Real-Time Data can Benefit Patients and Improve their Safety

Health care data delivers insights into current care standards, and how they can be improved. This information includes administered treatments, symptoms, vitals, response to treatments and more. 

However, the collation of healthcare records is considered outdated and inefficient. Systems across the globe operate on differing codebases, and with varying capabilities. Some hospitals still use paper records, which are then uploaded onto a patients’ electronic healthcare record. This is a slow process, and mistakes can be made. 

Changes in the methods in which data is collected and stored can change the patient experience. Real-time data provides access to important patient information quickly and accurately. This information can also be stored on their electronic healthcare record for future reference. 

Ultimately, this makes the transfer of important data much more seamless and effective. Patients can receive appropriate treatment, based on timely information.

Accuracy

Regular check-ins are key to patient care. This information includes the vitals of the patient, current status and any treatment that has been administered. At present, this information is recorded manually at the physicians’ convenience. 

Updates can be delayed which affects the timeliness of the next visit. Not having access to up to date information could also affect the treatment that is given. Record updates that are delayed are more likely to contain inaccurate or vague information.

Real-time data enforces system updates immediately. Records are updated at the bedside, which avoids delays in information. The information is more accurate and timely. 

This is extremely important to the safety of patients. Mistakes can costs lives. More accurate observations mean that health issues are less likely to be missed. Treatment will also be more relevant, thanks to up to date vitals and status data.

Hospital Infections

Each year in the US, around 1 in 25 hospital patients are diagnosed with a hospital-related infection. For critically ill patients, hospital outbreaks are extremely serious. Outbreaks of infections put the entire hospital at risk, especially when they aren’t caught quickly. 

Real-time data can monitor each patients’ vitals and health status. This data can help healthcare professionals identify infections as soon as possible. Outbreaks can be stopped in their tracks, before spreading to the rest of the hospital patients and staff. 

This will avoid ward closure and the risk of sending potentially infected staff home. Infected patients can be isolated from the rest of the hospital. Staff are needed to continue patient care, and they can continue to operate within the other wards. Real-time data results in a much smaller spread of the infection. 

Workload

Staff in the healthcare sector are already overworked. This puts extra stress on the healthcare system, as mistakes are easily made. It is important that hospital staff are treated fairly, and given time to rest. However, the challenge is that hospitals are overcrowded, and need full staff numbers to continue operating.

Regular observation visits are one of the most time-consuming parts of a physicians day. With hundreds of occupied hospital beds in each facility, each round can take hours of work.

Real-time data systems can notify physicians to carry out their regular patient checks. Timely visits have been proven to reduce visit frequency over time. 

Patients that are visited at their appropriate intervals are less likely to deteriorate and need urgent care. Less critical patients require fewer observations. Overall, this reduces the time spent on observation visits, freeing up time for more urgent matters. 

Resources

As mentioned, hospital staff have extremely limited free time during their working days. Their entire shift is fully allocated, and work is rushed. 

As a result, spare resources are lacking in the majority of facilities. This can be critical when an urgent case arises, and there are no available staff members on hand to assist. 

Real-time data assists with the allocation of resources. The systems can identify where members of staff are currently working, and monitor their workload. This means that work can be allocated more accurately, to avoid oversubscribing a staff member. There is also a real-time view of who is available to assist in urgent situations. 

These systems also allow all staff to have access to the necessary patient data, at any given time. This means that less time is needed to update physicians, and they spend less time searching for patient information. Handovers between shifts are much simpler. As a result, more physician time is freed up to focus on patients and their treatment. 

Compliance

Audits and health department visits are a regular occurrence in healthcare facilities, for good reason. Examining and monitoring the standards of available healthcare is critical to good patient care. 

However, these checks can be time-consuming. Resources are spent on gathering all necessary data together, to prepare for audits. 

Real-time data can provide easy access to all patient and operating information. Also, as systems automatically record the necessary information, like date and time, it’s much easier to avoid mistakes or missing information.

This means that real-time data records demonstrate that appropriate care is given and in a timely manner. They also provide impartial evidence for use during investigations.

Therefore, patients can trust that their healthcare facilities are audited, and operating at their best. Hospitals can be held to a higher standard, as a result.

Patient Safety

Ensuring that patients receive timely and appropriate care is the priority for healthcare facilities. Real-time data can facilitate this goal. By improving efficiency and accuracy, both patients and healthcare professionals benefit as a result.

There are challenges to implementing a nationwide system change. This requires a lot of money and resources, and a willingness to adapt. However, if these hurdles are overcome, the minutiae of patient care will be much simpler for physicians to handle. This leaves them available to handle the most pressing issue, the care of those that are unwell. 

At Vertrical, we help to build and scale digital health technologies for the improvement of the healthcare sector. We have experts in compliance, to ensure your innovations are compatible with legislation. Get in touch today to discuss how we can help you to develop your digital health solution.