A Comprehensive Guide to Hospital Information Systems (HIS)

Key Insights

• The Hospital Information system plays a critical role in modernizing healthcare delivery by streamlining workflows, automating tasks, and promoting data-driven decision-making. 
• The HIS system improves patient experience by facilitating care coordination, making medical records easier to access, and potentially shortening wait times. 
• Advanced analytics and AI integration in HIS hold immense potential for personalized medicine, predictive healthcare, and patient health management. 
• Healthcare information systems rely on digital data; robust cybersecurity measures are paramount to safeguard sensitive patient information.

Read to hear our words; imagine a hospital organization where 

• Patients can schedule appointments and access records in just a few clicks.
• Doctors have all patient’s information at their fingertips.
• The Hospital staff spends less time on paperwork and more time on patient care.

This isn’t science fiction or delusion; it is just the simple power of the Hospital Information System! This blog is your one-stop guide for understanding hospital information system, its work process, examples, benefits, features, and future. So buckle up and get ready to dive into the future of healthcare management!

What is a Hospital Information System?

The new-age healthcare industry heavily relies on the hospital information system, which acts as the digital backbone of all hospital operations. It is an important software that streamlines the various aspects of the hospital’s workflow, from patient care to record maintenance to administrative functions and financial management. 

The HIMS software organizes and secures all crucial information about patients, treatments, staff schedules, and billing in one central system. Now, let’s understand how a Hospital Information System works.

The system includes components like the Patient Management System for scheduling and registration, the Clinical Information System for order entry and medical records, and the Radiology and Laboratory Information System for medication and treatment management. 

The software handles administrative functions like facilities management and human resources from various departments to arrange the hospital’s workflow and reduce manual errors. 

The HIS system offers significant benefits, like improved patient care, operational efficiency, and cost savings. There are many types of Hospital Management Systems that address the organization’s concerns and ensure successful utilization. 

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Types of Hospital Information Systems

Hospital information systems encompass various specialized designs that manage the different aspects of hospital operations and patient care. Here is a brief overview of each type: 

Electronic Health Record ( EHR) & Electronic Medical Record (EMR)

The EHR and EMR are digital versions of the patient’s paper file. The EHR stores the patient’s medical history, allergies list, all test results, medications, and doctor’s notes in digital format. Top rated EMR mainly concentrates on data for the patient within a single healthcare facility. The best EHR for psychiatry ensures seamless documentation and efficient patient management for mental health professionals.

Patient Management Software

The HIMS software automates administrative tasks in hospitals or clinics. It includes day-to-day operations like scheduling appointments, billings, and managing insurance claims. It classifies administrative tasks, improves patient flow, and enhances overall operational efficiency. 

Master Patient Index (MPI)

MPI acts as the central hub, ensuring a single patient record exists even if the patient has interacted with different facilities or departments within the healthcare system. It minimizes duplicate records and ensures data accuracy. Uniquely identified medical records are correlated, reducing duplication and errors in patient information. 

Patient Portals

Patient portals are secure online platforms that allow patients to view their appointment information, medical records, lab results, and medications. In the portal, patients can also request prescription refills and communicate with their healthcare providers. 

Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM)

The RPM system enables healthcare providers to monitor their patients’ health remotely using wearable devices and sensors that collect data such as heart rates, glucose levels, and vital signs. The data is given to healthcare providers in real-time for timely interventions and continuous care for chronic disease management. 

Laboratory Information System (LIS)

The Laboratory system manages all the lab data, including patient test orders, results, and reporting. The HIS system streamlines the laboratory workflow and ensures the accurate and timely delivery of test requests and results to healthcare providers and patients. 

Pharmacy Information System (PIS)

The PIS manages medication-related information. The system includes prescribing, dispensing, and inventory management. It reduces medication errors and orders pharmacy operations, ensuring proper medication administration and patient safety.

“ One such Hospital management app is TracPrac™ – Custom LMS systems for Nursing Competency -It is a clinical application built for nursing students to track their performance, reports, and attendance through the application. It also accelerates communication between medical students in a secure digital environment. “

Features of Hospital Information System 

The Hospital Information System is a comprehensive platform of various features to enhance the operations and management of healthcare facilities. Beyond core functionalities, custom software development adds peculiar features to make the software more enhanced and helpful. Here are some of the key features:

Patient Management

• The platform centralized patient demographic information, allergies, medications, medical history, and immunizations. 
• The features also streamline patient registration, discharge, transfer, appointment scheduling, and management. 

