Working Against the Clock: Making Medical Data Systems Work For Time and Not Against It

Time is the greatest asset. It cannot be lengthened. It cannot be reshaped. Every person has 24 hours in a day. As cliché as it is, this is an essential reminder. Considering the amount of time wasted researching and finding information, as opposed to taking action, it is an understanding that needs to be reworked. Researching data is obviously important, and no medical institution is going to argue against the importance of gathering and compiling data.

There is a lost opportunity in excessive information gathering. Systems can streamline information, so it goes to the proper resources. The clinical data management systems that populate many major health institutions are managing to bring new opportunities. These opportunities have always been present. They come from a greater focus on time management and a reduction in unnecessary data-gathering.

Five Aspects in Systematizing

Potentially the biggest problem with medical facilities now is the overemphasis on understanding and gathering information, as opposed to improving their systems with that information. All valuations go through the same five aspects.



Understand why
Hunt for evidence
Gather and compile
Improve systems
Distribute data to continue cycle

Gathering and compiling information should be a small margin in the overall cycle. Unfortunately, institutions do not have systems in place to make that gathering and compiling phase nice and short. If institutions can minimize that phase in health data managment, and place additional focus in the area of improving, positive ramifications will spread out in every way.

More Data Required?

There’s a political hesitation involved. Hospitals have a lot at stake, so they sometimes go overboard in acquiring information. Unfortunately, their systems are clunky, and not able to take in information in an efficient way. The discussion is not about gathering less information. The discussion is about building a system that can accommodate more information, and subsequently send the information to the right channels. This distinction is forcing a lot of institutions to not implement the right systems. They believe that health data management is minimizing the information gathering stage. This emphasis puts them at risk. In reality, the clinical system is allowing even more information to be interpreted and reviewed in larger volumes.

population health management strategies forces a difficult discussion. Medical facilities can integrate systems that make information easier to obtain. Data will not be limited- it will only expand. The industry's overreliance on data gathering through dated systems is allowing for opportunities to fall through the cracks. As it all comes back to square one- there is only so much time.