14 Types of Healthcare Software, Key Benefits, and Choose the Right One

1. Electronic health record (EHR) software

Electronic health record software stores a patient's continuous health record, not just data from a single hospital visit. The EHR includes the patient's demographics, immunization history, lab results, medications, allergies, diagnoses, and clinical notes. EHR software helps update, store, and access the EHR as needed.

EHR software can also connect to patient portals that help patients easily access pending bills and their next appointment date. It also lets general practitioners, specialists, and other healthcare staff access patients' healthcare information digitally.

2. Laboratory information system (LIS)

A laboratory information system that helps medical laboratories store, manage, update, and access patients' lab records. This system stores information such as patient demographics, check-in times, specimen details, test results, and more.

The data stored in the LIS is available to other departments, such as hematology, nephrology, oncology, and others, not just lab technicians and the lab. Because lab test results reflect a patient's medical condition, they are crucial for diagnosis and treatment.

3. E-prescribing and medication management software

E-prescribing software overcomes the challenges of illegible handwritten prescriptions. With e-prescribing software, healthcare staff can store prescriptions digitally, and pharmacies can access them. This software helps pharmacies dispense medications accurately. During telehealth visits, prescriptions can also be stored remotely.

Medication management software acts as an interface between pharmacies and patients. It helps store patients' allergies, contradictions, and adherence patterns. EHR can also be integrated with medication management software. This software helps pharmacies manage their inventory.

4. Telehealth software

Telehealth software enables patients to receive virtual care from healthcare providers. This software uses telecommunications to connect with patients through video and audio calls. Telehealth software also provides remote patient health monitoring features. EHR can be integrated into this software.

5. Remote patient monitoring (RPM) software

Remote patient monitoring software helps to monitor and store data from wearable devices. This software acts as a digital bridge between patients at home and healthcare providers. It also helps identify patterns in a patient's health condition. This software provides 24/7 clinical care and support for patients through virtual care.

6. Practice management software

Practice management software in healthcare organizations helps to coordinate the day-to-day administrative activities. This software automates appointment scheduling, patient registration, claims, and billing. Practice management software also sends appointment and billing reminders.

EHR can also integrate with practice management software, helping maintain secure communication between patients and healthcare providers.

7. Pharmacy management systems

The main purpose of Pharmacy management software is to maintain a complete database of available medicines and manage stock and inventory. This software also helps interpret physicians' prescription instructions and the guidelines for taking the medicines. It also connects with online patient portals to quickly send medication follow-up reminders.

8. Hospital management software

Hospital management software tracks medical staff attendance, including their in-time and out-time. It also stores hospital-related information, such as new policies and operational procedures. In addition, this software helps hospital administration connect with the patient portal.

9. Healthcare CRM software

Healthcare CRM software streamlines patient communication and centralizes patient interactions. This software also helps gather patients' reviews and feedback. This software also helps resolve patient queries, such as appointment times and doctor availability. This software primarily helps clear patients' doubts.

10. Healthcare supply chain management software

Healthcare supply chain management tracks the supply of healthcare products from suppliers and manufacturers to hospitals. In healthcare, the right material must be available at the right time; each material is a crucial, life-saving resource.

Healthcare supply chain management can track medical equipment and surgical supplies like masks, gloves, and other essentials. This software can even track blood supply from the blood bank.

11. Medical billing software

Medical billing software handles billing and payment processing. It also helps in revenue management. This software can also verify the patient's insurance claims before processing payments.

12. Healthcare document management software

Healthcare document management software stores healthcare-related documents such as treatment protocols, medical equipment operating and calibration procedures, and other healthcare records. This software acts as a central repository for storing healthcare-related digital files and records.

13. Healthcare knowledge base software

Healthcare knowledge base software helps centralize healthcare-related information such as policies, procedures, and patient records. This software also helps retrieve information from uploaded healthcare documents and create cross-functional coordination among healthcare teams.

For example, the infection control policy stored in the knowledge base can be accessed by both laboratory and HR teams.

If you are a growing healthcare organization with a small tech team, building knowledge base software from scratch can be tedious. Then Accurez can be the best option for your organization.

Accurez is an AI healthcare knowledge base software that helps you retrieve the right healthcare information at the right time. Accurez is self-hosted knowledge base software that keeps healthcare documents on your server and keeps your data secure. You can also create dedicated assistants for each healthcare team to answer each team's queries.

14. Healthcare analytics and business intelligence software

Healthcare data analytics software predicts diseases and supports early diagnosis based on data patterns. Business intelligence software supports clinical decision-making and enables early disease detection based on the data provided.

