March 2021

Hospital Management Systems – 5 Points to help you choose right one

1. Size of the Hospital

This is the most important criteria while selecting a Hospital Management System (HMS). Hospitals are of multiple sizes. A good factor to gauge the size of the Hospital is to check the number of Beds in the Hospital. 

Why is size important? 

Size is important because it defines the complexity involved in running and managing a hospital. A hospital with 500 Beds is a completely different proposition than a hospital with 50 Beds than a hospital with 5 Beds. So requirements of a Hospital with 500 Beds are different than requirement of Hospital with 50 Beds. 

A Hospital Management System built for a 500 Bedded hospital may not necessarily be the right system for a 5 Bedded hospital

Why do we think so?

Because, a bigger Hospital has 

  • Many more Departments
  • Different compliances than a smaller hospital
  • Trained staff readily available for using the software
  • Higher budget than smaller hospitals

So to begin with, identify the size of your Hospital today and possibly for the next few years. 

2. Typical Usage in the Hospital

Hospital Management Systems come with multiple features. This article gives you an overview of those. Understand which features are important for your Hospital.

We have seen some people wanting to use HMS only for billing and nothing else. We have also seen some who want to use HMS also to calculate the staff attendance report and salary management. 

Here are some questions which will help you decide:

  • Who is going to use this system in my Hospital? Doctors, Reception Staff, Billing Staff, Laboratory Staff, Pharmacy Staff and so on.
  • Are Doctors going to operate the system for entering data like patient’s prescription?
  • Is my staff going to give appointments of Doctors via the software? Will patients take appointments online?
  • Do I need to give patients a neatly made, professional looking, Discharge Summary and Hospital bill for insurance claims or otherwise.

Pricing of the system will increase based on the number of features you choose. That is the reason why we mentioned in point # 1 that Hospital size is an important criteria. The features required by a bigger hospital will be more than those of a smaller hospital. If you are a 20 Bedded hospital, ask yourself, do you really need everything that a 200 Bedded hospital is going to use?

3. Cloud Based or On-Premise

Here is a table to differentiate the two options

Sr. No Cloud Based On-Premise
1. System is hosted on a cloud server. System works on a computer in the Hospital. 
2. Requires continous internet connection to operate. Does not require continous internet connection to operate.
3. Data is always with the cloud service provider. Data is on the computer in the Hospital.
4.  Data issues like data loss, corruption can happen only if there is an issue with the cloud service provider.  Data issues like data loss, corruption can happen if there is an issue with the computer in Hospital. 
5.  System can be accessed from anywhere.  Mainly designed to be accessed from within the hospital. However, some on premise systems give ways to access externally as well. 
6. Typically charged as yearly subscription plans. Typically charged as One-Time with Annual Maintenance Contracts. 
7. Using the system requires internet. So internet speed fluctuations can interfere with system performance.  Data is available locally. So these systems typically are faster to respond and operate with the right on premise configuration.
8. Management of Hardware and software is not much an issue as everything is taken care by the vendor. Hardware and software management has to be done locally. 
9. Access to data via software will be lost if you stop working with this vendor. Access to data via software may still continue if you stop working with this vendor.

4. Budget and Pricing

We will now talk about the 4th important point that will help you decide the right Hospital Management System. It is Budget and Pricing. 

Not all hospitals have same budget. Plus, as you add more features and requirements to the software the overall cost of the solution increases. 

Here we will see different ways in which providers charge you money. Based on your comfort level, you can decide which style of pricing woks best for your requirements:

Monthly/Yearly Subscription Model

In this model, you pay for the solution every month/year. If you do not pay, the service stops. So you get access to your data and the services of the vendor for the duration of your subscription. 

One-Time Payment plus AMC Model

In this model, you pay for the solution only once and use it for lifetime. What a lifetime of a software means depends from Vendor to Vendor. So make sure you understand that. Typically, the software can be used without support and updates. If you want support and updates, you have to pay the Annual Maintenance Charge (AMC). This is what we call as One-Time Payment plus AMC model. 

What you need to understand here is, what is the Total Cost of ownership (TCO) for this solution. How much are you going to spend over at least 3 years or 5 years on this solution. Understand that along with other items and decide.

5. Reports

The whole point of using the software is to understand how the entire hospital is functioning. See what kind of reports will you get from the HMS:

  • Patients Currently Admitted in the Hospital
  • Patients Discharged on a particular Day or duration giving details of Discharge (Discharged or Discharged against medical advice)
  • Daily Collection Report (OPD Collection, IPD Collection, Lab Collection, Pharmacy Collection)

And so on…

Reports generated from a Hospital Management System put the data created in the system to real use providing the owner with insights that can be used for better functioning of the Hospital. 

