How to Invest in a Hospital Management System - Understanding the Pricing

One of the first things that come into our mind before we decide to purchase something, is the cost. Whether it be a Netflix subscription or a new bike, or a business-related purchase, the price plays an important role. While acquiring Hospital Management Software also, pricing is an important factor to be considered. Hospital management software is much more complex than a movie ticket or an automobile, and the costs that are involved in it are also a bit more complicated. We have previously discussed the various advantages of using hospital management software. Here let’s break down the costs involved in implementing it.

How the price is determined - The Number of Beds

The cost of a hospital management system mainly depends on the number of beds in the hospital. As a rule of thumb, we can say that the price goes up as the number of beds increases.

So generally as a hospital grows and develops, a need for a system with higher capacity comes up. This gives you two options; either get high capacity, a non-upgradable system, or get a system with the capacity you require, but which can be upgraded for better features. The latter is preferable, as in the former you end up paying for features you may not require currently.

Online or Offline System

Whether the system is online or offline brings up different kinds of expenditures.

Generally for offline software, the firm that provides the system will simply install the software for a one-time fee. The hospital will have to acquire servers by itself and manage its own data, install the cables, network its systems, and generally, have to deal much more with the hardware aspect than online software. In such cases, extra costs other than the cost of the software itself will come up. Also, a dedicated team for managing the system will be required for general maintenance.

Online systems generally simplify these functions, as the firm providing the system will be dealing with the software aspect, as well as most of the hardware aspects(such as servers, etc. Computer systems and other hardware will have to be purchased by the hospital as required). In this case, the system exists like a subscription service, where for an annual or monthly fee, the firm providing the system will maintain and manage the servers and the system. There’s much less hardware to be acquired from other sources. A simple PC connected to the internet

can easily access the system. The human resources required from the hospital for maintaining the system are much less.

So in general Online Systems are more cost-effective, especially in the long run.

Implementation Cost

Implementation cost is another aspect to be considered while implementing a hospital management system. If existing software has to be replaced by new software, the data from the old system will have to be imported into the new system. The cost involved in this, as mentioned above, will depend on the amount of data, calculated as the number of beds. If the hospital has been storing all the information in paper format, resources may be needed to enter this data into the system. Implementation costs also involve setting up access for various doctors and departments.

The implementation also requires providing training for various employees, which will be different for different departments. It is important to ensure that the training is included in the implementation cost while choosing the system.

Other Factors

A good hospital management system would offer all the features that are generally required. The software can differ in the level of sophistication, from simple accounting software to software that provides updates to patients using an app or SMS. The price can vary according to the level of sophistication. Most software firms offering hospital management software are willing to provide additional features, but this usually comes at an additional price, depending on the resources required

Simple software is easily available for a lower cost, but as the functionalities required to increase, the price also naturally increases.

Another factor that may bring up extra costs is the technical support provided by the companies. All though most online systems get support throughout the subscription period, in the case of offline systems, inquiries have to be made to know if additional costs may be incurred for support.

As mentioned in previous blogs, the possibility of upgrades has to be considered. Online systems cost less for upgrades, as the hospital expands, and for better features. Considering this, online systems may turn out to be cost-effective in the long run.

Overall, the costs involved could be divided into implementation costs and maintenance costs, both of which are dependent on the number of beds. For offline software, an annual or monthly software subscription fee has to be considered, which may or may not cover the implementation and maintenance costs.

The economic benefits of getting offline software and investing in servers and hardware and that of getting online software and paying an annual subscription fee have to be compared, which could differ for different hospitals. The Hospital Management Software is a long-term investment, saving up by getting software with fewer features, may cost you a lot more with frequent expensive upgrades required as the hospital grows. Additional costs that may arise in the form of support, server maintenance, extra features, and possible upgrades have to be looked into while making a decision.

The Hospital Management Software is a long-term investment, saving up by getting the software with fewer features may cost you a lot more with frequent expensive upgrades required as the hospital grows.

How to Implement HMS Successfully in Hospitals?

When compared to other industries, the healthcare sector is improving, with the help of advanced technologies like the Hospital Management System (HMS). The current medical care computerization is being hampered due to a lack of a perfect interface between computers and medical care providers.

The two main issues that are commonly faced during the implementation of an HMS are as follows

1. HMS implementation begins but the users start facing issues by the end

This is generally due to the inflexibility of the HMS software, a weak administrative will, and an inexperienced team for implementation.

2. HMS implementation gets completed, but only a single part of the functionality gets implemented

This is due to non-user-friendly software or unplanned and unconfigured executions.

Pre-Implementation Assessment:

All hospital administrators who implement the HMS software in their hospitals will be apprehensive that the process may end in a partial or complete failure and measures should be taken early in order to prevent such an event from happening. The software should be well assessed before being purchased by the hospital.

Software Assessment:

Choosing the right kind of software is one of the crucial and primary steps for getting the best results.

Earlier, all HMS Software had a single development cycle starting with a single hospital being computerized by a local developer for a single hospital. But this type of HMS development is outdated. In such cases, there is a risk of the vendor providing software that was customized for a different hospital. Implementing them may cause various issues, and it may cost more in the long run. It's better to purchase the software from a firm, that specializes in hospital management software, than getting any software company to design software for your hospital.

It's better to choose software that is easy to upgrade, scalable, and not hardware intensive. Cloud-based online software is better than offline software in these aspects. The providers could also easily fix any errors or bugs in the case of online software.

