Introduction to Disconnected Systems Leading to Disconnected Care
Disconnected systems in healthcare undermine the promise of healthcare by failing to advance collaboration and coordination, resulting in providers being forced to make decisions without proper data. This causes gaps in care that directly affect safety and quality. Furthermore, patients often switch between different care facilities, yet their data often does not move with them. This results in disconnected care rather than a seamless, whole-person experience.
Fragmented EHRs Put Patient Safety at Risk
Fragmented EHR records create challenges that impact patients and providers. For instance, when information is incomplete or delayed, providers may accidentally order tests that were already ordered elsewhere or even miss crucial medication changes that should have affected their treatments. This lack of insight forces clinicians to rely on patient recall and manual workarounds, which ultimately are not reliable and increase the risk of preventable errors. Furthermore, for patients, these gaps translate into repeated procedures, inconsistent care plans, and frustration with having to navigate a system that often feels confusing and scattered.
Additionally, patient harm becomes even more crucial when data such as allergies, active prescriptions, or discharge instructions fail to update across systems. This goes past just a minor inconvenience and becomes an active risk to patient safety. For instance, this can cause medication errors, missed diagnoses, and delayed interventions. Furthermore, this is even more of a prominent issue within large federal health environments, where patients often receive care across multiple systems that operate independently rather than collaboratively.
How HITS Focuses on Reconnecting People & Data
HITS addresses this challenge by focusing on human-centered solutions that are built around real clinical workflows. This means actively engaging with stakeholders to understand how information fits into their daily routines and where breakdowns occur. By designing workflows so that the right information appears at the right moment, HITS helps to reduce cognitive burden and ensure that technology supports decision-making rather than hinders it. These refined workflows and standardized data exchange form the foundation for systems that promote collaboration in care. Furthermore, these redesigned workflows ensure that interoperability feels natural rather than forced.
Furthermore, HITS understands that technology alone is not enough without meaningful support, training, and communication. HITS does this by providing strategic communications and change management, which guide providers through new tools and processes with clear guidance, hands-on training, and continuous support. By prioritizing both end-user adoption and system integration, HITS ensures that organizations build environments where technology, workflow, and people all move together in the same direction.
Importance of Shifting Away from Disconnected Care
Disconnected systems continue to deliver disconnected care, directly affecting patients. This is especially critical for patients with chronic illnesses, who require day-to-day coordinated care. Therefore, HITS aims to combine standardized data exchange, intuitive provider workflows, and training, so that health systems transform fragmented environments into integrated systems where every provider has access to a complete picture before moving forward. This ensures that all patients receive care that is safer and coordinated.
HITS
HITS provides healthcare management services & works with users to develop health informatics tools that promote safe, secure, and reliable care experiences. We believe technology must be designed with empathy, accountability, transparency, and human-centered design at its core. By combining government expertise with healthcare management, we deliver collaborative, high-quality solutions across military, federal, and commercial sectors. We take pride in our services and settle for nothing other than 100% quality solutions for our clients. Having the right team assist with data sharing is crucial to encouraging collaborative and secure care. If you’re looking for the right team that delivers technology with heart, HITS is it! You can reach out to us directly at info@healthitsol.com. Check out this link if you’re interested in having a 15-minute consultation with us: https://bit.ly/3RLsRXR.
References
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10170908/
- https://insiteone.com/healthcares-silent-crisis-how-fragmented-it-systems-compromise-patient-care/
Article link: https://healthinformationtechnologysolutions.com/disconnected-systems-lead-to-disconnected-care/
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