Why HL7 may not be your best integration choice.

HL7 is a standard for the exchange, integration, sharing, and retrieval of electronic health information between healthcare providers, patients, and other stakeholders in the healthcare industry. While an HL7 bridge has many advantages for exchanging health information, it may not be the best option for downloading changes to a doctor’s appointment calendar for the following reasons:

  1. Complexity: HL7 is a complex standard with many options and features, and implementing it can be challenging. It may not be the best option for simple use cases such as downloading changes to a doctor’s appointment calendar.
  2. Overhead: HL7 is designed to support complex workflows and multiple systems exchanging health information. It has a lot of overhead, including message headers, message footers, and other metadata that may not be necessary for downloading changes to a doctor’s appointment calendar.
  3. Latency: HL7 messages can be large, and exchanging them can take time. Downloading changes to a doctor’s appointment calendar requires low latency and high availability to ensure that the calendar is always up-to-date.
  4. Security: HL7 messages may contain sensitive patient information, and securing them can be challenging. Downloading changes to a doctor’s appointment calendar may not require the same level of security, and other simpler options may be available.
  5. Cost: The initial and ongoing costs associated with building the software and infrastructure to enable healthcare interoperability HL7 internally can be substantial.
  6. Time To Market:  Building healthcare integrations can be time-consuming and can shift your organization’s focus from innovating to integrating.
  7. Reliability: DoctorConnect’s integration tools have proven to be more reliable and fault tolerant than changes relayed over an HL7 bridge.  DoctorConnect has been a pioneer in the development of reliable, secure integration tools for over 15 years
  8. Support:  Since we don’t depend on a new technology layer – DoctorConnect is able to quickly make changes to meet your clinics changing needs and goals.  We are able to quickly diagnose and correct any issues that may arise to keep your operation running seamlessly.

Therefore, while HL7 has many advantages for exchanging health information, it may not be the best option for integrating with a patient engagement service. DoctorConnect strongly suggests using simpler, more reliable options such as using a FIHR API, a vendor API, automated macros or a simple database queries to achieve your patient engagement goals.  These methods are low-overhead, low-maintenance, and highly reliable ways to interface with your EMR.

Contact us today to discuss your options and schedule a quick demo of our tools.

HL7 Frust

2023-03-21T21:19:18+00:00March 21st, 2023|Doctor Tips, Latest Announcements|0 Comments

Top 3 Reasons Why No Contact Patient Intake Forms are a Must for Your Clinic by Stacy

Several healthcare providers have switched to telehealth, but still, many patients continue to require in-person care. Zero-contact approaches are thus critically needed for patient safety against COVID 19 in health care settings.

With zero contact patient intake solutions patients can complete a medical intake form with their health history, lifestyle, and more—from their home or other locations where they feel safer from the risk of crowded waiting rooms. 

The mobility advantage of such patient intake solutions can also empower medical staff to handle patient registration remotely without physically dealing with paperwork, insurance cards, credit cards, and ID cards.

Zero contact workflow enables practical social distancing without impacting patient care. It limits exposure by reducing in-person interactions in the clinical setting. Here are the top three reasons to implement zero contact in healthcare facilities:

  1. It is paperless and peerless

Vaccines alone are not enough in the protection of COVID 19. Social distancing and other safety regulations may need to be adhered to for a long time to come before attaining herd immunity.

The spread of the pandemic represents a major challenge for clinical staff. The frontline staff who interact with each patient that walks in– even before they are screened for COVID-19–are at a higher risk.

The six-foot rule is only useful where there is zero contact with individuals. However, in-clinical care settings are regularly inundated by patient crowds and the physical handling of forms and payment cards.

There are many instances when patients may need to see their medical care specialists in person. Thus, providers need effective and tested measures to guarantee zero-contact without compromising patient care.

It is fundamentally critical to keep implementing and using contactless patient registration and medical staff collaboration tools along these lines. 

Contactless patient intake means lesser paper and better patient safety against COVID 19.

