| Healthcare is a core focus area across countries | | | | add to the complexity, the patient might be |
| all over the world. Providing and improving | | | | involved in more than one healthcare process at a |
| healthcare facilities to the population ranks | | | | time. |
| amongst the topmost agenda for Governments. | | | | Following this procedure customized to individual |
| However, healthcare industry has grown on | | | | patient's cure plan and variations is a humungous |
| beyond the realms of it being solely a state | | | | exercise, and requires much more beyond access |
| function, especially true for fast-developing | | | | to patient records and data. |
| countries such as India. While in the developed | | | | Using BPM's interactive interface, process could be |
| countries private healthcare has long existed, India | | | | quickly designed/modeled and changed as per the |
| was relatively slow to start off, with | | | | requirements. These processes are designed as |
| post-reforms scenario witnessing a rapid growth | | | | pet the defined workflow with stakeholders for |
| of large-scale private healthcare providers. | | | | every stage of the workflow. Built-in rules |
| In spite of thriving healthcare industries, whether | | | | embedded in BPM engine provide alerts and |
| they exist in developed or developing nations, IT | | | | reminders if a drug is recommended that has |
| has only had a limited role to play in healthcare | | | | potential negative interactions within the |
| companies. As opposed to other industries such | | | | prescribed cure process. Similarly, time-bound |
| as banking, finance, insurance, manufacturing and | | | | actions, if not completed on time, could be raised |
| defense, among several other verticals, that have | | | | as alarms. Process stakeholder (usually a senior |
| witnessed paradigm shift in way the business is | | | | doctor) can immediately determine the |
| done, healthcare has had to contend with quick-fix | | | | bottlenecks hindering the process, and accordingly |
| solutions that never really went beyond recording | | | | remodel and redistribute work so as not to |
| information digitally and managing records. The | | | | impact the overall procedural effectiveness. This is |
| reason given is that healthcare is an extremely | | | | required because important resources like doctors |
| complex industry to really benefit from large-scale | | | | could be allocated to more than one process. In |
| enterprise grade solutions; and that the enterprise | | | | addition, processes users can provide their |
| solutions cannot go beyond automating the | | | | comments for particular stage of treatment. |
| administrative and financial functions. | | | | Since everyone can view changes immediately, |
| Recent times have seen advent of solutions such | | | | the information is immediately communicated in an |
| as Electronic Medical Records Systems, Healthcare | | | | unambiguous manner to everyone. Detailed |
| Information Systems, Practice Management | | | | analytics enable process stakeholders to evolve a |
| Systems and Clinical Decision Support Systems. | | | | more efficient and effective process in future. |
| However, all these systems are still focused | | | | Therefore, healthcare organisations can greatly |
| towards micromanaging individual functions. The | | | | benefit from such a system, which has a |
| emergence of Business Process Management as | | | | comprehensive and relevant rules engine at its |
| an approach to automate, centralise and manage | | | | heart. Such as system not only helps making |
| healthcare processes is ringing in unheard | | | | timely and informed decisions but also enables |
| operational efficiencies, sweeping productivity | | | | effective collaboration and extensive analytics. |
| gains, greater quality healthcare to patients, and | | | | The power of BPM lies in its ability to be used |
| adherence to mandatory compliance regulations. | | | | effectively by hospital staff having no knowledge |
| Challenges in Healthcare | | | | of coding. Process designing is as simple as |
| Process automation has been viewed with a lot of | | | | dragging and dropping elements on the screen. |
| skepticism in the healthcare industry, especially for | | | | Also, no customization of code for re-designed |
| the clinical and operational processes, which | | | | processes is required. Simulation provides process |
| directly deal with patient care. However, BPM | | | | owners flexibility to analyse the real-life situation |
| goes beyond mere automation of processes and | | | | beforehand. |
| can provide robust platform for gains across all | | | | Operations: A Healthcare organisation's health |
| categories of healthcare processes, be it clinical, | | | | (read topline/bottomline) is a direct measure of |
| operation, financial, administrative or human | | | | number of patients successfully treated in the |