MyOPD Beds Hospital Software is one such Hospital Management System. Visit our Website https://www.myopd.in/

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What is a Clinic Management System?

Features of a Clinic Management System

This post will help you understand the benefits of using a Clinic Management System. 

A Clinic Management System is a software system that allows efficient functioning of a clinic through the use of software. While selecting a clinic software is an important decision, you still need to understand first what a clinic management system does.

Patient Registration

This is the most basic activity carried by a Clinic Management Software. In this, either the Doctor or their staff would register a patient for the first time the patient visits the clinic. In the subsequent visit, the patient would be searched based on name, Unique ID, phone number and so on. Some softwares also send a Welcome SMS to the patient’s mobile number upon initial registration thereby forming a smart impression about the clinic. 

Appointment Booking

Doctors who have appointment based practice would require this feature. Some softwares offer appointment booking directly by the patients, others offer appointment booking via the staff or the Doctors themselves.  

Patient Record Management / Electronic Medical Record (EMR)

Clinic Management System cannot be complete without this important feature. This feature helps Doctors to store patient’s record in software and retrieve it later for future use. Intelligent softwares make great use of stored data by helping Doctors take better decisions with the stored data. Examples include, copying a previous prescription to repeat in case of chronic patients. Here, Doctors won’t have to retype the prescription again. Doctors don’t need to remember conditions of patients, their past visit dates, frequency if data is stored in software. Doctors can simply look at the data presented and enter a new treatment plan based on available details. This frees the Doctors from remembering pesky case details over a long period of time and instead use technology to their advantage. 

Printed Prescriptions

Printing prescriptions is another important feature of a clinic management system. Many clinic management systems offer prescriptions to be printed on Doctors letter heads, plain paper using logos of clinic and in the language the patient can understand. Here are some sample printed prescriptions printed using MyOPD Clinic Management System. These prescriptions offer clear advantages over written prescriptions because

  • They are easier to read
  • No matter the Doctor is tired or busy, the quality of the prescription print will always remain the same
  • Important vitals printed on the prescription as charts offer great feedback to the patient to understand the importance of treatment. 
  • You can decide what to print and what to leave out
  • Doctors can print the Rx in language they don’t know as the software does the translation. This results in patient delight!
  • They can be shared over WhatsApp or be emailed to the patient.

Print Certificates

As a part of consultation, Doctors have to issue Medical Certificates, Fitness Certificates, Referral Letters, Hospital Admit Letters and so on. A clinic Management System allows Doctors to print them with ease and give the clinic a professional outlook.

Clinic Billing

Modern clinics have complete transparency in the way they function. This includes giving receipts of payment to the patient. A good clinic management system will also have billing module as a part of its functionality. With the help of billing module, adminstrators can keep a record of charges for various services like Consultation, Nebulization, ECG, X-Ray, Vaccinations and so on. The patient would get and itemized receipt of payment for the charges incurred. Modern clinics would also allow patients to pay via various methods like Debit Cards / Credit Cards / QR codes and so on. Clinic Management systems could integrate these payment methods so that the payment is tracked once the patient pays. 

Automated SMS Reminders

Most of the clinic managment systems have built in automated SMS reminder system. These systems do the daily job of sending SMS to the patient’s mobile number based on the date of appointment, date of follow-up and so on. This greatly reduces the burden of reminder calls on the clinic’s staff as well as increases the patient follow-up rate. Patient’s also do not miss important check-up dates based on reminders set by the Doctor.

Analytical Reports

Doctors need to know how the clinic is functioning. Analytical reports do that job. Here is an example: Let’s say a patient visits the clinic and turns out to be Covid +ve later. It is important to know which other patients visited aroud the same time as this patient, as a part of contact tracing. Reports like these help you function better. Doing this without a clinic management system would be really hard work.  

Hope we have explained the important points of a Clinic Management System. 

If you have hesitation about whether you start using one, read the article Should I start using a Clinic Management System?

What is a Clinic Management System? Read More »

Should I start using a Clinic Management System?

If you are looking for a Clinic Management System and are confused whether you should start using one or wait, you have come at the right place. 

In our working with Doctors since the year 2012, we have seen ample reasons why Doctors hesitate to decide if they should start using a Clinic Management System.

Common reasons of apprehension include:

#1: Will I be able to use it?