Clinical Management 

• It computerized physician order entry to record and transmit medical orders electronically.
• And the electronic medication administration records to track medication dispensing and administration.

Laboratory and Imaging Management 

• This management features order and track laboratory tests and imaging studies. 
• It also integrates the laboratory and imaging equipment for automated data transfer. 

Administrative and Financial Management

• The financial and administrative features help with patient billing, insurance claims, tracking hospital charges, and more.
• It also helps in managing accounts and receivables for organizations.

Operational Efficiency

• The operational features improved workflow by automating and streamlining front desk tasks. 
• It also enhanced the collaboration and communication among healthcare providers. 

Reporting and Analytics

• The HIMS Software helps generate reports on different metrics, such as patient administrations, length of stay, and resource utilization.
• The analytics features help identify trends and improve the hospital’s overall performance. 

Security and Privacy

• One of the most important features of Hospital Management systems is secure access controls to protect patient data confidentiality.
• The audit trails track users’ activity and access and also compliance with data privacy regulations like HIPAA. 

Benefits of Hospital Management System

The hospital information management system offers various advantages which enhance the various aspects of healthcare delivery. Here are the key benefits: 

1. Enhanced Patient Care

The system helps doctors and nurses to view patients’ entire medical histories, medications, allergies, and test results in one place. The HIS system prevents drug interactions and ensures patients receive the correct dosages. It also helps patients access their medical records and communicate with healthcare providers more easily through patient portals.

2. Improved Efficiency and Productivity

HIS automates many administrative tasks and frees staff time to focus on patient care. It reduces paperwork by digitalizing records, saving time, and reducing the risk of lost documents. The HIS system also offers automated appointment scheduling and billing processes, improving efficiency. 

3. Reduced Medical Errors

The HIMS software prevents medication errors by providing order sets and drug interaction allergies. The system better communicates between departments, reducing the risk of errors caused by miscommunication. HIS also ensures all staff members follow the same protocols, reducing the risk of errors. 

4. Cost Savings

The system automates tasks and eliminates paper clutter, significantly reducing administrative costs. It also ensures accurate billing, leading to fewer denials and faster reimbursement. HIS can help hospitals track and manage their inventory more effectively, reducing waste and saving money. 

5. Stronger Collaboration and Communication 

All authorized staff can access a patient’s complete medical record, improving communication and collaboration between departments. The system provides secure messaging platforms for healthcare providers to communicate with each other. HIS facilitates better care coordination between different healthcare providers involved in a patient’s care. 

Development Process of Hospital Information System

The hospital information systems involve many critical phases, and every stage is complex, so it requires careful planning and execution. Here’s a breakdown of the typical development process of HIS: 

01. Planning and Requirements Gathering 

The initial phase of HIS involves understanding the hospital-specific needs and goals of the HIS. The staff and stakeholders are interviewed to identify the needs and pain points of the organization.

02. System Design and Architecture

The system architecture is designed based on the requirements. This step includes defining the user interface, data flow, security protocols, and functionalities. It is a combination of programming, databases, and other technologies. 

03. Development and Implementation

The third step of Hospital information systems is the actual coding and development stage of HIS. The system is built based on the design specifications, ensuring its functions work correctly. 

04. Training and Deployment

Once the HIS is developed and tested, healthcare staff is trained to use the system effectively. The system is deployed in the hospital environment, often in a phased approach to minimize disruption. 

05. Ongoing Maintenance and Evolution

The HIS system requires ongoing maintenance to fix bugs, incorporate new features, and address security vulnerabilities. As health practices and technologies evolve, the HIS needs to be updated to remain effective and relevant. 

All Healthcare software development companies follow these well-defined development processes for HIS solutions. Considering these factors, hospitals implement HIS strategies to improve patient care, streamline workflows, and enhance healthcare services.

| Additional Read: AI in Healthcare: Use Cases, Latest Trends, and Many More

Top 7 Hospital Information System Examples

There are many types of Hospital Information System Software, but choosing the one that meets your requirements is quite tough. Here are the top 7 types of HIS systems: 

1. Epic Systems

Epic Systems is one of the most well-known and most used company-owned HIS platforms in the USA. It is best known for its integration capabilities and robust functionality. Epic offers solutions for EHR, Patient Engagement, and Management. 

Key Features: Clinical documentation, Billing, Scheduling, Patient portals, Telehealth integration, and Data analytics. 

Notable Implementations: Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic

2. McKesson Horizon 

McKesson Horizon is now part of Allscripts, providing a suite of solutions for hospital management. It focuses on improving the organization’s clinical and financial performance. It also supports both inpatient and outpatient care settings.

