How Clinical Service Lines Automate Workflows for Better Monitoring & Reporting
Workflows surround us every day. From our morning routines to how oil is changed in our cars, these processes are known as workflows. No matter the field, every profession consists of workflows. But healthcare is arguably the most complex, with over one hundred specialties, thousands of facilities, and near-infinite patient-specific care requirements.
Clinical service line workflows are especially complicated, as team members must complete tasks in a specific order, often in conjunction with outside organizations.
Regrettably, healthcare providers (clinicians and their supporting staff) struggle to shoulder ever-increasing workloads, causing a patient safety crisis. And increasing demands to grow revenue to support health system growth means service line leaders are trying to do more with less.
Clinicians need better support.
When digital tools such as effective patient workflow management software aren’t available to track where patients are in the process, they can fall through the cracks. As a Nurse and former Surgical Specialty Coordinator, I have seen the impact of fragmented workflows firsthand and believe we should prioritize automating clinical workflows to improve care coordination and eliminate gaps in patient care.
With a well-designed workflow, and the right technology to support them, team members know where patients are in their treatment and what actions they are responsible for completing. They can also easily identify overlooked items vital to patient care to move patients quickly through treatment.
Patients rely on optimal workflows.
With better workflow solutions, patients are far less likely to be “dropped” or “missed” while they wait to be seen by a provider. I couldn’t even imagine being a patient anxiously waiting to hear back on an oncology appointment that was “overlooked”—the thought alone is gut-wrenching!
If we don’t make these needed changes, patients will continue to suffer from:
Delays in diagnosis and treatment
Reduced access to care
Increased out-of-pocket costs
Missed follow-up
Poor Outcomes
It is more important than ever for practices and clinics to establish and monitor set workflows. By doing this, providers will reduce unnecessary challenges in healthcare and deliver the highest quality patient care.
I’d welcome the chance to connect and hear your thoughts about this important issue. Please drop me an email anytime.
Samantha Davis Knapp BSN, RN