A healthcare intranet is one tool health companies can use to achieve the aims of better patient care and streamlined business processes. One of the great benefits of streamlined processes is that it frees up healthcare workers’ time and resources to focus instead on patient care.
The days of healthcare providers just focusing on patient care and providing services are gone. Nowadays, healthcare professionals are also businesses with an emphasis on cost efficiency and productivity. According to Fortune, three of the top 10 companies in the US are in the healthcare sector. You may be a sole practitioner chiropodist, multi-partner general practice, or aged care home. The same principles of providing cost-effective, efficient, patient-centered services and products apply whatever the case.
Read on to find out more about how a healthcare intranet solution can benefit your healthcare organization. To inspire you to get started, we also share some real-world examples of how healthcare companies use their intranets.
Before diving into the advantages, let’s first define what healthcare intranet means.
What Is An Intranet For Healthcare?
A healthcare intranet solution is a secure, private digital platform that only your employees can access. It comes with many tools and features designed to improve communications, collaboration, and information sharing between healthcare professionals.
It also supports the smooth running of daily operations with automated workflows and forms, shared calendars, and a knowledge base.
Accessible 24/7 from any location, intranet solutions are critical for today’s digital workplace.
Top 5 Benefits Of Healthcare Intranet
For the healthcare industry, the care and treatment of the patient is the top priority.
Healthcare professionals are not always the best administrators – completing paperwork isn’t their main focus, nor should it be.
In addition, it can be difficult in a busy practice to set aside time for team briefings or internal communications. Keeping healthcare teams updated on changes, from treatment options to internal procedures, is challenging.
Similarly, healthcare teams don’t have time to wade through endless emails, looking for that critical piece of information. The data needs to be at their fingertips so that they can quickly use it in a patient consultation or treatment plan. Ideally, healthcare professionals should be freed up to spend more time on the critical part of their jobs: working with patients.
Intranet software helps your organization achieve that balance between efficiently completing admin tasks and providing better patient care.
Here are the top five ways a healthcare intranet will help you achieve just that.
1. Onboarding And Training For Healthcare Workers
Continuous learning and knowledge improvement are critical for every healthcare organization. Employees must be up to date with the latest technology, pharmaceuticals, and treatment options, which will benefit their patients. Similarly, new health professionals joining the practice, or professionals moving to a different medical practice like PA to MD, must be up and running and treating patients as soon as possible..
However, due to time pressures, many practices struggle with induction and ongoing professional development. Furthermore, the costs of covering staff absences and taking them away from urgent patient-centered duties must also be included in the equation. In time-poor, budget-conscious health organizations, onboarding and training often take a back seat to delivering services.
Online learning tools delivered via intranet software offer a solution. E-learning means health professionals can participate at a time that fits patient schedules. With all training materials available online, employees have access anywhere, any time. It could be the medical facility, from home, or even the local coffee shop. The training itself can be delivered in a variety of innovative ways, including webinars, online video tutorials, quizzes, FAQs, and more.
Moreover, all training resources, certifications, and test results are stored in one central location on the intranet. Healthcare staff members’ training records are tracked, including attendance and completion, making it much easier to demonstrate compliance.
Likewise, the onboarding process is simplified. With a dedicated onboarding intranet site, new employees complete payroll and IT setup, learn about the organization’s vision and values, and gain valuable information about procedures and patient care. An intranet solution ensures new employees quickly become effective team members.
2. Healthcare Knowledge Base
A healthcare intranet serves as a centralized knowledge base. Employees can access up-to-date information on conditions and diseases, treatment options, new drugs, medical insights, and new and updated policies. Think of it as the organization’s single voice of truth. A powerful, advanced search functionality will ensure that health professionals can find relevant information quickly and easily.
The knowledge base can also house internal communications such as patient management guides, data confidentiality policies, or answers to FAQs.
3. Seamless Communication
We have already mentioned what a challenge it is in busy healthcare organizations to find time for team meetings and internal communications. The intranet for healthcare offers an easily accessible solution.
An online staff directory is a valuable resource in large healthcare companies, especially when areas of expertise and medical specialties are highlighted. Employees can use this feature when looking for advice from their colleagues on medical issues. Employee directories are also helpful in the onboarding process.
News feed landing pages keep all team members updated on what’s happening internally and externally in the healthcare industry. These features can also be customized by team, partnership or job function, helping workers to find the information they need.
Health professionals and their support teams who have a better understanding of the work of the practice and how they contribute to overall goals, tend to be happier, and more engaged. Keeping team members involved and informed goes a long way to ensuring they are happy and productive.