Streamline daily healthcare operations

Healthcare software helps to streamline the day-to-day activities of healthcare organizations. It supports;

• Daily operations such as documenting diagnoses, test results, treatments, and patient history.
• Laboratory and diagnostic work, such as ordering tests, processing samples, and reviewing results. This software assists the healthcare staff across multiple departments.

Reduce manual work and administrative tasks

Healthcare software reduces the manual workforce and workload needed to handle administrative tasks. No one needs to remind patients about appointments or carry healthcare records across teams within the organization; these software solutions can digitize everything.

Improve communication between healthcare teams

Healthcare software can break down communication barriers across teams. For example, a pathologist can access a patient's blood test report and tissue culture report through a laboratory information system, rather than asking staff to bring physical records. The laboratory information system enables digital access to lab reports across multiple healthcare teams.

Improve patient care and outcomes

Healthcare software can improve patient care and overall patient well-being. For example, telehealth software can support patients' virtual care. Wearable medical devices connected to telehealth software can also help monitor patients remotely and provide the necessary care. This can improve patients' treatment outcomes.

Support better resource management

Healthcare software enables better resource management; for example, healthcare supply chain management software helps to track the supply of healthcare resources. Pharmacy management software helps track medicine availability and maintain pharmacy inventory.

Portuguese hospital automates medical imaging workflows

The case study in a Portuguese hospital shows that openEHR-based workflow automation was applied to the medical imaging process. After reviewing 6,800 imaging requests, researchers reported that the openEHR-based workflow reduced image-processing wait times by handling structured data and automating the workflow.

North Central London NHS automates CKD referrals

North Central London's CKD service center spends around 30 minutes per patient manually identifying referrals, registering them, and preparing triage based on disease. This takes a vast amount of time because Chronic Kidney Disease has become common in one in ten patients.

To overcome this, TPHC's digital productivity team has integrated the NHS e-Referral Service with EMIS to automate the referral workflow. Since implementing this solution, the system has processed 4,289 referrals and saved 2,144 staff hours.

Sources: National Library of Medicine, Transformation Partners in Health and Care

Assess your needs before selecting healthcare software

Analyze your healthcare software needs. The needs of the software must include the following:

• Identify the software's purpose, assess operational efficiency, and find the right dedicated team to use it.
• Also check whether the software is cross-functional with other teams.

Check usability and future growth

Before choosing healthcare software, you must consider the size of your healthcare organization. The software should be scalable as the organization grows. The software must be user-friendly for the healthcare staff who use it.

Review integration, interoperability, and security

While purchasing healthcare software, review its interoperability with other healthcare software. Also confirm that the software keeps your healthcare data secure.

For example, a hospital management system must integrate with EHRs to access patient data quickly. So software integration is an important factor to evaluate when choosing healthcare software.

Evaluate the cost and long-term value

Before purchasing healthcare software, compare costs from multiple providers and ask about payment options. Some providers may offer one-time payments, while others may offer a monthly subscription. Also ask about the technical support the software provider offers after you purchase the software. Technical support can add long-term value.

Machine learning models for medical diagnosis

Deep learning models like CNNs (Convolutional Neural Networks) can process healthcare images to support medical diagnosis. This can reduce the risk of misdiagnosis and repetitive tasks; it can also support healthcare staff.

Virtual reality (VR) for treatment and medical training

Virtual reality is used to provide treatment procedures such as postoperative and rehabilitation therapy. It is also used for ophthalmological diagnosis. Virtual reality is used in medical training to help people with physical disabilities interact with the physical world.

Augmented reality (AR) for clinical procedures

Augmented reality is used for clinical procedures, such as assisting surgeons during surgery by highlighting previously unseen details. AR can also be used in clinical scanning to visualize blood flow through veins.

Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) for connected care

Internet of Medical Things and related technologies have played a crucial role in connected care. With wearable IoT devices, healthcare professionals can easily track patients' vital signs remotely, providing more intensive care beyond healthcare organizations.

Internet of Medical Things has played a crucial role in treating orthopedic patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. IoMT has supported various treatments for patients, including those related to bones, tendons, ligaments, and other issues. IoMT tools and technologies have supported data sharing, report monitoring, patient information tracking, and other medical analyses.

Robotics for automated healthcare tasks

Robotics can automate healthcare tasks such as cleaning and disinfecting infectious wards and assessing patients' health. Robots can also assist healthcare professionals in orthopedic surgeries.

Johns Hopkins University researchers trained a robot by having it watch videos of human doctors, eliminating the need to train it for each surgical move. The surgical robot can lift tissue, suture the wound, and perform other complex procedures. The surgical robot performed gallbladder removal surgery successfully without human doctor intervention.

Sources: Johns Hopkins University, National Library of Medicine