q:1 Why is the digital transformation of healthcare necessary?

A: Digitalization in healthcare is essential because it automates lengthy processes, reduces paperwork, and brings new drug discovery and best practices for better health management. Moreover, it modernizes legacy systems and secures massive data through blockchain technology, providing quick patient care and AI-enabled diagnosis for more accurate results. 

Q:2 What are some examples of digital transformation in healthcare?

A: Digital transformation solutions for healthcare examples include telemedicine, health wearables, big data, patient portals, AI, Internet of Things, electronic health records, automation, and much more. 

Q:3 What are the emerging digital healthcare trends?

A: Digital healthcare solutions provide convenient and effective patient-care services using emerging trends like AR/VR, AI/ML, cybersecurity, personalized medicine, interoperability, blockchain, predictive analytics, robotic surgery, etc.

Q:4 What role does data play in healthcare digital transformation?

A: Data plays a crucial role in medical digital transformation with real-time analytics, strategy, and offering more informed and timely operational decisions. Furthermore, it assists in resource allocation and patient flow management. 

Q:5 How to choose the right healthcare digital transformation company?

A: Healthcare digital transformation services providers require comprehensive research and careful consideration of essential aspects like industry knowledge, scalability, security, cost-effectiveness, and customer service.