Zero-contact healthcare workflow disposes of paper in all patient interactions and makes it easier to gather patient data, including COVID-19 tests, without risking patients or front desk staff.

Further, zero-contact health center workflows can be the key to streamlining payments and ensuring profitability. 

With self-check-in, patients get to enter their payment card details to make payments directly. Apart from reducing the risk of contracting the virus, the upfront payment approach minimizes the risk of bad debt.

  1. Digital, mobile and fast

Zero contact clinical workflows enable digital check-in by patients. Implementing this enables your patients to register with the convenience of standardized tags and QR codes. 

There are zero tags, forms, clipboards, and personal contact on the process. Patients can register and make payments from the comfort of their homes, cars, or other places.

Even if the patients do not complete the entire registration process from home, they can still fill the forms and make payments on their phones when they get to the clinic.

In such a self-check-in model, patients are not required to present a driver’s license or visa card to front desk staff. 

They can instead take a picture and upload it with their phones. This minimizes the risk of exposure to the COVID 19 virus while ensuring accurate data entry.

Providers can also better manage the healthcare environment, for instance, by asking patients to come at a specific time or wait in their cars until the doctor or nurse is ready to see them.

  1. Manage patient anxiety

There is a lot of anxiety around COVID-19 in the general populace; patients may want to delay their checkups or emergency clinical visits because of the fear of sitting in a crowded waiting room. This fear is greater among those with pre-existing health vulnerabilities.

Zero-contact work workflows and digitization of the medical intake form reduce fear among patients and guarantee limited crowd exposure. Communicating to patients about COVID safety measures like this can help reduce patient fear, panic, and anxiety around health center visits so they can get the necessary care when they need it.

By implementing zero-contact patient intake, patients only have to visit the doctor at the exact time of the appointment instead of waiting in the reception area.

Suppose there is a suspected case of a COVID 19 patient. In that case, medical staff can efficiently analyze the risk intensity and discuss options, including rescheduling, telehealth, and stringent protective measures before the patient’s arrival.

In summary

When in-person treatment is required, safeguarding your patients and staff is critical. That is why contactless workflow processes are essential to eliminate direct contact among patients and staff during the registration process.

With contactless patient intake, your facility can build patient confidence by ensuring a zero-contact registration and payment experience while allowing staff to handle patient intakes digitally with minimal risk.

Patients can pre-register from anyplace to avoid crowding in the waiting areas. Medical professionals can operate much more efficiently and safely without having to handle cards and registration forms.

Zero contact workflow is one of the critical approaches that healthcare providers need to protect patients and staff and minimize the spread of the coronavirus. Additional benefits include speed, patient data accuracy, efficiency, and productivity.

Would you like to experience the rewarding benefits of a zero-contact workflow solution in your clinic? Request a free demo at https://doctorconnect.net.

2021-02-18T17:55:45+00:00February 18th, 2021|Doctor Tips, Latest Announcements|0 Comments

DoctorConnect Streamlines Covid-19 Procedures for Clinics

DoctorConnect.net has assisted hundreds of clinics with COVID-19 specific solultions, such as:

  • Parking lot check-ins
  • Virtual Visit / Telemed Management
  • Patient group messaging
  • Providing pre-appointment instructions
  • Notifications of office re-openings
  • Changes in office hours
  • Monitoring patient feedback to new office procedures

If your are struggling with patient communications and changes, contact DoctorConnect to discuss helping you solve these issues.

2022-01-18T22:48:02+00:00June 12th, 2020|Doctor Tips, Latest Announcements|0 Comments

4 Reasons to Utilize Automated Scheduling Software

A healthcare office’s schedule is one of the most important data files in the industry. It regulates how the day plays out and lets physicians know what types of patients they need to be prepared for. Unfortunately, the modern healthcare setting is prone to change on a whim.

From missed appointments to simply unfilled timeslots, office scheduling without software has become increasingly difficult. As time continues to move on the need for automated scheduling software becomes even more necessary for healthcare providers and emergency room staff. The benefits of this software are there, and DoctorConnect is proud to offer these four pieces of insight on why automated scheduling software is so important.

