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Oct 7

What is Hospital System? and The Significance in Hospital Operation Flow.

What is Hospital System and the significance in hospital operation flow.

A hospital system is akin to the engine that drives a healthcare facility from the front office to the back. It serves as a comprehensive mechanism to regulate and streamline operations across various departments within a hospital. Let's explore why the hospital system is indispensable to a hospital's operation flow.


What is the Hospital System ?


The Hospital System refers to the framework used to manage various departments within a hospital, ensuring smooth operations. This includes medical services, resource management, hospital administration, and more.


To illustrate, it encompasses everything from when a patient walks in for services to when they receive medication and leave the hospital. Each step in this process requires a supporting system to ensure the hospital can effectively serve its patients.


When it comes to selecting systems for hospitals, the choice often depends on various factors, such as the size of the facility, the number of beds, the operational flow, and the specific type of hospital business.


Hospitals can be broadly categorized into two main types: those that provide services exclusively for outpatients (OPD), such as clinics, and those that serve both outpatients and inpatients (IPD), such as hospitals.


The Significance of Hospital System


As mentioned earlier, the hospital system serves as a mechanism to control operations in each area according to standardized operating procedures (SOPs). The hospital system is designed to establish workflows that are appropriate to the size and needs of the facility, aiming to reduce complexity and minimize errors during operations.


Some healthcare facilities may implement a comprehensive system for all management tasks, while others may only adopt certain components based on available resources and budget constraints.


Currently, every hospital has adopted an EMR (Electronic Medical Record) system to replace paper records, enhancing convenience for medical personnel in documenting patient histories and relevant medical information. This system also facilitates data sharing between departments and alleviates the workload for nurses.


The EMR system has standards in place to ensure the effective integration of information technology within hospitals. One such standard is the EMRAM (Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model), which many hospitals in Thailand have been certified.


This EMRAM ranges from Stage 0 to Stage 7, with a few hospitals in Thailand currently achieving the highest certification level, Stage 7. Examples include Prince Paknampo Hospital and PRINC Suvarnabhumi Hospital.


Types of Hospital System


When discussing the types of hospital systems, they can be categorized in various ways, including by usage perspective and levels of implementation. This article will categorize hospital systems based on the management processes or operation flow in a typical hospital.


Hospital systems can be divided into three parts according to the hospital operation flow, similar to systems responsible for different areas of a household. These hospital systems are dependent on the necessary usage to support the operations of personnel and departments involved in the hospital, including:


  1. Front-end System : This includes systems like HIS (Hospital Information System), which manage patient information from registration and history taking to treatment and medication dispensing. Related systems include EMR (Electronic Medical Record) and HIE (Health Information Exchange), which work in conjunction with the HIS to enhance the overall management of patient data.


    1. Hospital Information System Is a critical component of hospital operations, integrating with EMR to record patient data and history electronically, thereby reducing paper usage (creating a paperless hospital). It facilitates quick data sharing across various departments.


      Each hospital typically features different modules in their HIS (Hospital Information System) based on their specific needs, covering processes such as registration, patient history recording, diagnosis and treatment, medication dispensing, and patient billing.


      However, not all hospitals have comprehensive HIS modules. For instance, specialized Dentistry or Blood Bank may require careful consideration of the system's suitability before implementation to avoid operational issues.


      Currently, HIS systems are being developed to enhance security and usability across devices, with options for web-based and cloud-based installations:


      • Web-based : Allows hospital personnel to access the latest patient information from any internet-connected devices without needing to install software on that device.

      • Cloud-based : Eliminates the need for hospitals to invest in on-premise servers, saving costs on maintenance and enabling scalable data storage according to the hospital's size, with security measures like user authentication in place.


      In Thailand, some HIS providers have expanded their system modules to streamline workflows for medical staff and reduce human errors.


      For example, MEDHIS (Developed from Centrix), by MEDcury Co., Ltd. has additional modules such as Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS) and Clinical Pharmacy Order Entry (CPOE) to enhance service efficiency and minimize mistakes.


  2. Back-end System : This includes systems like ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), which manage resource allocation and inventory, including medication management within the hospital.


    1. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) serves as the back-end management system for hospitals, covering various departments such as accounting, payment processing, and inventory management.


      The hospital business has unique characteristics compared to other industries, particularly regarding the exemption from a 7% VAT, which necessitates adjustments in standard ERP systems to accurately calculate hospital costs.


      The seamless integration of the ERP system with the HIS (Hospital Information System) allows for the electronic prescription of medications by doctors and pharmacists. This integration ensures that inventory management, purchasing processes, and accounting are conducted accurately, which is crucial for hospitals that frequently dispense medications and need to minimize inventory counting errors.


      Achieving a seamless connection between these two systems can be challenging for many hospitals, influenced by factors such as budget, personnel readiness, and the ability to find specialized companies for implementation. This integration is essential to replace manual inventory counting methods that could lead to fraud and errors.


      Implementing an ERP system in hospital operations presents an interesting business opportunity that can scale from outpatient clinics (OPD) to larger healthcare facilities.


      For example, Odoo ERP, developed by Backyard Co., Ltd. offers a tailored ERP solution for healthcare providers, integrating with MEDHIS from MEDcury Co., Ltd. This integration aims to enhance convenience for hospitals seeking specialized resource management solutions.


  3. Support System : This includes systems like Telehealth and Telemedicine, which enhance the efficiency of medical services beyond the confines of the hospital. And also CRM (Customer Relationship Management) systems and Call Centers.


    1. Support System such as Telehealth and Telemedicine, as well as CRM (Customer Relationship Management) systems and Call Centers, are designed to enhance convenience for healthcare providers and patients alike. These systems aim to provide services that go beyond mere treatment, increasing patient satisfaction and engagement.


      For example, private hospitals that implement CRM systems can manage patient service data effectively, allowing them to offer personalized health products or packages tailored to the unique needs of individuals.


      However, the implementation of such systems often comes with significant costs, leading some hospitals to opt for hiring staff to manage these functions instead, ensuring they align with their budgetary constraints.


Hospital Systems Play a Crucial Role in The Operation of Hospitals.


In summary, hospital systems are the heart of hospital operations, functioning as both the front-end and back-end. Executives must prioritize user convenience for all stakeholders, including nurses, doctors, and pharmacists. It’s essential to evaluate and compare hospital systems from various providers in the market, focusing on system compatibility and design suitability for the facility. This ensures that healthcare personnel can perform their duties with minimal errors and concerns while providing patient care.


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