As someone who spends a lot of my time at work thinking about how to get in touch with providers whose patients might benefit from pelvic floor physical therapy, it continually blows my mind how reliant so many of these providers and offices are on fax machines as a MAJOR form of communication. I know how crucial protecting sensitive patient data is in the healthcare system and yet... I can't help thinking that there must be a better way. Sending faxes to provides is INCREDIBLY manual, has ZERO visibility or tracking functionality, and from the perspective of a marketer feels sometimes feels like trying to calculate the ROI of screaming in the void. The technology for the fax machine was invented in 1843 😑. As a comparison point, the 1840s was also the decade of the California Gold Rush. It's absolutely bonkers to me that no one has come up with a better solution that has been able to penetrate the health care system in a meaningful and secure way. Anyone got any new ideas that will replace the fax once and for all?! #fax #healthcare #innovation
Solution: Create a patient portal that is as secure as a banking account. Patient profile is always up-to-date with Name, Address, Insurance, Emergency Contact, Health History, etc. and downloadable by the provider (removes completing the same intake form again and again). Medical records are shared with the click of a button by the authorized doctor. You can send money safely from bank to bank. Send medical records safely from doctor to doctor. I had to get records from Australia sent to the US this year. Cost me $190 out of pocket for a CD of images. Laptops don't even have CD drives anymore! >> Why can't we upload patient docs to a protected patient portal
The struggle is real! I dream about figuring out this solution ALL THE TIME. If I have a premonition or a way I will be sure to share with every single person in the healthcare space!
Elya S.
3w
Wow, 'ROI of screaming in the void' is the perfect way to describe it!
Oh my, yes! Louder for the people in the back!
It is a laborious task for sure. There are software solutions like Epic and Repisodic that help somewhat bridge the gap. However, slow adoption rates make it extremely challenging to break through, particularly in smaller offices. Also, barriers like competitive business practices within the healthcare industry (a thing that truly grinds my gears) disallows full/complete access between providers that are considered to be in competition with each other. As the care manager for my dad, I have to schlep all paperwork from appointment to appointment bc not all of his doctors are under the same overlord provider. As a liaison in hospice, we are consistently bogged down by the fax. We need to end the competitive nature of healthcare and make things smoother for everyone. /end rant