How risky is a routine visit to the hospital?
How risky is a routine visit to the hospital?
2021. A whole year has elapsed since the Covid-19 pandemic gripped the world in its iron-like grip; from the way we live to the way we work, the pandemic has spared no aspect of daily life. The mere thought of going to public places instils fear in many and when the place in concern is a hospital/medical facility, the anxiety exacerbates; it may be an indigestion or a seasonal bout of flu or a horrible toothache that might be troubling you, but there is always a fear of going to the hospital, with people suffering from different ailments visiting it, and hence a risky option. Management efforts by hospitals is the need of the hour to help allay the fears of patients, so that everyone can have access to the healthcare they deserve. Relying on technology and its innovations can provide the much needed helping hand to tackle this issue and resolve many of the pre-existing fears.
And one such solution is the PHE.
The PHE aims to help hospitals envision a safer environment for their patients by creating an entire network that will connect hospitals, chemists, doctors and patients as part of a unified system. Accessible via both the web-application and the mobile app, it seeks to digitalize many aspects of healthcare by helping patients to make well-informed, convenient choices. Hospitals can integrate this platform in their management schemes so that relevant patients can be assigned to relevant doctors in fixed time slots, thus reducing crowding stemming from mismanagement. With many countries embarking on vaccination drives and hospitals serving as vaccination centers, such a system can help to effectively segregate patients as per their need and as per the routine of the hospitals.
The same system from different angles
From a patient’s perspective, he can search for a doctor as per his ailment or condition and select the doctor closest to him using the doctors/hospitals near me feature. A unique feature is the compare doctors option which can help patients to short-list 3-4 doctors and then finalize their pick, after having compared them on the basis of locality, fee and services offered. The patients can also view verified doctor credentials like work experience, academic achievements etc. The appointment can be booked immediately (on the same day) or prior to 15-30 days. Once the patient has his appointment details confirmed, he/she can visit the doctor on the specified date and his/her entire prescription will be uploaded to his/her account on the portal. He/She can locate a chemist nearby using the PHE and forward the prescription to the chemist who can then have the medicines delivered to his/her place.
Doctors can use the same system to more effectively manage patients and to give them the best medical guidance. On getting notified about an appointment, the doctor can accept/reject it and organize his/her working hours in a way that lets him/her space out the appointments in a day. Exciting referral schemes are another incentive for doctors to invite more people into the PHE. Patient ratings and testimonials could also serve as a morale boost to our healthcare providers who work tirelessly for better public health.
Making a smart choice
The features discussed above are just the tip of the iceberg! The PHE offers a wide variety of tangible benefits to all of its stakeholders, all of which are impossible to cover in a short blog. Take small steps on your journey to better and safer healthcare with PHE. Don’t forget, a happier you starts with a healthier you!