Another aspect to be considered is to check if the customization of the software is done primarily through programming code or by using master tables during implementation. Hospitals may require some form of alteration to the purchased software, so as to better suit their needs, and in the case of master tables, such changes may easily be made by the hospital itself. In the case of online software, this may not matter much, as maintenance and support are provided by the software provider.

Vendor Assessment:

Only a few vendors of international or national repute can be trusted easily. A drawback of a large vendor is that they don’t always accommodate the requirements of small hospitals. In the case of small vendors, hospital administrators may have to do thorough research to see if they are trustworthy.

An important aspect to be known is if the current implementation team will be available during the entire implementation cycle. Checking the attrition rate of the software company, and discussions with other hospital administrators may give you an idea about this.

Visits to Hospitals with Hospital Management Systems:

A well-planned visit to hospitals where the software has been implemented will give you insights into the performance of the software, the support provided by the vendor, and if the vendor has achieved all the goals that were initially planned. To get a good picture, it's better to visit hospitals like your own, in terms of capacity, number of specialties, and number of departments, as well as hospitals that have implemented the software that you are considering. This will give you an idea, not only about the trustworthiness of the vendor but also about how well the software will be suited to your hospital.

Discussions with hospital administrators who have previously implemented the software in their hospitals will also give you good insights into the possible difficulties you may face during the implementation process, and how to overcome them.

Getting your Hospital ready:

Problems may arise in HMS implementation, due to issues within the hospital. The lack of a systematic and uniform workflow within all the departments in the hospital may make the implementation process difficult. Information regarding the various equipment used, tests performed, schedules of doctors in different departments, etc must be readily available so that it could easily be imported into the system.

An important aspect is the cooperation of the various end-users, that is, the hospital employees. They have to provide enough awareness of the usefulness and importance of implementing the HMS software. The implementation may put additional stress on the employees until they get used to the system, and this may hamper the efforts of the hospital administration.

HMS implementation begins with a pre-implementation phase, in which software is chosen and the hospital prepares for the change, followed by the implementation phase and the post-implementation phase, in which the final kinks are ironed out. The whole process could be made smooth with a thorough pre-implementation phase.

Choosing software that is well suited to your hospital, having clearly defined workflows, and complete information about the working of the hospital will help you to easily implement the HMS in your hospital. Having a good team, and ensuring the cooperation of the hospital employees would help the hospital achieve its goals with the HMS.

4 Ways Pharmacy Management Software Helps Manage Your Sales and Service

In recent years, medical stores have transformed from a place where you get your medicines, to a place where all your medical needs, such as mobility aids, nutraceuticals, health monitoring devices, and other biomedical supplies are met. Other than providing the required supplies, pharmacies also serve as a place where patients can get adequate information and advice regarding the dosage of a medicine, the composition of a medicament, and the possible side effects. With this evolution, they have shifted from being just pharmacies, and it has become much more difficult to manage them.

Pharmacy management software helps you manage a pharmacy by keeping track of medicaments, medicines, and supplies ranging from mobility aids to disposables. It gets you the information you require right at your fingertips. This can ensure that you never run out of essential medicines and supplies and also give your customers a better experience.

Here are 4 exciting ways in which pharmacy management software can help enhance your customer service along with reducing costs.

Better customer experience

A personalized service, catering to the specific needs of a customer, helps you to provide a better experience for your customer and therefore helps you retain them. A simple query about a past purchase will help you to build a personal relationship with them, which may prove fruitful in the long run.

Pharmacy management software allows you to log and track the entire purchase history of a customer, their insurance information, and other relevant information. This will you to give a better experience to the customers, and at the same time, easily keep track of your sales.

With the help of your customer’s medical history, you’ll be able to provide better advice to them, avoiding allergies or any counteracting medicaments the doctors may have missed. You'll also be able to remind your customers about the next medication purchase in their schedule.

Quick access to information regarding similar medicaments at lower prices will make it easier for you to provide economically better options to your customers.

Good Resource Management:

Pharmacy management software helps you to manage your pharmacy’s resources easily and in an efficient manner. With the help of a good interface, real-time reports, inventory management, and precise invoicing, you can easily understand and manage all the resources at your disposal.

Inventory Management helps you to easily keep track of medicine and equipment stock. You can easily check if any of the out-of-stock items are available in any of your other stores. With order tracking, you can give timely reports about the estimated time of delivery to your customers in case of any special orders.

With the help of precise invoicing, you can keep track of your expenses, and income and therefore easily manage your store’s finances. The system helps you to better understand the financial situation of your store and gives you insights on how to fine-tune your business.

An online pharmacy management software will also help you to manage stores in multiple locations effectively. You can easily manage the stock and sales in all of your stores from your smartphone or laptop.

Effective Sales Management:

Now you can easily and efficiently manage your sales with the help of pharmacy management software. Now you can keep track of every sale, the price of every medicament and equipment sold, and the profit made. You can now easily analyze your business prospect and the flow of cash, and get the information you need to optimize the process

A good pharmacy management software can be integrated with your current workflow and equipment, and make maximum use of them. A barcode scanner plugged into the software can make it easy for you to document your sales, track your inventory, and at the same time provide a faster checkout for your customer.

Online services

With the advent of online pharmacies, more and more customers are preferring to get their medicaments delivered to their doorstep, and this has threatened the sales of traditional pharmacies. But customers still find their neighborhood stores much more trustworthy. Take advantage of this by providing an online sales portal for your pharmacy. With the help of cloud-based software integrated with a sales portal, you can easily provide this service to your customers. The online software will also enable you to manage your pharmacies from anywhere in the world.

Essentially, pharmacy management software will help you to provide a better customer experience, manage your resources and sales efficiently, and enable you to take your sales online.