As digital transformation reshapes the healthcare industry, chatbots have emerged as powerful tools to enhance patient experiences, reduce staff workload, and optimize hospital operations. This whitepaper provides valuable insights into how hospitals can harness chatbot technology to address challenges in appointment scheduling, triage, and patient communication.
Clinical procedures from diagnosis to prescription and post-treatment care have undergone a sea change catalyzed by the pandemic. People can now have a full-body check-up from the comfort of their homes with the lab results messaged on WhatsApp before the day ends. Patients can consult their healthcare professional via instant message and have it entered into their medical records simultaneously. Chatbots are an integral part of this framework, serving as the first point of contact for both patients and hospital administrators.
Hospital Management is the process where healthcare providers effectively and efficiently administer everything from patient registration to appointment scheduling, document management, consultation management, lab management, drug safety, report generation, staff management, outpatient management, and so much more.
Digitalization of hospital processes and procedures has helped enhance the lives of millions across the world. Here we will discuss the various aspects of digitalizing hospital management and how chatbots play a vital role in this process.
A Hospital Management System (HMS) is an all-in-one software solution that enables hospitals or medical care facilities to streamline their operations. This comprehensive system integrates various departments of a hospital into a single network, facilitating efficient management of hospital resources and functions.
The three keys in the healthcare sector are Technological enablement, Digitization, and Automation, with HMS-enabled hospitals leading the charge. In 2018, smart hospitals enabled with HMS had a market value of 22.2 billion USD. However, this value has surged to 35.9 billion USD in 2021 and is predicted to reach 83.1 billion USD by 2026. As such, technology is a critical catalyst in the healthcare sector.
Here are the three major types of hospital management systems available in the market:
An Application Service Provider (ASP) is a business that offers the option to outsource software requirements. Instead of using software that operates on your own devices, they offer software as web applications. ASPs offer several benefits over traditional proprietary systems, such as greater scalability and lower expenses.
If your hospital lacks the financial resources for a costly computer system or the necessary IT staff to maintain it, an application service provider can address both problems by offering hosted healthcare applications.
Hospital software designed for enterprise or on-premises use can be tailored to meet the unique needs of your hospital. For instance, it may be more appropriate to have separate systems for an urgent care center and a larger hospital due to their differing requirements.
This software can be installed on-premises or used off-premises, depending on the customer's preferences. The primary advantage of on-premises deployment is that all data is kept within your organization, eliminating the risk of data loss due to hacking or theft. However, an off-premises option may be worth considering if you prefer a configuration that is done elsewhere rather than on your own premises.
Cloud-based hospital management systems are both cost-effective and efficient, as you only pay for the software when you require it. Moreover, cloud-based software enables you to access your data from anywhere, which ensures that, in the event of a disaster that harms your computer or server, your data can be remotely backed up to another location. This data can be accessed from any device, including phones and tablets, and from any place in the world, allowing employees who often travel to work remotely on business tasks without the need to carry around heavy laptops or bulky hard drives loaded with confidential information.
According to market research, the healthcare chatbots market was valued at approximately USD 196.85 billion in 2022. Chatbots are interactive programs that use artificial intelligence and predefined rules to communicate with people via text. Their main function is to facilitate conversations between humans and AI systems. Chatbots utilize pre-planned sentences to engage with users through text or voice output, and can be accessed through both on premise and cloud-based solutions. Patients can use chatbots to assess their symptoms, find nearby clinics, and book appointments.
Furthermore, healthcare payers leverage chatbots to build connections with prospective customers. These chatbots, known as healthcare chatbots, assist individuals in addressing their inquiries. By using advanced technology, these programs enable physicians to address patients' minor concerns, freeing up clinical staff's time to focus on their responsibilities. Due to the automation of numerous workflows utilizing cutting-edge technology, these digital assistants are in high demand in the healthcare industry.
In terms of components, the software industry dominates the global healthcare chatbot market. Most chatbot service providers offer a freemium version that can be upgraded to a monthly or annual plan. The expansion of the chatbot software sector is driven by the increasing use of smartphones and a better understanding of self-monitoring methods for managing treatment and diagnoses.
The market's segmentation is based on applications such as symptoms check, medical and drug information help, appointment scheduling, and others. The growing use of smartphones and the internet among patients and healthcare professionals is fueling the demand for such solutions. Some of the most widely used primary care symptoms checker chatbots are Babylon Health, Ada, Buoy Health, and YourMD.
Regarding deployment, cloud-based chatbots held the largest share and were the fastest-growing category during the predicted period. Compared to on-premise chatbots, cloud-based chatbots are easier to use and require less modification. Depending on the delivery model, the market is divided into an on-premises model and a cloud-based model.
The global market for healthcare chatbots is divided into North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Rest of the World. The North American healthcare chatbots market is expected to experience the highest growth rate due to various factors, including the expansion of conglomerate-embedded chatbots on social media, the increased use of mobile apps for healthcare information gathering, and significant investments by digital healthcare developers to advance healthcare bot usage.
