How is this for an understatement? In healthcare … things happen.
Human Service Providers (HSP) represent a large segment of the Healthcare space that provides support and services for individuals with disabilities. Unexpected incidents are a daily reality for HSPs while working with those they serve. Depending upon the incident details, a compliant response may be complex and include a blend of federal (Medicaid), state, local and even company-specific response protocols to be executed.
In reality, HSP incident management is one of two things: a strategic asset for assured compliance, risk mitigation, innovation and prevention planning, or a nemesis to all. Done right, Incident Case Management Systems (ICMS) are a strategic asset that propels HSPs forward.
HSP top-performers leverage ICMS to their advantage and validate that best-practice Incident Case Management Systems must be equally dynamic and flexible and they point to five attributes that the right solution must reflect to maximize impact.
1. Anytime, Anywhere Functionality
HSPs operate in different theaters including in-home, clinical, community and managed-care facilities. As a result, service professionals must be able to capture any/all incident information at the point of care with capabilities that include:
- Secure, mobile capture of relevant text, audio, video and images
- A guided process to properly capture the required information
- 24/7, anywhere, any connected-device data entry and response interactions
- Real-time collaborations and guided workflow to ensure a compliant and streamlined response
- Incident escalation and de-escalation features that always keep the users in control
Secure, encrypted Cloud-based platforms have become the benchmark ICMS fulfillment model that best supports these accessibility and collaboration needs.
2. Open Architecture for Easy Integration
The healthcare industry has become highly interconnected, with protected health information often shared between specialists, agencies and other stakeholders so it is common for HSPs to use multiple, connected platforms to support business and service operations.
As a result, case management systems must have an open architecture that can easily integrate with any third-party platform(s) that a healthcare organization is using. Such flexibility prevents the loss of critical data, eliminates redundant data entry and ensures accuracy in all aspects of the incident response process.
3. Intelligent Automation
Legacy ICMS tend to reflect static screens that collect incident information that goes into a big bucket where users must wade through for value. Not so when Intelligent Automation (IA) is put to work. The new ICMS mindset is IA-enabled where users dynamically collect data while connected to all the right people, the right way, with automated workflow allowing all stakeholders to focus on what really counts – immediate response, safety, outcomes, prevention plan development, training and service innovation.
In a stressful situation, it’s easy to forget the small but vital details. That is why next-generation ICMS dynamically generates and guides a compliant response that engages all the right roles based upon critical incident information including people, location and event details. Users are prompted on-the-fly if any required information is missing. Response, consistency, confidence and clarity stems from a global incident response engine that is always on-call and making everything work.
An IA-powered ICSM solution ensures the right information gets to the right people every time and reflects a broader trend in Healthcare creating innovations across the entire healthcare eco-system.
4. Process Visibility
Best-practice ICMS platforms provide real-time, visual dashboards that makes data interactive, accessible and of enormous tactical and strategic value. Examples of this knowledge in motion include:
- Color-coded incident status dashboard that visually prioritizes incidents by severity and timing
- Real-time view of incident details, resolution status, and roles involved
- Incident response workflow and next steps
- Status escalation and de-escalation callouts
Dashboards are interactive and enable drill-down features so that all relevant stakeholders can adjust response plans as changing information dictates. In the new world, HSPs are in the driver’s seat for incident management vs. a reactive position where everything is a fire drill.
5. Visual, Interactive and Accessible Data
ICMS data contains a treasure trove of intelligence, but only if it can be visualized and interactive so it can tell its secrets so that HSPs can make data-driven decisions with global impact. The right ICMS data includes:
- Trend and pattern analysis
- Prevention plan and training impact – before/after analysis
- Pattern recognition with patient or staff behavior(s)
- Cycle time related incident management labor costs
- Training opportunities and impact
- Policy and procedure refinement
- Risk identification
- Improved outcomes – better insights mean better care
Data-driven incident case management strategies take the guesswork out of the incident management lifecycle and protect all stakeholders. HSPs that implement incident management without data visualization and analysis are flying blind in a storm of compliance, safety and operational risks.
Best-Practice Incident Case Management Strategies Need the Right Platform to Operationalize
Incident case management can be a dynamic and difficult job, making the right tools critical for a care provider’s success. The right incident case management systems embed these capabilities and empower HSPs to innovate, protect all stakeholders, and create a mission-critical asset that ensures compliance and the best outcomes for those they serve.
For the last two decades, Intellinetics has been providing healthcare providers and professionals with the tools needed to provide superior patient care. Contact us today to start a conversation about how to best support your providers and patients with a solid incident case management system.
