Educational Material

How integration between systems benefits hospital processes

1 – What is data integration between systems in healthcare?

In the same healthcare institution, using different systems to provide patient care is common. However, these tools are often not integrated with each other, strongly impacting the process and flow of patient care.

Systems integration in healthcare is a process of connecting different information tools to share data securely and allow healthcare professionals to communicate efficiently, providing a better experience for patients, from the time they enter the institution until the hospital outcomes.

This process may include, for example, the connection between medical care platforms (EHR), laboratories (LIS), imaging exams (RIS/PACS/DICOM), patient management modules, and internal control tools.

Therefore, the purpose of carrying out integrations between systems in a healthcare institution is:

• Improve the quality of patient care;
• Generate greater patient satisfaction;
• Reduce medical errors;
• Bring more security to clinical decision-making; and
• Improve communication between professionals;

Resulting in a much more connected and assertive process and flow.

2 – What are the main benefits of systems integration in healthcare?

Systems integration in healthcare can also bring several important benefits to patients and professionals involved. Check out some of the main points in implementing connected platforms:

2.1 Improvement of hospital flow and process

Integration between a hospital institution’s systems makes the organizational process clearer for the hospital team — avoiding delays, mistakes, and errors — and for patients. With information and data traveling in real time between different platforms and departments, the agility in the flow of patient care is greater, in addition to ensuring greater safety and quality in the process.

This integration between different hospital systemic platforms also generates a relevant connection between departments of the institutions, which, due to physical distance or lack of control over processes, tend to try to advance independently, generating conflicts during clinical care.

The connection between data from different tools facilitates communication and coordination between different departments and units, ensuring that everyone works with the same information in a synchronized manner, flowing in a single process for the entire institution.

2.2 Cost reduction

Integration between systems increases operational efficiency, thanks to greater assertiveness, reducing possible errors and redundancies in the healthcare process. Thus, institutions can benefit from material savings, both in terms of time and financial costs.

Another relevant point is that the integration between systems provides patients and their families with a safer and more agile care experience.

2.3 Improvement in patient care

As mentioned in the previous item, the patient will have a much better care experience with the integration of systems in the institution.

From the initial care at the hospital reception, integrated systems can trigger alerts and send data to all other areas where the patient will be seen. For example, if the patient needs emergency care, he/she will be able to go through the risk classification just with the initial care password and the professional who will provide assistance will register the patient form for the first time with initial data and vital signs.

This form will be submitted to the physician in charge of the patient care directly with the risk classification recorded by the first professional, making the prioritization process faster and more correct.

The physician, in turn, will be able to make the diagnosis more accurately and safely, and this healthcare will be able to continue its flow with all data recorded until hospital discharge.

Thus, patient care and treatment will have greater quality and assertiveness, as the healthcare professional will have all the necessary history at hand in an agile and reliable manner, regardless of the hospital department where the patient is or has previously been.

2.4 Information security and regulatory compliance

Another point of extreme relevance today is information security and compliance with regulations in the hospital environment. Integration between different systems helps hospitals in terms of data accuracy, access control, monitoring, auditing, and traceability, ensuring consistency and control in protecting patient data.

Integrated systems can implement robust security measures to protect patient data from unauthorized access and breaches. Furthermore, integration facilitates adherence to health regulations and standards by ensuring that all forms and processes are properly documented, accessible, and complied with by all areas of the institution.

3 – What are the main types of systemic platforms in healthcare?

Below, we list the most common platform models in healthcare institutions that, when connected, promote all the benefits already mentioned for patients and hospitals.

1. ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning): This is a well-known and widely used tool by managers looking for efficiency in managing their companies.

In the hospital context, ERP supports inventory, financial, and billing management, as well as the patient care process. Some platforms of this model also include the possibility of clinical and laboratory patient forms.

2. RIS (Radiology Information System): This is specific software for managing imaging services that allows the automation and optimization of the entire process, from scheduling the test to submitting the report to the patient or requesting physician.

3. PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System): This is a technological medical imaging tool. The feature provides cost-effective storage and easy access to images from multiple modalities, such as X-ray, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and ultrasound.

4. DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine): This is a set of standards that unifies the format of diagnostic tests, such as tomography, mammography, and magnetic resonance imaging in electronic media. Its primary purpose is to facilitate the storage and communication of medical diagnoses, ensuring that everything is done in a very efficient and safe manner.

5. LIS (Laboratory Information System): This is the laboratory information system responsible for managing and storing laboratory data requested for patient treatments. It may be responsible for the entire process, including ordering or scheduling, material collection, processing, and test results.

6. HIS (Hospital Information System): This is a hospital information system used to manage and store patients’ clinical and administrative data. It is a tool capable of integrating information from different hospital departments, such as radiology, laboratories, admissions, and medical records, among others.

7. EHR (Electronic Health Record): This is the tool used by healthcare professionals in hospitals, clinics, or physicians’ offices. It contains data such as medical history, test results, diagnoses, treatments, medical prescriptions, and allergies, among other information relevant to patient care and treatment.

In summary, integration between hospital systems results in a more efficient, safe, and patient-centered care environment. It not only improves the quality of care, but also optimizes hospital operations, contributing to a more effective use of available resources, ensuring compliance with standards and regulations, and improving the institution’s processes and flows.

Epimed Monitor is an indicator management and analysis system that integrates with the various hospital platforms mentioned, gathering administrative, clinical, and laboratory data to provide the user with quality and performance indicators, dashboards, graphs, and reports in real-time.