How to Make Better Decisions with Data at Your Orthopedic Practice

When it comes to data, you may think of code or endless numbers scrolling past you, like in the Matrix. But in an orthopedic office, the collection and use of data can help you make informed decisions, implement technology, and provide more for your patients.
Keep reading for some ideas on how to make better decisions with data at your orthopedic office!

Healthcare Industry Apps for Orthopedics

We live in a digital world, which means you need to bring digital into your orthopedic office, as well. One way to do this is with healthcare industry apps that connect to a patient’s smartphone.
The use of these apps can help with goniometric tools for angular measurement. This can be for joint orientation, motion, and angles of movement.

Orthopedic Design & Technology Magazine says, “A McKinsey report was issued stating that, since 2010, more than 200 new players in the healthcare market have developed healthcare apps… approximately 40 percent of these apps are in development for predictive direct health interventions.

It is estimated that the total number of apps designed for the orthopedic community is between 250–300. These apps cover multiple categories such as clinical evaluation and treatment, physician and patient education, and surgical training.”

If you’re going to use a healthcare app in your orthopedics office, make sure the app has been designed for use specifically for orthopedics. You should also check that it’s relevant and provides technical assistance for baseline capacity, and can sustain long-term support and services for patients.

Above all, before choosing an app, make sure you have identified any and all risk factors for patients. A good app should improve workforce quality and patient satisfaction, as well as staff satisfaction.

It shouldn’t make your job harder to complete, and of course, it should be evidence-based. Using an orthopedic medical app can be one successful way to integrate data into your orthopedic practice.

Reduce Orthopedic Patient Data Errors with Real-Time Integrations to Your Practice’s EHR

Data has the potential to not only make your patient’s lives easier but yours as well! Using Clearwave’s healthcare kiosk or mobile check in solutions means updates to patient information can be transferred directly to your orthopedic practice’s Electronic Health Record, or EHR.

This reduces the chances of duplicate records being created manually, or errors if the record was entered manually. Instead, patient updates are captured in real-time, securely.

Clearwave creates an individual identifier for each patient. This ensures that only the most up-to-date information is being used when verifying a patient’s benefits. We then share this information through our network.This connects other healthcare groups with the most recent benefit eligibility information on file.

Clearwave keeps your orthopedic practice in sync without ever missing a beat. The best part: you don’t have to do a thing!

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Data Makes a Patient’s Life Easier

Remember the time when there was no such thing as EHR and patient files were on paper? Your orthopedic practice may not have been very organized, and patients were likely more frustrated.

You may have even lost a few patient records over the years! Data makes a patient’s life easier. Having an EHR ensures that as an orthopedic doctor, you are making the right decisions for each patient because you have their medical record right in front of you.

You can look at when they last had labs taken, if they have had a procedure, or when you last saw them. An EHR can even set up reminders to make sure your patients come in for timely appointments based on your recommendations!

Using data also means having tools like predictive analytics at your fingertips. According to a 2017 study by the Society of Actuaries, “93 percent of health organizations say predictive analytics is important to the future of their business, with 89 percent of providers currently using predictive analytics or planning to do so in the next five years.”

When looking at how data can help in orthopedics, it’s important to remember that data has its limitations as well. To get the most from data and predictive analytics, you also need a good orthopedic surgeon to diagnose the patient’s initial problem.

Becker’s Spine Review says, the key is, “The synthesis of big data and powerful artificial intelligence models can reveal data trends and identify variables that statisticians might never observe.”

One without the other (in this case, big data and artificial intelligence) means patients may not find the answers they are looking for.

Support Your Orthopedic Patients with Clearwave

In an orthopedic practice, it’s not uncommon to see patients who are in wheelchairs or who may be unable to wait in long lines to check in. Long wait times and heavy paperwork can create frustration or even discomfort in your waiting room.

Data can also apply to your patient experiences – patient surveys or online reviews may indicate that your waiting room is not cultivating the best possible experience for patients, meaning it is time to make changes to enhance your waiting room experience and improve the data.
With patient check in solutions across kiosks, tablet devices, and mobile devices, Clearwave can help you improve your orthopedic waiting room experience and accommodate all patients.

Data has become an incredibly important part of the healthcare field and orthopedic practices are no exception. Ready to find out if there’s a Clearwave solution for your orthopedic practice? Schedule a demo and see if Clearwave could be the right fit for your orthopedic practice’s needs!

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