Communication and Healthcare: The Leading Problem in Today’s Industry

Have you ever waited in the hospital for multiple hours on end and wondered what is taking so long? The likelihood is, you experienced the effects of delayed communication and possibly miscommunication. One of the most widely spread problems in the healthcare industry is miscommunication or no communication at all. Most of the time, this problem is seen due to the shift based organizational system in many hospitals. When there is handoff from one shift to another, things tend to fall through the cracks allowing for problems to arise in a patient’s care that wouldn’t have had everything necessary been given to the next provider. Poor communication has led to patients receiving the wrong treatment, wrong procedure or even incorrect medication which leads to days of reversing the negative outcomes that were caused. One organization in fact analyzed 23,000 malpractice lawsuits and found that approximately 1/3 could be linked to communication failures. It was also determined that without these failures, approximately $1.7 billion would have been saved along with 2,000 preventable deaths. It was also seen that 80% of serious medical errors could be attributed to failed communication amongst the various providers a patient would have.

The artistry of the application is the handiwork of professionals who have extensive hands on knowledge about the various processes involved in US healthcare. AaNeelCare is a HIPPA compliant, cloud based solution which works on any standard browser and any platform (Windows, LINUX, MAC) also any device ( Tablets, Phablets, iPhone, android Mobile devices, etc.). Our application is touch enabled and via using gestures the end user can simulate commands.
This version consisted of Membership management and Utilization management modules.

While many may think the only communication at fault is that between providers, there also tends to be a failure between patients and physicians. While provider miscommunication can lead to incorrect treatment, miscommunication between patients and physicians can lead to following incorrect follow up instructions, taking the wrong medications and overall lead to poor outcomes.

Since communication has been seen to be a leading problem, many healthcare systems and providers are looking to improve it in order to better patient care and decrease the number of legal matters that arise as a result of these communication errors. One of the ways that they look to do this is improving the efficiency of the provider’s instructions as without the efficiency it can become really hard for the patients to grasp all of the information necessary for their care. One way that providers can be efficient in looking over the information is having it all formatted in a consistent manner; the SBAR (situation – background – assessment – recommendation) format. With this protocol, the amount of time it takes to review the notes was almost cut in half. In addition, it was seen that the use of the electronic record was helpful as it cut down the amount of time necessary to document patient notes especially with templates that can be made readily available in some EMR systems. EMR systems also give a better chance for communication between patients and physicians as it allows not only for online messaging but also for patients to see notes that could help recap what was said after the appointment/visit is complete. Finally, with the help of EHR it not only helps patients with multiple providers as it gives them the complete picture of what the patient did with other physicians but it also helps with population management. Since it has been a great help with chronic illnesses as it can allow us to see a longer trend of data, it helps us overall improve the outcomes of the population with common chronic conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and various heart conditions like arrythmias.

How Can Aaneel Products Help?

Aaneel products were made with the idea of improving the overall delivery of healthcare by filling in the gaps currently seen in the industry. By utilizing products like Aaneel Care, MyHealth EHR, Patient Portal and Health Access Card, hospitals and physicians will see an improvement in communication and overall effectiveness of physicians seeing patients. By improving not only the quality but also the speed of communication, we are increasing the quality of care for patients while also avoiding many mistakes that could be easily avoidable. In addition to the communication aspect, the added benefits of using these products include quality reporting, transparency, and patient engagement which can promote communication between the patient and provider leading to better outcomes in the end. By using products that can be easily integrated, Aaneel products allow for constant monitoring of patients, communications amongst healthcare professionals and families, and finally population trends that help with the management of overall costs. With the help of these products, communication can be greatly improved, leading to better healthcare delivery and decreased total costs.