Many of us remember doctors using an appointment book to note down our next visit or filling out a prescription by hand that no one could understand—something that, fortunately, is now a thing of the past thanks to healthcare software.
Digitalization has reached medical clinics, so management tasks are now much simpler for doctors, who rely on new technologies in order to provide better service to their patients.
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Appointment management systems
Starting with the most basic healthcare software, appointment books can be done away with thanks to programs that manage appointments, which is the first step in the digitalization of many clinics.
Here, available time slots are assigned to patients within a previously configured schedule, and notifications about upcoming appointments can be sent through different channels such as SMS, email, or instant messaging.
In more advanced healthcare software—such as those used by public health systems—patients themselves can choose which day and time they want their appointment.
Waiting queue management
Waiting queuesystems have changed over time. Not long ago, the doctor or a nurse would call patients out loud or through a microphone, but that can no longer be done.
Due to data protection laws, it is necessary to use a system in which a number is assigned to the patient and displayed on a screen when it is their turn to enter the consultation room, along with the room number.
For the queue management system to work, when the patient arrives they go to a machine where they scan a barcode or QR code. This allows the system to check the appointment management system to verify whether it is the correct day.
If it is, the patient is placed in the waiting queue, and as time passes their number appears on a large screen, notifying them that the healthcare professional is ready to see them.
