The healthcare industry has always been a critical area of focus for individuals, organisations, and governments alike. As a fundamental indicator of better quality of life, the industry is under constant pressure to innovate and improve in order to build a robust service delivery system.
One such paradigm shift the healthcare industry has been witnessing is digital transformation. Healthcare leaders are realising the importance of technological innovation in connecting with patients, streamlining medical practice operations, and enhancing the overall quality of service delivery. Nearly 90 per cent of the health system executives who participated in a recent McKinsey study stated that digital transformation is a high or top priority for their organisation.
Even though the perspective shift has happened, healthcare organisations still face some challenges when it comes to executing their digital adoption strategies. First, there is a lack of IT experts who can implement and manage complex platforms and solutions. Second, the healthcare landscape needs tailored solutions that can fulfill specific needs, which require a substantial amount of time and money to develop and deploy.
Low-code development platforms: The solution to digital adoption gaps in the healthcare industry
Both limitations, however, can be solved with low-code app building platforms. Low code tools are a great value addition to every healthcare organisation’s tech stack because of the easy-to-understand and simple but powerful interface of the platforms. The ability to build functional applications with drag-and-drop visual builders enables the IT department to build and ship customised digital solutions speedily. Moreover, because these tools do not require extensive IT knowledge, non-IT teams can also create apps for their business needs without having to write code. This enables healthcare teams to streamline both administrative and functional operations with ease and agility, in turn empowering themselves to deliver efficient patient-centered care.
Low-code platforms also allow seamless integration with existing systems, empowering hospitals to build solutions that are flexible and scalable within reasonable budgets. Most of these platforms typically come with prebuilt templates as well, which can be leveraged by healthcare firms to reduce the time spent on development and accelerate the pace of their digital transformation journey.
Leveraging low-code to satisfy modern patient needs
Today’s patients expect a digitally-powered healthcare setting that prioritises speed and has a personal touch. Patients also want a trustworthy provider who implements strict data security and privacy controls across their operations in accordance with industry regulations. Low-code platforms fit the bill well for all these needs. Having closely worked with hospitals and healthcare providers over the years, here are some ways that we have seen healthcare institutions leveraging low-code to refine operations and elevate patient experiences.
- Personalising patient care: Using low-code, healthcare professionals can build custom applications that track patients’ real-time vital signs, send timely reminders for medication, and even design personalised care routes. Additionally, these platforms can also be used to provide caregivers with automated updates
on the condition of patients. Aside from apps to improve personalisation, solutions for specific healthcare needs like Electronic Medical Records (EMR), Electronic Health Records (EHR), remote patient-monitoring tools, and advanced data analytics dashboards can also be built and customised with the help of low code tools.
- Enhancing operational efficiency: The built-in APIs in low-code tools enable easy integration with existing enterprise systems, including legacy applications and even IOT enabled devices. This enables hospitals and clinics to set up smart workflows and automate routine tasks such as scheduling appointments, appointment reminders, billing, and invoicing, as well as administrative paperwork. These enhancements help reduce workload, allowing healthcare providers to operate more efficiently, enhance their productivity, and ultimately allocate more time towards patient care.
- Securing sensitive data: It is imperative for healthcare organisations to adopt a security-by-design approach to protect patient data—meaning security measures must be integrated into every aspect of data storage and use. Using low-code solutions that prioritise data privacy and are HIPAA-certified enables healthcare providers to implement regulatory controls and easily adhere to compliance standards without long-drawn processes.
- Enhancing collaboration and communication: Low-code platforms enable seamless patient-care coordination and information-sharing among healthcare teams and all other stakeholders. Hospitals can also leverage features like real time data sharing, task assignment, and messaging tools to facilitate effective teamwork and improve patient outcomes and satisfaction. They can build dashboards that display up-to-the-minute information to keep themselves informed and ensure transparency.
Accelerating digital preparedness of India’s healthcare landscape: The transformative potential of low-code empowers healthcare providers to continue to reimagine healthcare delivery entirely. Given their flexibility, these platforms also help healthcare institutions adopt and incorporate new technologies into their systems quickly and in a hassle-free manner. Organisations using low-code will find themselves better positioned to meet the evolving patient needs and demands with the help of emerging technologies.
As the healthcare landscape evolves, we will see more emerging technologies revamping the landscape. The advent of AI and GenAI is one such moment for the healthcare sector. Development, customisation, and implementation of AI-powered applications for diagnostic imaging, predictive analysis, and smart workflows will enhance patient experiences and outcomes even more.