Insights and Impressions of Health Plus Care 2018 part 2

As you may already have gathered from our first impressions of the Health Plus Care event in ExCEL London this year (link to the first part), there’s a lot to be said for listening to a whole range of thought leaders and experts at a super-sized event such as this. Here’s part 2 of our summary of the main points to consider when you’re undergoing a digital health transformation in your clinic.

Harnessing Data to Make the Right Decisions

It is crucial for the medical profession to learn how to gather, analyse and act upon data from the right medical note templates, performance indicators, test results and all the rest of it. As the Director of Analytics at NEL, Graham Crawford clearly knows what he’s talking about when it comes to the power of data. The Transformation in Action 1 stage was the place to be for a great discussion about the significance of not just collecting any and all data for the sake of it.

Whether we’re talking about improving population health or optimising the running of a single medical practice, having access to data that is actionable and appropriate is key to a successful outcome. To take a simple yet highly effective example, keeping track of first-time visits versus follow-up cases in general practice acts as a health gauge from a business perspective. It does wonders for your clinic as a business if you can see whether the growth of your patient list is running out of steam well ahead of the point when it could cause serious problems for your clinic as a business.

Even with the simplest information gathered properly like this, you can make strategic decisions to try to increase awareness of your clinic among your target audience of prospective patients. Ultimately, you will be able to grow your practice and get yourself noticed by patients who really need your help but simply didn’t know you existed.

Photo: Insequa Ltd.

Meddlesome Myths of Digital Transformation

There’s nothing better than having a true strategic leader in the fields of business development and technology innovation to convince the unsure to make the leap to more digital ways of practising medicine and running clinics. Nathan Baranowski not only clearly recognised and outlined the major pain points for those who are still reluctant to push forward and transform their workflow but also provided some real encouragement and worthy solutions to rid them of this apprehension.

It was shown that the most common issue is that organisations like clinics start off on the road towards digital transformation without quite understanding exactly where this path leads. Naturally, when you end up using a system that doesn’t fully support the digital business you’re working towards becoming, it’s easy to end up disheartened. You find yourself creeping back to the old ways of doing things because you know what to expect on any given day even if the processes you’re using aren’t perfect.

The ideal solution to busting the myths of digital transformation and ultimately getting the job done on time and in a cost-effective and intuitive fashion is to find a practice management software that is willing and able to take on your ideas and turn them into reality. Whether you’re interested in data analysis to boost your marketing potential, want to cut down on DNAs with the help of automated patient reminders, or anything else at all, Medesk always strives to be the ecosystem that lets your clinic be exactly what you want it to be.

Tomorrow’s World Today

This year, the vibe given off at the Digital Healthcare Show and, indeed, at Health Plus Care was one of innovation and excitement. Practically every exhibitor and speaker was confident in their predictions that we can achieve these giant digital leaps in progress as long as we remember that we are all pulling in the same direction.

While competition is certainly healthy and welcome in the healthcare sector, whether private or NHS, there also needs to be a drive towards the production of a whole digital integration ecosystem that allows all sorts of devices and platforms to “speak” to one another for the benefit of patients. Nigel Whapshott, Head of Creative, Digital, and Marketing for the NHS was clear in his statement that we absolutely have to arrive at that happy medium between all-out competition and a collaborative approach, and we at Medesk fully support this view.

All in all, the Digital Healthcare Show and the wider Health Plus Care event was an undeniable success. We and our fellow delegates and speakers shared all sorts of advice and tips on how to truly bring practice management into the 21st century instead of holding digital solutions back as mere medical note taking tools. At Medesk, we were thrilled to see so many people on the same wavelength all in one place, discussing how to better achieve the noblest goal of medicine - clinically effective treatments as part of a wider, improved patient experience that engages the whole population with their own health.