1.  Patient Management Has Never Been Easier

Patient management is the biggest reason to automate your scheduling. Based on your retention numbers, patient satisfaction surveys, and patient word-of-mouth, you could easily be facing a large amount of returning patients and new patients alike.

By automating your appointment scheduling your office life becomes so much more organized with perks like:

  • Easier new patient registration
  • Accurate description of appointment types
  • Missed appointments and rescheduled requests
  • Accurate patient personal information

2. Save Money Within Your Practice

If your office is still using pens, papers, and spreadsheets to create a scheduling calendar, you are losing money without even realizing it. Not only do you have to replace the materials that are used for scheduling, but you have to pay employees for hours of work as they create these schedules on a regular basis and miss out on positive patient engagement.

With automated scheduling, the same tasks can be performed instantaneously and money can be saved. Over time, this saved money can go towards other aspects of your practice that have been in need of your attention.

3. Specialized Software Improves Patient Care

Not only does automated scheduling software save your office money, but it frees up extra time for your employees and staff to focus on improving patient care. Constantly improving the way that your office functions should be a key priority for a management team.

By using software like the product provided by DoctorConnect, your staff as a whole will have less to worry about and become more comfortable in the workplace. This type of environment creates two key results:

  1. Engaged staff
  2. Satisfied, well cared for, patients

In healthcare, patient satisfaction is the entire point. Don’t miss that point by focusing on outdated scheduling practices that take away from the patient experience.

4. Automated Scheduling Makes the Patient Experience Flexible

Speaking of the patient experience, automated software makes the total experience with your staff flexible and tailored to modern needs. With automated software, gone are the days where you need to call and check-up on a patient for a scheduled appointment. Now, you can instantly reach out to them through automated software and send out notifications that include:

Make Office Life Better with Automated Scheduling From DoctorConnect

Automated scheduling is now the preferred method for the top providers in the city of Dallas. However, we know that most businesses want to invest in a product they know will benefit them. That is why we are proud to offer you a chance to schedule a live demo of our DoctorConnect software. Reach out to us today to find out how to get your demo and how we can help to make your office a better experience.

2018-08-06T19:46:43+00:00June 5th, 2018|Doctor Tips|0 Comments

3 Ways Patient Retention Helps Medical Offices

A doctor’s office relies on one thing for good business, and that is patients coming through the doors consistently. It takes a lot of work and excellent marketing to bring in new batches of patients on a daily basis. Therefore, patient retention is one of the main goals that every doctor or vet should strive for.

Although retaining patients may seem like a no-brainer, the modern physician’s office has now evolved and made this goal reliant on automating software like DoctorConnect for its success.

What is Patient Retention?

The definition of patient retention is very simple. Instead of doctors relying on bringing in new patients on a daily basis, they rely on return visits from previous patients. By following procedures that highlight positive patient experiences, doctors are able to increase the possibility of the patient returning to their office.

Patient retention is the root of building a loyal patient base that eventually branches out to new patients through positive word-of-mouth. It is one of the most important aspects of running an office and has several points of impact on a site’s success.

Why Does Patient Retention Matter?

1. It Helps You Manage Patient Care

The management of your patient’s care is important. Successful engagement with your patients helps you to have a continuous impact on their long-term care. Constantly jumping from physician to physician is not only costly for both patient and doctor, but important patient information can be lost along the way.

2. Long-Term Patients Tend to Spend More

This is a fact. If patients place their trust in you enough to return to you as the years go by, when the higher cost procedures begin to come up in their lifetime, they are more likely to spend the money. Based on the positive relationship and reliability that you have built through successful patient retention methods, you are able to break out of the “new patient” bubble that can financially hold a physician back.

3. Reduced Marketing Cost

By retaining your patients, you gain access to one of the most significant benefits of proper retention methods. Online marketing and social media definitely help with bringing in new patients. However, the most effective marketing is the free word-of-mouth marketing that a happy patient does through referrals to friends and family.

How Does DoctorConnect Improve Patient-Retention?