The increase in internet access and the widespread use of smartphones and mobile platforms play a significant role in promoting the adoption and utilization of chatbots. Consequently, more people can access healthcare services, expanding their reach significantly. According to statistics from Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. (U.S.) in May 2017, an estimated 50% of smartphone users gather health information through mobile applications, 36% of doctors believe that apps are the most effective way to communicate with patients, and 90% of doctors think mobile apps can improve health. Advanced chatbot technologies on smart devices address numerous communication issues in the healthcare industry. Therefore, as smartphones and other mobile devices become increasingly popular, the healthcare chatbot market will continue to grow more favorably.
The scarcity of healthcare facilities prevents people from accessing medical assistance in the early stages of a disease, and the hospital processes are complex. In the current manual system, accessing real-time data is complex, and there is a lack of coordination between doctors, nurses, patients, and management. As a result, the digitization of hospitals has become a trending topic in the healthcare sector as it can provide better, low-cost, and efficient services to patients and other stake holders.
The healthcare market has experienced significant growth, reaching a staggering US$100 billion, and is projected to continue expanding at an estimated CAGR of 23 percent by 2020, reaching a worth of around US$ 280 billion.
The rapid expansion of the healthcare industry has highlighted the necessity of optimizing its operations, infrastructure, and patient data to deliver efficient healthcare services. Technological advancements are currently revolutionizing the way healthcare services are provided to a larger segment of the population in the country. The healthcare sector is continuously being transformed by emerging technological developments, ranging from healthcare ICT and EMR to telemedicine and tech-enabled care.
As the world moves towards greater technology convergence, the healthcare industry must embrace technology to provide effective healthcare services. The widespread adoption of digital technology in the healthcare sector has yielded significant breakthroughs in information sharing, research, treatment methods, and communication models of healthcare providers. It has also facilitated the development of new tools and innovations that improve the outreach of healthcare services and offer novel approaches to medical practice.
To initiate the digitization of hospital services and operations, the first step is to conduct a needs assessment and gap analysis of the current processes to identify what is currently being done and what improvements are needed. It is crucial to assess the amount of time staff, patients, and providers spend in the current system and how much time can be saved after digitization. Customization and optimization of the digitization process need to be considered, along with an assessment of how long it will take for a functional system to be monitored. It is essential to conduct a detailed workflow analysis to determine what needs to be digitized and the expected outcomes.
From an operational perspective, the digitization of human resources, finance, hospital services, procurement, logistics, and patient records must be considered. It is important to determine what patient records will be saved and stored in the hospital and what the patient will need to generate on their visit.
From a user's perspective, it is crucial to consider the needs of clinical care providers such as doctors, nurses, and lab reports. It is also necessary to determine what information the patient and their relatives can access and how they will be an integral part of information sharing during patient care in the hospital. If there is a need for an outside hospital consultant, it is important to determine what information they will require and how they will be integrated with the hospital.
Digitization of hospital services and operations requires involving all stakeholders for their inputs and capacity building to implement digitization successfully. Before initiating digitization, it is important to determine what level of quality care can be provided through digitization to the current system.
Chatbots are a significant part of HMS and can serve various mission-critical functions.
Chatbots can simplify the process of scheduling appointments for patients by providing a user-friendly interface where patients can input their preferred date and time for their appointment. The chatbot can then search the hospital's database to check for available appointment slots and confirm the booking with the patient. The chatbot can also send reminders to patients to reduce the risk of missed appointments and improve overall patient satisfaction.
Chatbots can be programmed to provide patients with information about their medical conditions, treatment plans, and medication instructions. Patients can ask the chatbot questions about their health, and the chatbot can provide personalized responses based on the patient's medical history and records. This can help patients better understand their health conditions and treatment options, and enable them to take a more active role in managing their health.
Chatbots can also be used to help triage patients. By asking a series of questions about their symptoms, chatbots can determine the urgency of the patient's condition and provide appropriate guidance. For example, if a patient is experiencing chest pain, the chatbot might advise them to go to the emergency room, while if a patient is experiencing a mild fever, the chatbot might suggest they schedule an appointment with their doctor.
Chatbots can help doctors and nurses manage medical records more efficiently. By integrating with electronic health record systems, chatbots can quickly retrieve patient information, such as lab results, medication lists, and past medical history. This can help reduce the time it takes for medical staff to access patient information, allowing them to provide faster and more accurate care.
Chatbots can automate the process of requesting prescription refills by allowing patients to input their medication details and refill requests. The chatbot can then confirm the request with the patient and send it to the pharmacy for processing. This can save patients time and reduce the risk of errors in the prescription refill process.
Chatbots can be used to facilitate communication between healthcare providers and hospital staff. Staff can use the chatbot to request information or assistance from colleagues, and the chatbot can quickly connect them with the appropriate team member. This can help improve communication and collaboration among hospital staff, leading to more efficient and effective patient care.
Chatbots can collect patient feedback and satisfaction ratings by providing patients with a user-friendly interface where they can provide feedback on their hospital experience. The chatbot can collect and analyze this data to identify areas for improvement in the hospital's services and facilities, leading to better patient satisfaction and outcomes. In addition to these use cases, chatbots can also be used to provide patients with information on hospital policies, services, and amenities and to direct them to the appropriate resources for their specific needs. Chatbots can also be integrated with other hospital management systems such as electronic health records (EHRs) and billing systems to provide a more comprehensive and seamless patient experience.
