Patient care: Digital tools for the medical practice

Digitalisation is putting traditional methods of healthcare provision to the test. While practice visits and personal contact remain important, digital technologies offer valuable support. Which digital tools can usefully supplement outpatient patient care?

Video consultations, e-prescriptions, eAU and ePA - the ongoing digitalisation of healthcare in Germany will be discussed by the BGM as part of the Digitisation strategy for the healthcare sector decisively driven forward.

This opens up new possibilities for medical practices in the treatment and care of patients. Digital tools can significantly increase both the efficiency and quality of patient care - from the medical history to the transmission of findings and beyond.

What are the arguments in favour of digital patient care by the doctor's surgery?

Simplifying access to medical care

Against the backdrop of a shortage of doctors and demographic trends, you can improve medical care for many people with the help of video consultations and the like.

This applies in particular to:

Patients with limited mobility
People in underserved areas
Chronically ill patients with many medical appointments

Efficient design of practice processes

Many medical services do not require patients to be physically present in the doctor's surgery. You can perform these services digitally and efficiently, thereby reducing the workload on your practice and improving capacity utilisation.

This applies, for example, to

Prescriptions & sick notes
Measurements of vital signs
the transmission of findings/laboratory results

Efficient and close-knit care for the chronically ill

With tools such as telemonitoring, digital medication plans, chat and document exchange, the care of patients with chronic illnesses can be organised efficiently and at the same time closely meshed.

e.g. for patients with

COPD
Heart failure
Diabetes

Analogue vs. digital: a comparison of processes in medical practices

The following table compares specific patient care processes in medical practices with and without digital tools:

Process	analogue	digital	Advantages
Appointment allocation	Time-consuming telephone allocation	Online appointment booking via practice website or app	+ Relief for the practice staff + 24/7 availability for patients + Reduction of waiting times
Medical history	Paper-based questionnaires	Digital anamnesis tools	+ Time savings through automated data capture + more complete data records + Better readability and accessibility of information
Consultation hour	Face-to-face appointments, overcrowded waiting rooms, increased workload for practice teams	Video consultation	+ Relief for the practice staff + Increased patient satisfaction + Reduced idle times and appointment cancellations
Transmission of findings	Postal dispatch or personal collection	Secure digital transmission via patient app or portal	+ faster exchange of information + Lower risk of data loss + better documentation
Monitoring chronically ill patients	Regular visits to the practice required	Telemonitoring: continuous remote monitoring of vital parameters	+ Early detection of disease flare-ups + Reduction of unnecessary visits to the practice + improved therapy control
Patient communication	By telephone or by post	Secure communication via patient app or portal	+ Faster and more flexible communication + better accessibility + documented communication
Medication management	handwritten medication plan	Digital medication plan with reminder function	+ Better overview for doctor and patient + easier updating
Doctor-to-doctor communication	Letters, faxes or telephone calls	Electronic doctor's letter, secure network for doctors	+ faster exchange of information + More complete transmission of patient data + Improved interdisciplinary cooperation
Patient education	Printed information sheets	Digital health information in patient app	+ More personalised and clearer information + better patient understanding + More sustainable information transfer

Process	analogue	digital	Advantages
Appointment allocation	Time-consuming telephone allocation	Online appointment booking via practice website or app	+ Relief for the practice staff + 24/7 availability for patients + Reduction of waiting times
Medical history	Paper-based questionnaires	Digital anamnesis tools	+ Time savings through automated data capture + more complete data records + Better readability and accessibility of information
Consultation hour	Face-to-face appointments, overcrowded waiting rooms, increased workload for practice teams	Video consultation	+ Relief for the practice staff + Increased patient satisfaction + Reduced idle times and appointment cancellations
Transmission of findings	Postal dispatch or personal collection	Secure digital transmission via patient app or portal	+ faster exchange of information + Lower risk of data loss + better documentation
Vital signs monitoring	Regular visits to the practice required	Telemonitoring: continuous remote monitoring of vital parameters	+ Early detection of disease flare-ups + Reduction of unnecessary visits to the practice + improved therapy control
Communication	By telephone or by post	Secure communication via patient app or portal	+ Faster and more flexible communication + better accessibility + documented communication
Medication	handwritten medication plan	Digital medication plan with reminder function	+ Better overview for doctor and patient + easier updating
Doctor-to-doctor	Letters, faxes or telephone calls	Electronic doctor's letter, secure network for doctors	+ faster exchange of information + More complete transmission of patient data + Improved interdisciplinary cooperation
Patient education	Printed information sheets	Digital health information in patient app	+ More personalised and clearer information + better patient understanding + More sustainable information transfer

The digital medical practice

The SaniQ telemedicine platform is a flexible companion for registered doctors and their practice teams on the path to the digital future of healthcare.

The digital doctor's surgery: you should know these tools

Patient app

A patient app can serve as a central interface between your practice and your patients. This enables efficient, modern and secure patient communication and opens up many other options for you.

A well-designed patient app can strengthen the bond with your practice and promote your patients' adherence to treatment.

Useful functions:

Simple and secure communication between patients and the practice team
Document exchange
Medication plan incl. reminder function
Telemonitoring

Digital anamnesis

With the help of appropriate software, patients can record their medical history and current complaints online before visiting the doctor. This not only saves time, but also increases the precision of the data, as patients can respond without time pressure. For doctors, this means a considerable reduction in the workload in everyday practice and an improved basis for diagnosis and treatment planning.

Telemonitoring

With Telemonitoring you can monitor your patients' vital signs remotely. Your patients regularly measure values such as blood pressure, lung function or glucose at home and transmit them to the practice software via an app.

This is why remote monitoring of chronically ill patients makes sense:

Automated and continuous monitoring of vital signs
Early intervention in the event of deterioration (exacerbations, decompensations)
Reduction in frequent practice visits relieves the burden on patients and everyday practice life

Telemonitoring for chronically ill heart patients could look like this, for example:

Digital medication plan

A digital Medication plan offers you a modern way of controlling and monitoring your patients' medication intake.

Advantages:

Clear and always up-to-date presentation of the prescribed medication and its dosage for you and your patients
Reminder function for patients via app
Monitoring adherence
Easy adjustment of medication if necessary

Digital document exchange

You can share findings, laboratory results and medication plans securely and directly with your patients via digital document exchange. Conversely, patients can send you important information such as medical history forms or medical findings.

Advantages of digital document exchange:

Saves time and journeys
Reduces practice visits
relieves the practice team

Conclusion

Digital tools can support doctors and practice teams in this,

to make everyday processes more efficient,
to meaningfully supplement practical services and
to provide close care for the chronically ill.

Digital tools should not replace the personal doctor-patient relationship, but rather complement it in a meaningful way. The physical examination and personal contact with the patient remain central aspects of the doctor's work.

By adopting digital solutions at an early stage, medical practices can keep pace with developments while ensuring the best possible care for patients.

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