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In the context of technological transformations in healthcare, software that records patient appointment books digitally is referred to as a patient management system. Patient appointment management systems allow the day and time of appointments to be easily recorded electronically and modified if necessary, eliminating the difficulties of maintaining physical records and simplifying appointment management and workflow in clinics.
In 2010, as part of the Health E-Transformation initiative by the Turkish Ministry of Health, the Centralised Patient Appointment System (MHRS) began recording appointments for hospitals, polyclinics, and family health centres across the country.
Let’s take a look at the development and benefits of patient management systems, including Medicasimple—approved by the Ministry as an active DHBS system—which eliminates the need for physical clinic appointment books.
The concept of storing patient records and appointment information electronically, rather than on paper, was first proposed in the 1960s by Larry Weed. Weed suggested creating a system that allowed a patient's diagnostic information to be recorded electronically and approved by different doctors.
The first patient management system was developed by Regenstreif Institute in 1972. While this system was a major step forward in healthcare, it didn’t achieve widespread use due to the high cost and limited availability of computers at the time.
With advancements in technology and the growing accessibility of computers in the 1990s, electronic patient appointment management systems began to develop further. Physical appointment books were gradually replaced by patient management software installed on main computers within institutions and alternatives such as Excel appointment spreadsheets. However, these systems sometimes experienced crashes, and files could be lost or deleted due to user or system errors, highlighting the need for further development of patient appointment management systems.
On-premise patient appointment management systems are software installed on a main server within the clinic, accessible by other computers in the clinic through a local network connection.
To access a patient's appointment schedule or treatment plan, you need to connect to one of the computers on the clinic’s network. It’s worth noting that providing this system requires resources and a budget.
One of the most common problems faced by clinics is network connection issues, leading to interruptions and data loss. To reduce the frequency of such problems, network maintenance is required, which adds additional costs. Moreover, the absence of a support team to assist during these connection issues can cause significant difficulties.
On-premise patient management systems typically have fixed software, meaning their features do not update over time. Any systematic change to accommodate evolving needs can only be achieved by replacing the patient management software, which can be costly and challenging.
Cloud-based patient management systems are software solutions that back up data on a cloud server owned by the service provider, allowing instant access to this data via an internet connection. Cloud-based patient appointment management systems are often preferred because they do not require a special network server infrastructure within the clinic.
Cloud-based systems do not require external support for setting up or maintaining server infrastructure, making them easy to integrate. In case of an error, the cloud server's support team steps in.
Cloud-based software can be upgraded from a single point, allowing them to be improved based on changing needs. For instance, Medicasimple is a system that is regularly updated and integrates new features.
One of the most significant advantages of cloud-based systems is that you can access your data even from your home computer using your cloud system login credentials, even if you are not in the clinic.
The Medicasimple Smart Clinic Application is a cloud-based application that, unlike other patient management systems, can be accessed via both mobile devices and computers. This means you can reschedule a patient’s appointment if they inform you they cannot attend or access their treatment plan directly from your phone
However, Medicasimple is more than just a patient management application. Through the application, you can:
and much more. By combining all the functions necessary for the smooth operation of your clinic into one application, Med
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