What is healthcare software?

Healthcare software is any software developed for the medical industry. The software could help with hospital administration, handling medical equipment, helping healthcare professionals, or improving patient outcomes. Software vendors provide services for the healthcare facility or even off-premise ones like remote patient monitoring.

The main issues hospitals usually face are logistical - administration, supplying equipment, handling patients, etc. Professionals must use a lot of paper to manually document everything, which is prone to human error or deterioration over time. Staff also spend a lot of time instructing patients, and scheduling appointments, which can be costly.

A healthcare provider can address these issues directly with the proper software.

Just some of the functionalities of healthcare software are:

Improved efficiency

A hospital can use medical database software to keep large amounts of patient data in the cloud. Then every healthcare professional can access the digital records of a patient from everywhere. This improves patient care, as experts can analyze data from several sources.
Improve patient engagement

Telemedicine systems can enable providers to reach out to patients remotely and provide care remotely. Through medical devices connected to mobile apps, patients can also track their health - such as blood sugar or glucose levels.
Administrative functions

Healthcare providers can use medical practice management software to automate tasks such as bed management, medical billing, patient scheduling, and supply management.

To achieve these effects hospitals usually need to use several types
of software.

What software is used
in healthcare?

A healthcare facility can use only one all-purpose software, including multiple functionalities. Or it can use several stand-alone software solutions, depending on the needs of the facility.

In either case, examples of software that is available to hospitals are:

Electronic health record
(EHR)
Hospital management
software
Practice management
software
Patient portal
Billing software

Electronic health record (EHR)

electronic health records (or electronic medical records) are a clinical data repository where a professional can store the data of a patient. They are the digital version of paper medical records. EHR software allows healthcare professionals easy access to a patient's records and can help track a patient's progress over time.

Hospital management software

the software focuses on the operations of hospitals or healthcare organizations. It handles registrations, revenue cycle management, inventory management, etc.

Practice management software

practice management focuses specifically on the medical services provided. It handles functions such as patient registration, billing, or the electronic health record of a patient. A practice management solution is used in smaller clinics when compared to hospital management software, which focuses on large facilities.

Patient portal

these portals allow patients to access their medical records online, and schedule appointments without needing to speak to a physician. Through the portal, a patient can also talk to their doctor and receive answers to specific questions without a doctor's visit. Each branch of a hospital can have a separate portal depending on its needs. It can also include functionalities for voice recognition, device integration, and mobile health.

Billing software

while it is often integrated into other services, healthcare can opt for a stand-alone medical billing software. It specializes in handling insurance claims, billing for services, handling, etc. It can help reduce errors and help professionals focus on patient care, rather than logistics.

Yet, despite its benefits, healthcare software has some drawbacks that need to be taken into account.

Challenges with Medical
Software

The challenges with the software solutions are related to the fact that the software is connected to the Internet and with the logistics of implementing it:

Security: Common to every software that includes data collection, security must be a top priority. Data mining in the healthcare field could compromise patient safety.
Logistics: the initial implementation of the software can be costly. Not only must hospitals provide new hardware, but they must train their staff and integrate it with existing systems.

Yet, a proper IT partner can help overcome these hurdles. Almost every medical healthcare vendor can provide its software on a software-as-a-service basis (SaaS). This way, for a small monthly fee, the provider operates the software from its own servers and handles maintenance, removing almost all logistical issues.

The digital transformation of the management software and clinical documentation can thus be handled by the provider.

Robust security solutions
with a trustworthy partner

A vendor specialized in software can regularly update the software to handle emerging threats, developments, or bugs. Such a partner can provide for meaningful use of healthcare apps.

Yet, one must also keep in mind the stringent regulations in the field, such as Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). To provide software that is both reliable and regulation compliant, one needs a provider specializing in healthcare software. Among the leaders in the field is — BGO Software.

Our expertise in depth

Digital Health
Consulting

Healthcare Software

What is healthcare software?

Improved efficiency

Improve patient engagement

Administrative functions

What software is used in healthcare?

Electronic health record (EHR)

Hospital management software

Practice management software

Patient portal

Billing software

Challenges with Medical Software

Robust security solutions with a trustworthy partner

Our expertise in depth

Do you still wonder what type of service you need for your project?

Healthcare
Software

What software is used
in healthcare?

Challenges with Medical
Software

Robust security solutions
with a trustworthy partner

Do you still wonder what type
of service you need for your
project?