DoctorConnect helps your office implement efficient patient retention strategies through our automating software. DoctorConnect is able to help you remind patients to come back to your office for more of the great care that you have to offer. Based on your own rules and your patient’s last appointment date, DoctorConnect can automatically send messages to:

  • Patients that have not been seen in a year
  • Patients with appointments that must happen every 30 days
  • All patients that meet a specific status or criteria

Although the bedside manner is all in your hands, let DoctorConnect help you ace the communication that is required to help create recare patients.

Schedule a Demo with DoctorConnect Today!

If you are in need of creating seamless, flexible communication methods to help with patient retention, DoctorConnect is here to help. We specialize in helping you with automated appointment reminders, wait-list management, re-care messaging, and more. Get in touch with us today to schedule your free demo of our software.

2018-05-23T18:33:40+00:00May 23rd, 2018|Doctor Tips|0 Comments

10 Simple Ways to Improve Patient Engagement

Implementing these 10 different methods into your healthcare business’ routine will help boost patient engagement in no time. Although healthcare is all about keeping patients healthy and up-to-date, patient engagement can sometimes be lackluster. Find out how patient engagement can easily be improved through the use of automated software.

10. Having Office Staff Call is a Thing of the Past

Calling patients to remind them about appointments is a practice of the past. Most patients actually prefer to be contacted by their physicians via email. Using a communication method that fits a patient’s lifestyle keeps them happy and overall engaged in their healthcare.

9. Make Sure Your Site is Mobile-Friendly

These days, our whole lives can be summed up on our mobile devices. If you know your patients are going to be searching for your site, make sure that it is mobile-friendly. This way, patients can easily browse your site and make necessary appointments without any hassle or stress.

8. Text Reminders Improve Patient Engagement

Automated text reminders are an excellent way to not only improve patient engagement, but to help prevent no-shows. Most patients prefer this method because it is quick and doesn’t interfere with their day-to-day lifestyle.

7. Make Sure Patient Resources Are Available

Patient resources are important. By offering online information on your website or app, your patient has the opportunity for engagement by reading up on the latest and greatest information in your industry.

6. Waitlist Notifications

Although text reminders help prevent no-shows, they still happen. With waitlist notifications available, you can fill those empty appointment slots, fast. If your patient knows that this is an available option, come appointment day, they will definitely be looking out for a welcome waitlist notification.

5. Schedule Appointments Online

Online appointment scheduling has never been easier than with automated software like the software offered by DoctorConnect. Online scheduling makes the process easy, instant, engaging, and reliable for both you and your patients.

4. Remain Active on Social Media

Everyone seems to have a social media account, so your practice should too. Get active on social media and interact with patients. Offer them interesting articles and opportunities to gain potential benefits from your practice by ‘following,’ ‘re-tweeting,’ or ‘liking’ your page. All social media interaction is positive patient engagement, even if it isn’t time for an upcoming appointment.

3. Use a Combination of Communication (Text, Email, Phone)

Sometimes you need a variety of communication methods to keep your patients engaged. When reminding patients of annual checkups, sometimes a simple email just won’t cut it. Many people overlook emails, which is why we recommend adding text reminders and phone calls to get your patients back in the office for a checkup.

2. Make Sure Wi-Fi Is Available

Keeping your patients connected with their families while they are at your office is important. By offering Wi-Fi services, you are granting them a luxury of not having to use their data plans at your location. This is very subtle patient engagement but will take your office a long way.

1. Offer Instant Patient-Provider Updates

Things change and updates need to be sent out. Improve your communication and patient engagement the easy way with automated engagement software. This way, updates can be instant and sent out in mass texts to participating patients, giving you more time to handle your current priorities.

Improve Your Patient Engagement Today With DoctorConnect’s Software

If you are ready to take a step into the future of patient care, get in touch with DoctorConnect today. Our automated patient engagement software will quickly refine your scheduling process, communication, no-show management, and more. Contact us to find out more about our product features.

2018-06-06T15:18:19+00:00May 14th, 2018|Doctor Tips, Patient Engagement|0 Comments
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