| resource. Before describing how BPM actually help | | | | shortest possible time. This depends largely to |
| companies in these areas, a quick look at the | | | | streamlined operations, which involve timely and |
| challenges puts forth the pain points of the | | | | accurate action for allocating wards to patients, |
| healthcare industry:o Ensure clinical excellence | | | | shifting patients to different wards, ensuring |
| & improved quality of patient care: Amidst | | | | optimal supply of medicines and equipments, ideal |
| rising number of patients, increased complications | | | | usage of surgical and high-cost equipments, |
| and limited resources, providing the best | | | | maintaining operation theatres ready for |
| healthcare becomes a daunting task. Each patient's | | | | anticipated cases, ensuring clear and low-cost |
| problems are unique, and developing and | | | | communication, among several other similar tasks. |
| maintaining clinical excellence by adhering to best | | | | BPM manages all these functions under clearly |
| practices while catering to distinct individual | | | | defined processes, which weave together with |
| treatment requirements for every patient is the | | | | other processes to ensure maximum productivity |
| biggest challenge for healthcare providers.o | | | | and efficiency. |
| Decrease cost of operations & administration: | | | | Administration: Administration is responsible for |
| As hospitals grow to become large enterprises, | | | | keeping the organisations in good health. BPM |
| managing functions of their operations, | | | | provides comprehensive capabilities for large |
| administration and finance departments in | | | | healthcare enterprises to keep the infrastructure |
| themselves become extremely difficult to | | | | running smoothly in order to enable organisations |
| manage. With individual solution for each of these | | | | to provide healthcare in most effective manner. |
| functions, it becomes cost-and-resource intensive, | | | | Finance: Finance is the lifeblood of any |
| replete with data redundancies. However, | | | | organisations, and is no different for Healthcare |
| managing them under one umbrella brings its own | | | | organisations too. BPM provides immediate and |
| set of challenges.o Comprehensive management | | | | pervasive benefits across all the Finance functions |
| capabilities: Every organisation strives hard to | | | | such as accounts payable, accounts receivable, |
| provide complete visibility and control in their | | | | audits, budget administration, payroll, risk |
| processes to process stakeholders. Problems and | | | | management, billing, tax calculations, contract |
| bottlenecks often remain hidden due to | | | | administration, cash flow administration, financial |
| unavailability of tracking information, often leading | | | | reports, etc. |
| to uninformed, and at time, costly decisions or | | | | Research and development: Research and |
| indecisions.o Ensure adherence to regulatory | | | | development is a critical but cost-intensive area |
| compliance norms: Healthcare industry is one of | | | | for companies in Health industry, especially |
| the foremost industry that has to abide with | | | | Pharmaceutical companies. BPM helps define |
| stringiest of compliance regulations such as | | | | processes for developing new drug molecules, |
| HIPAA, OSHA and CLIA. Failing to comply with | | | | better operating techniques, employing new |
| these regulations could obliterate small players as | | | | technology in prevalent procedures, improving |
| well as behemoths. Compliance is an intensive and | | | | effectiveness of existing drugs and medicines with |
| constant exercise that involves extensive | | | | lesser side effects, etc., by providing |
| documentation to demonstrate compliance to | | | | comprehensive and immediate access to data |
| stipulated norms. Without an automated and | | | | from various sources, analysis of extensive tests, |
| centralized system, managing compliance | | | | documenting results for posterity, and shortening |
| becomes nothing short of a nightmare for the | | | | research time. With BPM, R&D witnesses |
| organisations.o Leverage existing investments: | | | | shortened cycle times and better resource |
| Healthcare companies usually have disconnected | | | | utilization. |
| IT systems working in individual departments. | | | | BPM Benefits |
| Companies, big or small, always look to extend | | | | The benefits, which healthcare and pharmaceutical |
| the value of their investment in their legacy | | | | companies obtain, are both tangible and intangible. |
| healthcare systems. The enterprise-grade solution | | | | On one hand, lower costs, improved efficiency, |
| must not only be able to bind together distinct | | | | enhanced productivity, and bulging bottom line |
| legacy systems to coherently work together | | | | make for good numbers; while on the other hand, |
| under one hood but also provide functionalities | | | | helps conforming to compliance, fostering |
