Integration of new telehealth capabilities with the existing EHR system for improved patient experience and service delivery. For patients, it offers quick access to specialized healthcare and for medical professionals, it helps them provide informed and personalized care.
EHR-Integrated Telehealth Patient Portal Saves 500 Visiting Hours Annually
Industry
Healthcare
Client Location
UAE
Project Duration
Ongoing
Engagement Model
Fixed Cost
Team Size
6 Experts
Project Summary
Client Background
Leading this initiative was a Dubai-based healthcare institute that specializes in advanced diagnosis, treatment, and care for patients with health disorders. Understanding how complicated it can be for patients to access the right care, they wanted to create a unified platform with both telehealth and EHR functionalities. It would make their overall service more connected, easier to manage, and quicker for everyone involved.
Our Task at Hand
The project presented a watershed moment – integrating EHR, a groundbreaking tool in modern healthcare, with another pioneering trend – telehealth. It was a huge step forward in improving how healthcare works.
So, we assembled our best team for it – a multidisciplinary team consisting of seasoned healthcare IT consultants, healthcare software developers, UI/UX designers, integration experts, and a project manager who has worked with healthcare technology projects before.
We set out to build the telehealth platform as the primary phase of the project. After ensuring its stability and usability, we went to integrate the EHR system with minimal disruption to the ongoing workflows. This phased approach allowed us to steadily integrate both systems while everything kept running in the background with hardly any big service outages.
Integration projects always pose a challenge because they involve connecting different systems that, in most cases, weren’t originally designed to work together. For this project, integrating the telehealth portal with the EHR system meant merging complex data structures. It's technically demanding, but the end result is worth it.
Disha Shah
Technical Lead, Radixweb
Primary Challenges
- Implementing low-latency communication channels for audio-video transmission in live consultations and real-time interactions.
- Protecting sensitive patient data and information by complying with HIPAA and GDPR regulations.
- Resolving data disparities and inconsistencies between the telehealth platform and the existing EHR system.
- Handling data mapping and transformation for accurate synchronization of patient records.
- Aligning workflows between the telehealth platform and the EHR system for a cohesive user experience.
- Ensuring that patient data shared during telehealth sessions seamlessly integrates into the existing clinical workflows.
Resolutions Offered
For over a year, our development team was building features, implementing security measures, and creating data optimization techniques. By merging our two core areas of expertise, software development and software integration solutions, we completed the whole project within 1.5 years.
Automated Patient Data Entry
We developed an automated system that can extract relevant patient data like medical history, medications, and treatment plans from scanned documents, images, or textual formats. We then integrated this information into the EHR system.
API Integration Layer
APIs enable uninterrupted communication between the telehealth portal and the EHR system. Through the API integration layer, real-time data is synchronized so that medical practitioners can quickly access updated patient records.
User-Centric Interface Design
We conducted iterative design sprints and usability testing to create an intuitive and accessible patient portal. The focus was on usability and accessibility because healthcare staff with diverse workflows should be able to easily navigate the system.
Security and Compliance
We created end-to-end encrypted messaging functionality for secure communication between patients and healthcare professionals. The system offers file-sharing capabilities and supports the secure transmission of medical reports, images, and documents.
Remote Patient Monitoring
Integrating virtual monitoring techniques was critical to capture and share real-time health metrics like activity levels, vitals, and medication from the patient’s end. Doctors and other healthcare professionals can remotely track and treat health conditions with data-backed insights.
Work with a Team Passionate About Transforming Healthcare with Cutting-Edge Technology
Key Functionalities
Developing a number of essential features for the EHR-integrated telehealth system was the most challenging and time-consuming part of the whole project.
Real-Time Video Consultations
The telehealth system comes with high-quality, secure video calls that allow patients and healthcare providers to engage in real-time consultations without third-party plugins or interruptions. Optimized video streaming protocols ensure a seamless virtual clinic experience.
Electronic Health Records Access
Through a comprehensive patient dashboard, users get access to synchronized EHR data within the telehealth portal. Authorized users gained secure access to patient records, medical histories, diagnoses, and treatment plans.
Secure Messaging and File Sharing
We created end-to-end encrypted messaging functionality for secure communication between patients and healthcare professionals. The system offers file sharing capabilities with the transmission of different medical documents.
Appointment Scheduling and Reminders
It's an intuitive scheduling module with calendar integration so that patients can book and manage appointments. We used calendar APIs to synchronize appointment schedules and integrated automated reminders via SMS or email to reduce no-show rates.
Telemedicine Prescription
With this feature, healthcare providers can prescribe medications remotely following prescription guidelines. We also implemented secure authorization workflows for prescription refills and ensured patient safety and compliance with legal regulations.
500 Hours
Saved in Visits per Year
1200 Fewer
In-Person Visits
3 Workflows
Combining 10+ Steps
Client Achievements
There was a significant level of improvement in almost all areas of the healthcare institution. Coupled with our EHR development experts, we successfully delivered a comprehensive platform with transformation benefits.
Faster Care Resolution Time
The integration cut down the time doctors spend on each patient. Doctors don’t have to manually look up and enter data; they can access all the information in one place. It has helped them save an average of 24 minutes per visit. Over a year, this added up to 500 hours saved in total.
Better Communication Medium
The new system made communication between doctors, nurses, and other healthcare staff much smoother. With automated updates, everyone gets the latest patient info instantly. This led to quicker responses and less waiting around for patients.
Improved Data Accuracy
By reducing manual data entry and errors, the integration provided more accurate data. The healthcare team sees fewer mistakes in patient records, which helps in providing more relevant diagnoses and treatments.
Better Monitoring and Follow-Ups
Doctors could now easily track patient progress and treatment plans remotely. As a result, follow-up appointments are now more efficient. The number of in-person visits has reduced from around 2500 to 1300 annually. This efficiency allowed doctors to see approximately 100 more new patients each month.
Efficient Workflow
Before the integration, managing patient data involved over 10+ separate steps, including manual data entry and updating multiple systems. The integration streamlined this process as we combined these steps into just 3 simplified tasks.
The stakes were high in our requirements and any loose end could have wrecked the whole project. That didn’t happen with Radixweb. In fact, we hardly faced any major issues. They took their time but gave us the solutions just as we needed it to be.
Jassim Al Qama
Business Development Director
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