Problems Data Inaccuracy Can Create in Your Practice

Information is an integral part of hospital management, whether it's clinical or administrative. Accurate information is the cornerstone of hospital management. Without it, hospital professionals are unable to make informed decisions about patient care or hospital operations - and that can have major consequences on a hospital's success. 

In this blog post, we will discuss the problems that may arise due to data inaccuracy and how a hospital management system can help medical professionals gather accurate information in order to run successful hospitals.

Problem 1: Patient information is often recorded in a hospital management system, but it's not always stored correctly.

For example, the hospital may think the bed number and bed location for this patient are both "B36," while what they have actually entered into the hospital management system is "Bed 36." This will cause confusion when looking at data reports because these records cannot be found using that search query.

Problem 2: Haphazardly organized clinical documentation can lead to inaccurate billing practices and improper reimbursement rates due to incorrect coding of diagnoses or procedures used during visits.

For example, if a hospital has an EKG reading, but the patient's diagnosis is not one that would lead to a bill for an EKG being generated, then this can negatively affect hospital revenue. 

Problem 3: When hospital management systems are not up-to-date, they can lead to inaccurate data that could result in incorrect diagnoses or procedures.

For example, if a hospital patient is having an allergic reaction and the hospital records indicate that their allergies are "nonexistent," this would likely be wrong because the hospital has no information on any known allergy history for this specific person. 

Problem 4: When data quality assurance is not done on time or correctly, errors will be created which could lead to the hospital losing its credibility. Once an error occurs, you cannot undo it unless someone else catches the mistake before it becomes too late and takes action accordingly. 

Problem 5: A hospital that does not have an adequate system for data accuracy assurance may have more than one person updating the same piece of clinical or administrative information which could result in conflicting records about a certain patient who is treated by both personnel, and this might be impossible to identify without meticulous detail checking, or by using systems' features such as audit trails, version control logs, etc. 

Problem 6: When the records turn out to be inaccurate, it may hinder a hospital's ability for financial success because of the lack of information available on how much money is coming into or going out which could lead to less funding for new equipment or renovations. 

Problem 7:  Poor record keeping means staff will struggle with knowing how many patients are coming into the hospital or which of them require certain services such as surgery, rehabilitation therapy, etc. because there is no way of telling what specific needs they may have.

The best way to ensure data quality assurance within your hospital walls is through hospital management systems. These hospital information systems are designed to provide accurate data for your hospital. They can be utilized in a variety of settings such as scheduling, patient care, or billing and finance!

Here are 5 reasons why hospital management software is the best way to ensure the accuracy of hospital information.

1. All information collected by hospital staff with hospital management systems is stored in a central location. This makes sure that all staff access and edit in the same repository, making it easier to spot discrepancies.
   
   
2. Hospital management systems eliminate the need for paper charts by digitalizing the database. This drastically reduces the errors made while entering data into the system.
   
   
3. By providing automated data entry, hospital management systems prevent hospital staff from having to manually enter data into the system which often leads to human error.
   
   
4. With visibility into the patient flow, hospital managers can understand where patients are within the hospital and identify problem areas before they happen, allowing them to take timely action.
   
   
5. Hospital management systems help ensure that patient information stays private by only allowing hospital staff to access information where they need it when they need it.

Insta by Practo offers a cloud-based hospital management software that further ensures the collection of accurate information. It stores its data centrally in a way that makes it visible across departments, thereby increasing the transparency of the methods of the hospital.

Insta can improve the efficiency of patient treatment at your hospital with the real-time status of patients. It can also ensure the accuracy of the data collected and that it remains confidential.

Want to know more? Book now for a free demo!