Clinical safety data refers to the safety profile of a studied product, i.e. a drug, vaccine, or device. It helps clinical research services (CRS): organizations which develop, consult on, and conduct clinical trials and research. Keeping medical records is one of the most crucial processes in healthcare. Digitization of documents can lead to innovations and improvements in clinical research. Most medical institutions still use the old approaches to making, processing, and exchanging medical records. As a consequence, the clinical field is less open to innovation, as it sticks to ”conservative” methods of information and document processing.
Attackers can hack into health data using internal tracking devices, hacking, or virus programs. Easily accessible patient data and complete security can be created by using electronic health records (EHRs) for physicians and healthcare providers. EHRs can significantly improve the efficiency of patient care.
Prescribing treatment options for patients includes a risk assessment. The safety profile of therapy can be as important as its effectiveness. The security and preservation of clinical information is of paramount importance and a challenge for modern technology.
Nevertheless, the digitization of medical files, known as EHRs, has become a new twist in clinical documentation development. Information in EHRs can significantly change clinical practice via new technologies and services to improve care quality at a reasonable cost.
Clinical Data Safety: Why It's Important
Data security is of increasing importance in almost all industries, and healthcare is no exception. Information about clinical trials must be protected from hacking by unscrupulous individuals. The security of clinical information must be protected by both healthcare representatives and patients; both parties must be prevented from accidentally leaking data.
According to the Dell EMC Global Data Protection Index, only 17% of healthcare providers believe their data protection software will meet all their future data protection needs and requirements.
The method and degree of evaluation needed to conduct security monitoring depends directly on the degree of risk. Data security monitoring helps determine effective behavior upon completing research and the benefits or risks if the research is likely to be successful. The risk associated with research participation should be as low as possible.
“That’s a good indicator that your product is lasting for a long time and that it's safe, and it performs as we intended it to. We like to go out for that long-term safety and performance data.”
— Sharon Stewart, Clinical Project Manager at GC Aesthetics
Digitization of Documents in Healthcare
Compared to storing data in paper format, spreadsheets provide a more accessible and understandable form of patient medical data access. Electronic local data storage has also made it possible to speed up the work of medical staff and significantly reduce the amount of paperwork and possible errors.
There are several ways to store information. Digitizing medical data remains a challenge for the healthcare industry despite its technological capabilities. However, existing solutions are not enough when it comes to large amounts of clinical data.
Quality control of documentation is a vital factor. Data entry and software connections should be direct, with no intermediaries. Integrated reporting and monitoring is crucial when you have partners whose quality of service depends directly on the quality of the information you send.
The digitization of clinical documents makes possible the following:
- Automation of the process's main stages, from scanning to delivering the information to the end-user.
- Export of the acquired information to the clinical system.
- Data extraction for processing clinical documents.
- Reduction of the number of errors.
“Safe distribution of clinical documentation is a very important task today. Thanks to modern equipment, the preservation of clinical data can be greatly simplified, and software created by our specialists can help in the data processing programs.”
— Vlad Medvedovsky at Proxet, a custom software development solutions company
According to a recent IDC report, hospitals, as well as healthcare providers, are still using:
- Processes that require paperwork. They include filling out patient registration forms, signing questionnaires, and examination agreements, to name a few.
- Prescriptions, as well as pharmacy documentation, remain in paper format. A few pharmacies mention using electronic formats to save prescriptions.
- Faxes. Healthcare providers report that they still regularly use fax machines to exchange information. However, many clinics agree that this is a somewhat outdated way to exchange clinical data.
There are many types of data distributions, with the normal distribution serving as the basis in the Data Science community. Choosing the right distribution for the medical field is not that difficult, and each healthcare provider should focus on the specifics of their clinical information.
Hardware Base for Document Distribution
Storage devices empower computing and create space to save your digital information. One can use “classic” hard disk drives (HDD) and solid-state drives (SSD). Another option is cloud storage.
It is worth noting that the timely transition from hardware for data storage to cloud services has led to significant advances in the medical field. By providing remote access to information, Software as a Service (SaaS) eliminates the need for on-premise servers, reducing costs, and expanding access to information.
Switching to open source tools in the healthcare industry may prove difficult since one needs to ensure high-level data security and integration with other software solutions.
However, the hardware base also includes other technical devices, not just gadgets for recording and storing clinical data. For example, patients can get a barcode wristband that enables them to obtain the necessary clinical information while taking their medications and receiving further treatment. One can scan this bracelet using special software on a mobile device. It allows for correcting and entering new data into the patient's chart, depending on adjustments to the treatment process.
A computerized clinical documentation system gives health care providers the following benefits:
- Significantly reduces the time spent on scheduling and allows more time to devote to patient care;
- Decreased errors in prescribing medications to patients;
- Improved clinical decision-making by providers;
- Improved quality of and access to clinical documentation;
- Improved transition of medical staff shifts.
Software Solutions for Data Distribution in Healthcare
Big data processing and digital data distribution systems in healthcare involve real-time structuring of data. It is a simple way to process and distribute data in an organized manner.
According to the Healthcare Security Guidelines, here are the top goals for software to maintain a high level of clinical data security:
- To protect against malware and hacking.
- To prevent loss of patient data.
- To enable two-factor user authentication.
- To manage corrections and edits made.
- To encrypt patient information.
- To log and monitor patient data.
“Big data helped with growing concern with data on both the side of the prescription and the side of the patient. That information allows medical providers to adjust treatment plans based on the results and effects they witness."
— Terence Mills, CEO of AI.io
At the moment, new healthcare software is continually emerging. These solutions tackle more complex issues. Clinical staff gradually begin to use more and more IT solutions. However, for this to work effectively, a program must be put in place to train and smoothly transition to cutting-edge technologies.
New technologies are capable of navigating all the processes within a healthcare provider's operations. For instance, custom solutions enable continuous access to clinical information and data-sharing information within the clinical organization. Such software provides the ability to eliminate the risk of data re-entry/duplication and omissions. It will allow access to data for either side of the medical process.
Let's look at a few examples of Software Solutions for the medical field that can improve the quality of processing and transferring medical information.
- Orion EHR is a software solution that integrates individual team units, disparate processes, functions, and tasks. Orion EHR is of great value to medical researchers because it provides clinical data access, which makes research more efficient. It can significantly improve all medical processes.
- Marg Pharmacy is a pharmacy development solution that contains drug inventory and patient billing. With automation of repetitive tasks, human involvement becomes almost unnecessary.
- BatchMaster ERP is a solution to improve the profitability of clinical enterprises, allowing new products to be released to the market faster, in compliance with all regulations and requirements. Healthcare providers can track all stages of analysis and processing of data entered into the data distribution system.
With many years of experience in healthcare software development, Proxet can offer you a solution for your needs. Our experts will develop a solution that can simplify and automate the processing and analysis of clinical data.