| such as SOA support and Web-based access, | | | | innovation, employing best practices, mitigating |
| monitoring, and administration.o Acquire & | | | | risks and achieving higher credibility. |
| retain quality staff: Talented professionals, | | | | Some of the major benefits are as follows: |
| especially doctors, are a rare commodity. Equally | | | | Highly improved patient care: BPM makes |
| critical is the good quality support staff. Amidst | | | | healthcare companies agile in achieving their goal |
| rising competition, retaining talent is one area | | | | of providing best healthcare at the least cost and |
| companies are always struggling to cope with. | | | | in minimum time to patients. With streamlined |
| Companies, while striving to provide best | | | | processes - spread across the enterprise and |
| healthcare (quick and appropriate diagnosis, | | | | working towards the single goal - results in |
| accurate cure, no erroneous prescriptions, minimal | | | | patients getting increased individual focus and |
| side effects in least time and cost, also have to | | | | faster cure. |
| walk the tightrope of not overburdening their | | | | Lower Costs & improved bottomline: With |
| doctors and staff. Without streamlined processes | | | | BPM affecting all the aspects of functioning of |
| for cure and treatment, Companies are always | | | | Healthcare companies, weaving them seamlessly |
| struggling to balance the oft-conflicting | | | | under one umbrella, enables cutting costs from |
| requirements. | | | | every single activity. With proven implementation |
| Addressing such a diverse set of requirements, | | | | methodologies like Breakthrough Methodology, the |
| with the fulcrum being people care makes BPM | | | | bottomline benefits can be rapidly obtained. |
| for healthcare a unique and complex system. BPM | | | | Compliance: Ensuring compliance with |
| must enable healthcare providers during all the | | | | ever-evolving regulations is a vital function for the |
| phases namely diagnostics, treatment, and post | | | | global companies operating in different business |
| treatment. | | | | environments across the world. BPM helps |
| How BPM Helps Healthcare Organisations | | | | companies conform to compliance needs and |
| With healthcare organisations becoming giant | | | | employ best practices, without sacrificing their |
| enterprises, they demand constant increase in | | | | corporate policies. Also, with compliance-solution in |
| efficiency and productivity, while minimizing the | | | | place, companies build effective risk assessment, |
| cost. BPM helps achieve healthcare organisations, | | | | management and mitigation capabilities. |
| big or small, achieve these by managing and | | | | Diversification: The rapid growth of Healthcare |
| impacting all the functional areas, which mainly | | | | industry has resulted in pure Healthcare providers |
| involve clinical/medical, operations, administration | | | | going beyond providing mere services and |
| and finance. While clinical function is unique to the | | | | individualized care, and diversify into allied Life |
| healthcare industry, administration and finance are | | | | Sciences domains such as biotechnology, |
| similar to these functions in other industries. | | | | bioinformatics, genetic engineering and molecular |
| Operations also involve distinct needs for health | | | | medicine, among others. Having a BPM in place |
| providers. | | | | enables such organisations to effectively manage |
| Clinical/Medical procedures: Often touted as highly | | | | new ventures by providing complete visibility and |
| complex to handle, clinical procedures form the | | | | tight monitoring for new processes while |
| core of what a healthcare organisation offers. It's | | | | leveraging existing investments in business. |
| not just about a standard set of instructions to | | | | In addition to these, there are multiple other |
| be strictly followed for curing a patient; rather it | | | | equally important benefits such as retaining talent, |
| involves closely monitoring and making critical | | | | leveraging existing investments and drastic |
| decisions at each step of the documented | | | | improvements in quality and time-to-market. |
| procedure, carefully analyzing the repercussions of | | | | BPM, therefore, is much more than a mere fad |
| prescription/ treatment at each step, anticipate | | | | for the Healthcare and Pharmaceutical industry. To |
| drug interactions, derive inferences from patients' | | | | the organisations prepared to adopt it |
| medical history, choosing best alternative for cure | | | | whole-heartedly, it brings tangible and measurable |
| among many to provide best quality and | | | | benefits; thereby ensuring companies can set off |
| cost-effective healthcare to patients, while directly | | | | on a high growth path. |
| impacting the bottom line of the organisation. To | | | | |