The moment someone mentions software, Doctors think that they cannot use because of patient load. However, a clinic management system has many features that simplify the functioning of your clinic. Use by Doctor is one part of it. You can still implement the system and reap benefits of it by

  • Having your staff handle registration and appointments
  • Having your staff handle payments
  • Tracking outstanding amounts from patients
  • Let the system send automated reminders for follow-up checkups
  • Print visit papers with Patient Name, ID on which you can write the prescription
  • View scheduled appointments on the mobile app
  • See reports of patients visited during particular days. 

As seen, you can use it for many other functions by just being a silent spectator and let your staff use it.

#2: Don’t have enough Patients so don’t need now

Many Doctors think that if they don’t have a lot of patients, there is little use of the system. In fact, this is probably the best time to start learning a new system and getting used to it. Will you practice driving on a crowded street or on a road which doesn’t have traffic? Clinic Management Systems offer far more advantages to you and your clinic in the long term. The earlier you invest on your clinic, the better it is. For e.g: Without a Clinic Management System, it will be extremely difficult to inform your patients of change in the timings of the clinic once your clinic’s patient load improves with time. 

#3: Clinic Management Systems are expensive

Well, this is a thing of past. There are multiple choices now available for you from choose from. For e.g: MyOPD Clinic Management System costs less than a price of an average pizza on a monthly basis. Wouldn’t you spend that much for better functioning of the clinic?

#4: No trained staff to operate

What we have seen is, if the Doctor is willing to install the system, the staff will learn and get used to it. These days, vendors of clinic management systems have made tremedous effort to improve the usability of the system. They also provide sufficient training to you and your staff. What matters is, are you really willing to get started?

#5: I have many requirements of my own which a software cannot handle

You will be surprised that these softwares have now got advanced to such an extent that most of your requirements would be covered. Just ask for a demo or download their free trial to get started. You will be able to compare what you want and what these softwares have already.

Conclusion

To conclude, we would say, in today’s world of digitization, if you are not using technology in your clinic, you are at a huge disadvantage. No matter you are an established Doctor or an upcoming one, a small investment on a clinic management system to keep your clinic in order is a must. 

Wish you Good Luck. 

Photo by Jake Young on Unsplash

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What is a Hospital Management System?

Hospital-Management-System

Hospital Management System

A Hospital Management System allows handling, tracking and automating various functions in a Hospital.
With regular use of a Hospital Management System, administration in the hospital relies less on paper and more on software. This reduces the need to preserve records in paper files and rely more and more on software system.

Patient Registration

Patient registration activity is usually done by the Reception staff or Frontdesk staff. Hospital Management Software should assist the Frontdesk staff to quickly register patients, book appointments for consultants and handle the OPD Billing. During registration, Hospital Management System should generate an Unique Hospital Identification ID also known as UHID. Searching of Patient in the software should be possible using this UHID.

OPD Consultation

Patient Visits a Doctor during OPD Consultation. Hospital Management System should allow Doctors to record the interaction with the patient and allow prescription printing.. Doctors should be able to lookup patient’s past record during follow-up even if the patient has not brought the case papers. At this stage, Doctors may refer the patient for further investigations or give a printed prescription. In case of severe condition of patient, the Patient may be admitted to the Hospital. Hospital Management software should allow quick transfer of Patient from OPD to IPD. 

Not all Doctors can type and enter patient’s case. In such cases, the OPD staff should be able to print a case paper with patient’s details so that the Doctor can then use the paper to make entry.

Medical Certificate, Fitness Certificate, Consent Forms

During the course of OPD Consultation, patients may require Medical Certificate for leave of absence, Fitness Certificate for Job or Surgery or a competition or various consent forms. A software system should allow Doctors to print these certificates and forms with ease.  

Hospital Admission

When the patient is to be admitted, Hospital Management System should capture the condition of the patient correctly. In case the patient admission is a medico legal case, entry of such details during patient admission should be possible. The staff should be able to allocate an available bed based on the patient’s preference. Doctor under which the patient will be admitted should be captured.

Daily Treatment Notes & Daily Vital Monitoring

During the hospital stay of patient, Doctors visit the patient regularly. Nursing staff attend to the patient at regular intervals. Hospital Management Software should allow entry and review of Daily Treatment given by Doctor and Daily vital monitoring done by the nursing staff. 

Hospital Billing

Financial transactions keep on happening during the stay of the patient. Patient or their relatives give advances whereas Hospital offers services. The important part here is to track how much the patient is paying and how much the hospital is charging. A good Hospital Management System allows tracking of both. Charges may differ based on the Bed or the type of service – Emergency, Regular. Plus, their could be discounts that the Hospital may offer. A transparent bill highlighting all the services, their rates go a long way to explain patients the charges they incurred during their hospital stay. The Final Hospital Bill given by the Hospital is also used by Insurance companies while settling the claims of the patients.

