How Interoperability Benefits The Healthcare Industry
Communication has never been easier than it is today because of the advancements in technology, telecommunication devices, and the internet. Not only between people, but communication between machines and computerized devices also happens instantly and seamlessly. The compatibility between devices becomes quite critical due to the increase in the number of manufacturers of these devices. Large scale facilities like hospitals have hundreds of such inter-communicating devices, and the data being transferred is critical to the staff. This makes the need for compatibility between these devices even more pressing.
Interoperability has proven to be a solution for closing the communication gap between devices and allowing for speedy communication and response time along the vast network of varying computerized systems, while keeping authenticity of data intact.
What Is Interoperability?
Interoperability is the ability of computerized systems to connect with other computerized systems produced by the same or a different manufacturer. Healthcare industries who operate on time sensitive deadlines need asset management solutions that incorporate interoperability. Interoperability can help with the amount of sensitive data that needs to be communicated between clinics, hospitals, departments and staff.
To further stress the importance of interoperability, we have listed out some obvious benefits for healthcare facilities below.
Clear Communication
Interoperability not only allows for the sharing of data between varying computer systems, but it also makes the information available in such a way that it can be easily understood by the recipient. For example, information about missing assets, the location of a staff member, or environment information of a room storing perishables should be transmitted from the tracking device to the monitoring device, which could be of different makes.
An asset management system helps in tying all these communication devices together, making data seamlessly available. As data pertaining to healthcare pertains to human life, interoperability ensures that the data communicated is error free and easy to understand.
Efficiency
Interoperability helps quicker sharing of data between two or more systems by eliminating intermediary translators. Quicker data sharing also means quick decision making by healthcare management and staff. Such an increase in efficiency will help hospitals and clinics better serve their patients by enabling faster diagnosis of ailments.
Cost Savings
Being able to easily sync data between systems of different makes and designs eliminates the need for intermediate devices, considerably reducing costs. Quick information sharing can make previously recorded data readily available when and where required. This can greatly save a healthcare enterprise a lot of money.
Interoperable devices along with asset management systems help eliminate equipment misplacement, wastage of perishables, compliance issues, improve patient flow, etc. All these improvements will save hospitals considerably.
Managing assets within the facility can be achieved through aktivu™. With the help of Pycube’s Asset Management Solution, track and locate assets with ease through real-time information updates.