According to a report by Accenture, the use of chatbots in healthcare is expected to generate $3.6 billion in annual savings by 2022. The report notes that chatbots can help healthcare providers save time and resources by automating routine tasks such as appointment scheduling and prescription refills.
1. A study by Grand View Research found that the global chatbot market in healthcare is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25.1% from 2020 to 2027. The study notes that the increasing adoption of chatbots in healthcare is driven by the need to improve patient engagement, reduce costs, and enhance the quality of care. Source: Grand View Research (2020).
2. Orbita conducted a survey that found that 74% of consumers would be willing to use a chatbot for healthcare-related tasks such as scheduling appointments, receiving medication reminders, and accessing their medical records. The survey also found that 70% of respondents were comfortable sharing their health data with a chatbot if it would improve the quality of care they receive. Source: Orbita (2018).
3. Gartner found that by 2023, 25% of all customer service and support operations will integrate chatbot technology across engagement channels, up from less than 2% in 2019. The study notes that chatbots can help improve customer satisfaction by providing 24/7 support and reducing wait times. Source: Gartner (2019).
4. Cleveland Clinic’s case study found that its chatbot, "AskMD," reduced the average time to schedule an appointment from 30 minutes to less than2 minutes. The study also found that the chatbot helped improve patient satisfaction by providing quick and easy access to healthcare information and services. Source: Cleveland Clinic (2016).
Overall, these statistics suggest that chatbots are becoming an increasingly important tool in hospital management systems, with the potential to improve patient engagement, reduce costs, and enhance the quality of care.
Digitalized HMS implementations are picking up pace with various technologies being used to centralize patient care and administration. Here are a few case studies to show how HMS is being digitalized to change people’s lives for the better.
Millennium, the EHR platform by Cerner, offers a comprehensive view of patient care and delivery across inpatient and outpatient settings, facilitating data-driven decision-making within clinical workflows through integration across the entire care continuum. With predictive algorithms and rules triggering alerts, Millennium provides robust decision support and enables providers to respond promptly when patients require care.
To prepare for potential COVID-19 surges, healthcare systems across the US needed innovative solutions to visualize capacity and anticipate trends. Northern Light Health, which has multiple locations in Maine, collaborated with Cerner and became the first to use the new Cerner Command Center Dashboard. This dashboard offers situational awareness of critical resources, and its use of artificial intelligence and predictive models enables it to anticipate future capacity, staffing needs, and other resources, in addition to providing an overview of the current situation.
MIMIT Health is an autonomous group of physicians specializing in various medical fields, as well as minimally invasive treatments. They recently implemented Salesforce Health Cloud, a platform for patient management, and Tableau CRM (previously known as Einstein Analytics), a Salesforce-built analytics solution designed for Health Cloud.
MIMIT Health experienced significant benefits after deploying Salesforce, such as growth and scalability, enhanced employee productivity, reduced inventory costs, faster patient engagement processes, and increased cash flow. They saved over $500,000 by leveraging the analytics capabilities of Tableau CRM and the patient management features of Health Cloud.
Furthermore, Salesforce's platform provided MIMIT Health with a comprehensive overview of patient data, ensuring a single source of truth that led to increased efficiency and better customer engagement. Ultimately, the company achieved a 459 percent ROI and will recoup its initial investment in under three months after the implementation.
The Phillips Capsule MDIP enhances patient visibility, fosters better collaboration between care teams, streamlines clinical workflows, and affords caregivers more time to spend with their patients. They include physiological monitors, mechanical ventilators, anesthetic machines, IABP balloon catheters, and also medical gas supply systems, which in time, will be connected to the electronic chart system.
St. Luke's International Hospital employs a significant quantity of devices procured from Japanese manufacturers and suppliers. Given the diverse range of medical devices that have been utilized throughout the years, coupled with the varying requirements of physicians from different backgrounds, specialized assistance was necessary to establish flexible connectivity between the hospital's information systems and the devices. The implementation of Capsule MDIP has effectively addressed this issue.
EDGE is a solution for managing clinical trials that deliver reporting features to expedite internal processes and enable users to optimize data utilization. It is utilized in various countries, such as Canada, Belgium, New Zealand, South Africa, and 80% of the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK. The solution is designed to improve research management quality for organizations.
EDGE offers workflows for patient and study management, an electronic delegation log, and a finance module. Real-time data allows for tracking studies from start to finish. Additionally, EDGE provides a range of other features, including document storage, customizable fields, collaboration tools, shared calendars, and more.
The digitalization of hospital management systems (HMS) has had a transformative effect on the healthcare industry, improving patient care, operational efficiency, and overall healthcare outcomes. With the growing demand for better healthcare services, cloud-based solutions, integrated health systems, and data analytics are being rolled into HMS to optimize clinical workflows, reduce costs, and improve patient outcomes. Chatbots are leading the charge when it comes to HMS digitalization from the frontlines to routing and analytics. Hence, organizations that embrace the use of chatbot technology in healthcare are bound to drive healthcare in the next decade.
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