We are many – suppliers and healthcare organisations – that work hard together to create smoother user experiences, so that healthcare practitioners and patients can face a simpler future. What can we learn from others who have succeeded?
Look around you – nowadays, you can move money, take time off work, participate in a course and shop online, all safely and smoothly. But that hasn’t always been the case. Do you remember what a hassle it could be to get through the checkout in an online shop a few years ago? Now the online purchase goes through with one click; your address details are pre-filled, the payment solution has your account details, and FaceID reads your face instead of needing to enter a code. Swish! And you’re done. In other parts of society, digital solutions have rapidly become increasingly user-friendly. What’s made this possible?
There are more systems, not fewer
Achieving a smooth user experience often demands narrower solutions that work together, with each specialised in managing part of the flow. Sometimes they are technically integrated, sometimes they are only linked. As a user, you rarely notice the difference.
New players drive development
Fast-moving companies with innovation in their DNA put the user in focus and succeed in finding solutions that significantly improve user experience, because this is what drives their business. It is rarely the large core systems, in which the industry is already deeply entrenched, that manage to make a rapid transition and take advantage of new opportunities. They’re busy with their core business and being good at exactly what they built their system to be good at.
SaaS solutions are here
In many industries, delivering IT systems through on-premises installations, with low-frequency, high-effort upgrades, is already a thing of the past. With SaaS solutions, companies need not expend time, money and resources on development, as the responsibility and investment in an updated solution lie with the supplier.
Integration need no longer be a 9-month IT project
Open APIs are now a matter of course in many industries, as the ability of your system to collaborate with other ones may be crucial to its marketability. Moreover, a by-the-book technical integration is no longer viewed as the only solution. Instead, people find new ways to get tools to work seamlessly with each other through embedded web servers and deep linking – solutions that take weeks, days or hours to configure instead of the months it takes to launch a major IT project. For example, check out Visiba’s ”no code” integration with a health app.
Is it time to stop dreaming of a single system?
In healthcare, the medical record system is the industry’s core system, so surely the dream scenario would be for it to handle all our healthcare needs? On paper, that sounds like a straightforward, clever idea. But the discussion is often oversimplified. The reality is actually quite complex, and to dare to point to an ecosystem that requires a combination of several solutions, one must first know how modern systems and system suppliers work.
Open systems and flexibility is the future
Many other industries have managed to bring together niche solutions in integrated ways that benefit their users. It is reasonable to assume that this is also the future of healthcare. That’s why we think it is important to remember to ask the following three questions when the time comes to buy a new system:
- Can it be implemented quickly?
- Can it be easily integrated with other solutions?
- Is it relatively painless to replace?
If the answer to any of these questions is “no”, it may be wise to reconsider your options and learn from those who have succeeded.