The personal connection between the patient and the provider builds trust, which in turn establishes better communication and leads to real dialogue, thereby improving the overall quality of care. As the true foundation of effective care, this connection is the only real way to improve patient satisfaction.
Although this may seem like a simple concept, it has disappeared because today’s health IT innovations have eliminated the human factor in patient care.In fact, research exhibit Experts need an average of 16 minutes to enter patient information into the EHR, while primary care doctors need 19 minutes. Therefore, in an average visit, more time is spent recording care than providing care!
This also leads to a lack of eye contact, causing patients to feel as if they are no longer the focus of the interview.In fact, it should be the opposite, the doctor spends a few minutes Electronic medical records, The rest of the time is to communicate face to face with the patient.
This is just one example of how the original vision behind health IT (becoming an enabler of better care coordination and outcomes) has been disrupted by technology.
Many of today’s technologies are so old that they have caused unprecedented burnout of doctors and nurses, disrupted careers, and cost many talented practitioners.
In addition, the idea of health data exchange was ignored until the 21st century cure bill was passed.The current HIT field does not support real data interoperability through data blocking, Lack of data standardization standards. Although Health Information Exchange (HIE) has played a huge role in breaking down these barriers, there is still much work to be done.
Overall, this can lead to dissatisfaction with care providers, resulting in lower patient satisfaction scores; and a vicious circle that is difficult to break.
How did we get here?
In 1928, the American College of Surgeons (ACOS) attempted to raise the standard of record creation in clinical settings by creating medical records. This initial document, which records patient records in paper format, changes the rules of the game and allows providers to better treat patients and have a more complete medical history.
By the 1960s and 1970s, the rise of computers converted patient records into electronic formats, which slowly became popular in the 1980s and 1990s. Although it wasn’t until the 2000s that “meaningful use” came into play.By 2015, 96% of hospitals is using Electronic health records.
During this evolution, although broader health IT solutions have also increased, the connection between patients and providers has been affected. This largely boils down to innovations developed by technicians, rather than actual clinicians who understand the workflow of real patients.
An industry dedicated to saving lives requires a business revolution
We are the only industry dedicated to saving lives. However, the efficiency created by consumer, banking, and retail technology has greatly exceeded that of today’s healthcare industry.
Consumer-oriented apps make everything from buying a car to applying for a mortgage easy. On the medical front, it is not uncommon for experts to obtain simple things such as access to key patient information from recommended primary care providers. Some things must be paid.
We need a people-oriented business revolution, where technology is transformed from being regarded as a cost center to a strategic tool to create better processes for better results.
When health innovations are properly understood and applied, they can provide better automation, simplify work processes, and create a better quality of life for caregivers. Ultimately, by putting people first, IT can provide better quality of care.
This is especially true for nurses, who are the foundation of human-centered care. They need to evaluate every patient and are distracted by cumbersome technology, which is detrimental to care. In addition to the 12-hour shift, nurses usually need an additional hour or more to complete the non-intuitive shift change paperwork.
Healthcare IT directors and doctors need to work smarter and be supported by technology. To this end, we need true interoperability, data exchange, and the ease of use of electronic health records to successfully achieve value-based care transformation and improve patients’ lives.
We also need to take a step back and remember that interpersonal relationships are an important foundation of nursing. It’s not too late to rethink health IT and turn Hippocrates’ famous saying into reality: “Where you love medical art, there is a love for humans.”
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