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7 benefits of Digitization in the Healthcare Industry

William Tsu
Data Analyst
Experienced data analyst working with data visualization, cloud computing and ETL solutions.
December 14, 2019


What is Digitization

Data is far and wide; moreover available in different forms. If you consider producing a meaningful use of it, then you must digitize them. Digitization is the procedure of converting raw information into an electronic format. Through this configuration, information is structured into independent units of data that can be addressed individually. The functioning of digitization primarily involves attaching a physical object, captured with the help of a scanner or digital camera and convert to electronic format. By transforming information into digital form, makes it effortless to retain, access and data interchange. For example, an authentic medical document may only be readily available to a person who pays a visit to the respective location. But if the document content is present in an electronic form, it can be made accessible to people in any corner of the world. As a result, there is an upward trend towards digitization.

Importance of Digitization

The rapid increase in the development of Digital Technology creates awareness in selecting the appropriate method of digitizing complex resources into a user-friendly manner. In the contemporary world, data must be machine-readable and well-defined. This results in a better problem-solving process. Classifying data tend to be easier when data is digitized; hence it is a necessary attribute to convert the readily available data to electronic form. Thus it develops solution-oriented decisions to deliver products and services to the ultimate consumer. Digitized data can help to cure diseases and amplify the healthcare industry. This technology is the primary means to attain desirable results. Besides, one must always evaluate the cost and benefits before implementing digitization. The importance of digitization is to improve the core areas in the workplace. This can help in eliminating transcription errors, improves the accessibility to information, and enhances the electronic workflow processes.

Digitization has reformed the world of documentation. By scanning any data into digitized form, we are capable to preserve the records and documents more effectively. An accurately digitized compilation widens the access, safeguards the original data and sets out new options. Digitizing documents is time-saving, as one does not need to scrutinize through paperwork or disorganized files. The data can be instantly retrieved by the one who is seeking for records at the time of data digitization. As a result, it allows any responsible staff to transfer the required information with their respective industries. There is improved coordination at the workplace, as documentation becomes easier, and one can modify or revise the data without much difficulty. Through the adoption of digitization in the healthcare industry, helps to refine the health and well-being of human beings.

Steps of Data Digitization

• Data must be readily available:- In hand data, available in any form is required for digital conversion. Firstly, data must be segregated into different categories such as Audio and Visual, Text Data, etc. Secondly, download the appropriate software for digitizing the document.

• Make Ready for use:- You cannot start with the digitization process unless various objects like spiral bands, bulldog clips, sticky notes are disrupting with the process. Hence, Remove such objects and place them for scanning or capturing.

• Capturing the Data:- The software that has been downloaded will help in capturing the data. This requires an ideal technology and the right resources, which gives a good start, to begin with, the conversion process.

Scanning devices such as digital cameras, the scanner must be positioned to start with capturing of the data.

One must ensure that computers are connected with the scanning hardware with the help of the right software.

Lastly, click on the suitable command which sends a signal to the hardware to retrieve, store and manage data into the electronic form.

• Conversion through Automatic Identification and Data Capture(AIDC):- It is a process that refers to the mechanized or automatic identification of objects, collecting sufficient data about them, and registering them directly into the computer. There are various tools and techniques evolved to attain the external data.

The electronic data must be stored as JPEG or PDF formats

Click on the right option, where you can easily convert any data into the electronic form in no time

Use the appropriate tool in converting any hard copies to soft copies.

Lastly, save the data as a PDF file and is ready for compressing.

• Optimize and store data:- after the process of capturing data, which is followed by sorting various files, they will be put for manual and software checks to measure the reliability of the data. The data will be then stored in USB drives, hard drives or pen drives.

• Digitization has got an extraordinary set of features and benefits. It helps in converting the data into the electronic form in a simpler way and is said to be an eco-friendly technology with better efficiency and ease of use.

7 Benefits of Digitization in the Healthcare Industry

healthcare

The online or the digital world has revolutionized our lifestyles in a more sophisticated manner. They have adopted a significant responsibility in interconnecting with various healthcare industries. And with the development of digitization in healthcare, it has begun to strengthen the health in multiple ways. With the implementation of digitization, there is value-based healthcare and it is creating a huge impact in this medical care industry. Due to the increase in demand for the treatment of patients, has led to various inventions in the healthcare sector during recent decades. The adoption of multiple technologies varying from AI, Big Data, etc; has transformed the healthcare industry as a whole. Some of the benefits of digitization in the healthcare industry have been stated as follows:-

• The emergence of better communication between the doctor and patient:- Communication has got a vital role when it comes to a doctor-patient relationship. At the same time, several factors disrupt communication and act as a barrier, such as prolonged waiting hours, difficulty in disclosing personal information in the presence of other patients due to the mental state of the patient. This may destroy the entire communication. Now with the rise of digitization, a website termed patient portal has been created, that provides a trouble-free and uncomplicated environment. Here, instant communication is developed between the doctor and patient resulting in better relationships within each other.

• Helps in improving diagnosis:- With the advancement in technology in the form of digitization, doctors can accelerate and boost diagnostic capabilities through a better channel by managing all information. By utilizing the highly developed machines, that help to filter massive data of the patients, collected in the electronic health records; can be accessed more quickly and arrive at the right assumptions. Doctors can also retrieve the data at the time of emergency by not flipping through the patient's manual records. It has also helped Radiologists to analyze the images as shown in the computerized screen and reach a conclusion. For example; breast cancer during a mammography screening.

• Helps in improving drug discovery and for clinical development:- Digitization has also helped in making more drug discovery and their side effects associated with it. By the use of various digital techniques such as; modeling and simulation, clinical trial simulation and many more have helped in the discovery of this substance. Using these powerful techniques, Research and Development teams can make the right detection by analyzing the massive data, which is held in the electronic form.

• Improved communication between various Physicians:- While undergoing critical medical conditions, the patient may have to consult different physicians. With the help of digitization, the patient's records can be shared and accessed by specialists from any part of the world more effectively and efficiently.

• Preserving the patient's records:- Digitization becomes an effective tool in securing the records of the patient. Their details can be saved on the website and can be accessed by multiple health specialists at any time.

• Helps in making online appointments effortlessly:-Patients can use any electronic devices to book their appointments with the respective doctors with minimal steps to be followed. This is one of the most beneficial and useful technological development in the health care industry.

• Enhancing the financial outcomes and increasing the value:- With the help of digitization all back-office functions and other administrative tasks can be performed easily and is relatively less time-consuming. From the billing to the daily office work can be completed in less time most reliably.