Key Features: Medication Management, EHR, Revenue Cycle Monitoring and Management. 

Notable Implementations: Baptist Health South Florida, Lifespan. 

3. MEDITECH 

One of the long-standing hospital information systems is MEDITECH. It offers a wide range of products catering to various healthcare management aspects. It is particularly known for its user-friendly interface and reliability. 

Key Features: Physician and nursing documentation, Patient healthcare tracking, EHR, and Revenue management. 

Notable Implemtations: Steward Healthcare and Kings Daughters Medical Center

4. eHospital Systems 

eHospital Systems provides a flexible and scalable HIS system for managing all aspects of hospital operations. It supports hospitals and clinics of various sizes and specialties. 

Key Features: Patient management, Appointment scheduling, Pharmacy management, Laboratory management, Inventory management, and billing. 

Notable Implementations: Various hospitals globally, including emerging markets. 

5. GE Healthcare Centricity 

The GE Healthcare Centricity is known for its advanced imaging and diagnostic capabilities integrated with comprehensive EHR functionalities. It serves both small clinical practices and large hospital networks. 

Key Features: EHR, Practice management, Imaging integration, Insight analytics, and Monetary cycle management. 

Notable Implementations: Duke University Health System.

6. Siemens Healthineers

Siemens Healthineers offers a wide range of digital health solutions, including its own HIS, which is strongly focused on clinical and imaging technologies. The system is designed to support the entire care continuum. 

Key Features: Radiology information systems, Interoperability solutions, Laboratory information systems, and EHR. 

Notable Implementations: University Hospital Basel, Karolinska University Hospital. 

7. Cerner Millennium

Cerner Millennium is a comprehensive hospital information system supporting an integrated healthcare management approach. It provides tools for managing patient records and clinical workflows. 

Key Features: Clinical documentation, Patient portals, Data analytics, EHR, and Order entry. 

Notable Implementations: Children National Health System, Intermountain Healthcare. 

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“One such HIS system built by OpenXcell is IIMA, which is for Johns Hopkins Research Institutes and Medical Center. In this system, doctors can record patients’ medical information and save it on their devices with complete confidentiality. The system also allows patients and doctors to share the records through emails. “

Future of Hospital Information Systems

Hospital information systems are rapidly evolving and poised to become the key foundation for a transformed healthcare industry. Here, explore several key areas critics for the future of HIS:

• Unleashing the Power of AI 

Advanced analytics and AI will surely be the core functions of the hospital information system. AI will equip the HIS system with features like predictive analytics to identify at-risk patients, clinical decision support to offer real-time recommendations to doctors, and workflow automation to organize administrative tasks. 

• Breaking Down Data Silos

One important feature of future HIS is the seamless data exchange of patient data across different systems and institutions. This interoperability will enable better care and coordination through a complete view of patient’s medical histories and enhance people’s health management through the analysis of vast data sets for public health initiatives. 

• The Rise of Wearables and IoT

In the future, the hospital information system will surely be integrated with wearable devices and IoT sensors to collect patients’ real-time data. This data will play a crucial role in allowing remote patient monitoring, enabling healthcare providers to intervene remotely if necessary and personalized care plans tailored to each patient’s health information. 

• Empowering Patients

Patient engagement will be the key focus in the future HIS system. It will provide patients with secure access to their medical records, allowing them to view results, book appointments, and get correct information on their medications. Patient portals will facilitate better communication with healthcare providers. 

• Prioritizing Cybersecurity 

Robust cybersecurity measures will be paramount as HIS handles increasingly sensitive patient data. The features focus on safeguarding patient information from unauthorized access through data breaches and ensuring the integrity and availability of hospital systems against cyberattacks. 

• Value-Based Care at the Forefront 

The HIS software will be instrumental in tracking and measuring healthcare quality and outcomes to support value-based care models. This future feature will involve identifying patients who need preventive screening and intervention and performing a cost-effectiveness analysis to track the cost and effectiveness of different treatment options.

How Openxcell Will Help To Build HIS Software

Hospital Information Systems is the key foundation of the modern healthcare industry. It sorts the workflows, manages patient data, and facilitates communication across departments. As healthcare continues to evolve, so too will HIS. 

If you want to be part of this evolving journey by building HIS software, meet us. Openxcell, a leading software development company, is at the forefront of crafting innovative HIS solutions. Our team of experts works with cutting-edge technologies to ensure HIS software is secure and scalable and empowers the best possible patient care.