4. Document Management And Sharing Systems
Automating and streamlining business processes via the intranet will yield a considerable ROI. All paper-based forms become online processes. So, whether doctors are completing expense claims, nurses are ordering medical supplies, or receptionists are booking vacations, these and many more processes, are completed online. And the software directs the e-form straight to the relevant employee for action.
Furthermore, online access to patient data means healthcare team members can update files in real-time. Clinicians have a more accurate and comprehensive overview of patients’ conditions and treatments.
5. Employee Engagement And Patient Care Feedback
Medical practices that take the time to seek patients’ views and use the insights gained to improve their experience are more likely to retain patient numbers. The intranet is the obvious repository for all patient care feedback.
And let’s not forget employee engagement, which is crucial to morale, teamwork, and the overall employee experience. Use the intranet’s surveys feature to gather valuable insights from your people.
Healthcare Intranet: Best Practice Bonus Tips
Ready to take the next steps? Here are some bonus tips to help you chose the right healthcare intranet solution.
Data Security And HIPAA Compliance
Data security is a huge concern for healthcare organizations. After all, healthcare companies hold highly sensitive patient data. A HIPAA-compliant practice management system safeguards critical information. However, for other business process systems where patient information is not stored, best-practice security measures such as two-factor authentication, privacy controls, permission levels, and SSL encryption must also be included.
Simple To Set Up And Easy To Use
Select intranet software that’s easy to build and manage and offers an engaging user experience. MyHub’s intranet solution is designed by experts for non-experts. No knowledge of coding or specialist tech skills is needed.
And remember, visual appeal is essential, as that will entice employees to dive in and explore. So, choose software that’s user-friendly and has a great UI.
Custom Integrations
Healthcare departments use a variety of enterprise systems in their daily work. Make sure your intranet seamlessly integrates with the apps you already use. MyHub has over 60 integrations, including Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, HR systems, and payroll apps.
Mobile App
Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals are often out and about, visiting clients in the community. A mobile intranet app is a must-have so these on-the-go workers can access critical information and support, whether on-site or off-site.
Real-World Examples Of Healthcare Intranet Solutions
Aged Care Home Intranet Platform
Explore how an aged care home uses its intranet to enhance communication and streamline workflows.
- Shared calendars for social events, planned maintenance, open days, and daily activities
- Automated forms for maintenance requests, resident feedback, cafeteria order requests, referrals, social event registrations, booking salon appointments, and cleaning requests
- News feeds highlighting the latest staff updates and residence news
- Policies and procedures knowledge hub for enhanced transparency and visibility for healthcare employees and residents
- Extranet community area where family members can log in to see what’s going on and provide feedback via forms
Group Medical Practice Intranet
A group medical practice uses its intranet to connect healthcare professionals, improve communication, and drive better patient outcomes.
- Automated healthcare workflows with push notifications
- Enhanced knowledge sharing and collaboration with expert blogs, how-to videos, podcasts, # channels and employee directory
- Advanced search functionality for super-fast information retrieval
- Centralized on-call calendars
- Updates feed pulling together crucial notifications and communication from across the site
Multi-Disciplinary Healthcare Clinic Intranet
The intranet is the heart of a multi-disciplinary healthcare clinic’s digital workplace. The organization uses it to collaborate, connect staff to information and resources, and support them in delivering better patient care.
- Departments easily collaborate on practice documents with embedded Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace apps
- Instant messaging supports quick and easy communication between professionals at different clinic locations
- Centralized information hub with documents, protocols, and resources under one virtual roof
- Shared calendars for appointment scheduling and departmental meetings
- Employee recognition programs to celebrate staff achievements with shoutouts on the news feed or team chat
Intranet For Healthcare: Final Thoughts
Time is always in short supply in the fast-paced healthcare industry. Employees face multiple demands on their time and attention. A healthcare intranet makes life easier for busy healthcare workers.
Instead of disparate systems, the healthcare team has everything they need in one central location: no more wasting time switching between apps or searching for information. Not only is this stressful and frustrating, but it also takes healthcare staff away from their core task: caring for patients.
Implement a healthcare intranet and see employee satisfaction levels skyrocket. And in the challenging environment of healthcare recruitment, that’s a big plus for any employer.
An intranet ensures your healthcare organization streamlines business processes, drives employee engagement, and enhances patient care. That’s a winning combination, helping you maintain a competitive advantage over others in the healthcare industry.
About MyHub
We are a leading cloud intranet platform, powering the digital workplace of healthcare providers across the globe. Consistently rated highly on review sites, our software is easy to set up and manage – perfect for busy healthcare professionals. You don’t need an IT department to get our intranets up and running.
Interested in finding out more about how an intranet can transform your health organization or medical practice? Book a demo or sign up for a 14-day free trial.
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