Handle Discharge Process

It is important for the patient to have a clearly written Discharge summary which will explain the reason for Hospitalization. Hospital Management Systems should ensure that Doctors do not miss important information while generating these final Discharge Summaries. These Discharge Summaries are also used by Insurance Companies for claim settlements. Once the patient is discharged, the allocated bed would become available again for the next patient. 

Lab Software Integration

If the Hospital also has an in house Laboratory, the Hospital Management System would also integrate with the Lab Management System. This allows integrated view of data from the Laboratory to  the Hospital.  

Pharmacy Software Integration

If the Hospital has an attached pharmacy, integration with pharmacy also allows Doctors and staff to see live stock of medicines while prescribing.

Interested in Hospital Management System?

MyOPD Software provides a Hospital Management System for small and midsize hospitals of around 5 Beds – 40 Beds. You may also read our article5 points to help you choose the right Hospital Management System . Furthermore, if your hospital fits in the size of Hospitals we service, please check Why MyOPD Hospital Software could be the best choice for your Hospital?

Want a Demo of Hospital Management System?

View All Demo Videos of MyOPD Beds Hospital Management System on YouTube and View Pricing Plans.

Interested in online demo with our team? Contact us via WhatsApp or Email us at [email protected]

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Clinic Software Pricing

Here are the different plans we have for MyOPD Windows based Clinic Software. This software also comes with MyOPD All In One Android / iOS app. Interested in Hospital Software instead? Check Hospital Software pricing HERE

Option 1: One-Time Option

One-Time Plan with Optional Yearly AMC

One-Time Plan OptionsFirst Year PriceOptional AMC from Next Year
MyOPD Clinic Version Rs. 15,980Rs. 5,100/year
All prices include 18% GST.
  • With One-Time plans, the software keeps working without any yearly charge. First year Annual Maintenance Charge (AMC) is covered in the cost.
  • Yearly payment after the first year is only required if you are interested in AMC. AMC is required if you want
    • MyOPD Software updates
    • Remote Support
    • MyOPD All In One Android app and MyOPD All IN One iOS app
    • SMS / WhatsApp Services. These services are available currently in select countries only. Please check with MyOPD team regarding this feature. 500 SMS or 100 WhatsApp are added to your account when you purchase the product or renew the AMC. These credits are valid for 1 year.
    • Cloud Backup
  • The basic difference between One-Time and Subscription plan is that OPD version works for lifetime with the One-Time Plan. Read more about the comparisons at https://www.myopd.in/blog/myopd-one-time-vs-subscription/

With One-Time plans, the Windows Software keeps working without any yearly charge. First year Annual Maintenance Charge (AMC) is covered in the cost. Yearly payment after the first year is only required if you are interested in AMC.

What happens if you do not renew AMC for a very long time?

If you do not renew MyOPD Software AMC for a long time i.e. 3 years between the time of your last renewal date and today’s date, then you will have to purchase the full product all over again. Read the below points to understand this in detail.

  1. Let’s say your AMC has got over on 1st May 2021. This means, your AMC renewal was done in May 2020.
  2. Let’s say the date is 10 May 2024 and you decide to renew the AMC.
  3. So there is a gap of more than 3 years between the time you renewed the AMC i.e. May 2020 and today’s date.
  4. In such cases, you will have to purchase the full product again.

However, if you renew the AMC anytime before May 2023, then you can renew the AMC by just paying the prevalent yearly AMC charge.

Option 2: Subscription Plan

  • Subscription plan allows you to start using the Clinic software with less initial investment and an yearly charge.

Subscription Plan Charge

Subscription Plan OptionsPer Year Pricing
MyOPD Clinic Version Rs. 6,000/year
All prices include 18% GST.
  • With Subscription plan, you get all the benefits of the software at a reduced yearly charge.
  • Yearly payment is necessary to keep using the software.
  • Subscription plan includes the AMC charge for each year too!

Get in touch with us today to understand what will work best for you. Be assured that we will suggest you an option that will work the best for you. In case our solution does not fit your requirements, we will tell you so.

Book you free online demo with us to understand how MyOPD Windows based Clinic Software works. Click here to Contact us.

About MyOPD: MyOPD is a Software for Doctors. Start your FREE Trial today! You can download the software directly from http://www.myopd.in/ or Google Playstore at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=in.myopd.android. Drop a mail to [email protected] and we will be happy to help.

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