As the population gets older, the demands on healthcare systems are increasing. And, at the same time, the healthcare workforce is shrinking. We’re starting to see pressure build all across Europe, as resources are stretched thin and healthcare professionals’ time becomes a precious commodity.
This situation raises a fundamental question: How does the healthcare industry deliver quality care to an increasing number of patients with a decreasing number of professionals?
We believe that technology holds a big part of the answer.
Building our strategy around people
Technology has the potential to serve society in impactful ways. In the healthcare industry, there’s a pressing demand for streamlined digital support, as systems are often fragmented. This leads to a reliance on manual processes, which consumes valuable time for healthcare professionals and detracts from patient care. As a provider of software solutions for the healthcare sector, we’re committed to addressing this issue. We develop solutions that empower healthcare professionals and free up their time, allowing them to prioritise what truly matters: their patients.
ZorgDomein is an example of exactly that: It’s an innovative software platform that serves as a facilitator between patients, healthcare professionals, and healthcare providers. Designed to enhance collaboration among professionals, it simplifies and enhances intricate processes like referrals, enabling doctors and other healthcare providers to efficiently direct patients to specialised services, tests, or treatments. ZorgDomein is pivotal in optimising collaboration, coordination, and choices within the healthcare sector, liberating substantial resources and time in the process.
“We enable the utilisation of essential data, empowering healthcare professionals to access the most suitable treatments for their patients in a scalable and user-friendly manner. Facilitating over 23 million health-related moments annually, our platform fosters collaboration among more than 130,000 professionals each year, thereby supporting the healthcare industry.”
Paul Simoons, Managing Director of ZorgDomein
Focusing on professionals, organisations, and patients
We like to think of our innovation strategy as a three-pronged approach. The first is to enable professionals with tools that improve communication, collaboration, and administrative efficiency. Collaboration is essential in delivering quality healthcare, and Visma products are designed to help healthcare professionals:
- provide better patient care
- improve communication between doctors, nurses, and medical techs
- plan home visits
- increase efficiency
Second, we help care organisations with platforms that enable secure, streamlined information exchange across hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare entities. Running a healthcare organisation can be complex, but our tailored solutions simplify operations and save time. Visma products are designed to:
- automate administrative tasks
- ensure security and privacy of sensitive patient records
- support clinical decision-making
- improve communication in the network of care organisations
Third, we support patients through portals and self-service tools that empower them to take an active role in managing their health journey. Visma products enable individuals to:
- access up-to-date information
- communicate with healthcare providers
- schedule appointments and follow-ups
- register as a caregiver to receive updates
“What sets us apart is that we have a strong societal role, because it is about people and their personal health. Many of our products are focused on the professionals because, by helping them, we help the patients.”
Sander van de Merwe, Business Area Director, Visma Public
Championing business (healthcare) software
When it comes to specific Visma products and services, our biggest strength is in supporting and optimising business administration – and that includes within healthcare. We currently serve the public healthcare sector in Norway, Sweden, Finland, and The Netherlands with cloud software products. Oima (Finland), for example, handles labour and task relations, as well as salary administration. And Medinet (Sweden) is a suite of user-friendly solutions that simplify scheduling and staffing. Products like these are the backbone of hospitals and other care organisations, helping make their operations run more smoothly.
Harnessing the power of AI
Of course, AI is also a key component of our software, and a key driver of success in making this sector more efficient. Companies like Ecare are on the cutting edge, showing how AI can transform healthcare and make their products not only more efficient and effective, but also more adaptable to the changing needs of society. Their signature product, called PUUR., is a case in point.
“Within PUUR., we’ve been working for a long time (4+ years) with our own AI models. One example is a feature that signals loneliness and dental problems in elderly people. And for disabled care, we’ve launched a model to automatically cluster parts of written reports to the right care appointments.” – Aniek Fikken, Managing Director
With the emergence of Generative AI, progress has accelerated quickly. PUUR., for example, has a digital scribe function that identifies and populates healthcare metrics into appropriate tools, whether from spoken or written reports. Their development teams are also working on an update page that gives nurses automated, condensed summaries containing essential patient information. This innovation promises to streamline workflows by sparing nurses the tedious job of sifting through extensive, and sometimes irrelevant, data.
Another great example is the Resolve Route Planner, which is an AI-based software nurses can use to plan their home visit routes automatically. Previously, they had to do all their planning manually, which was a hugely inefficient task. Route Planner can calculate thousands of different route variations to find the one that fulfils all the requirements in the best possible way. When using the Route Planner, nurses spend 15% more time with patients instead of driving, which empowers them to provide high-quality care.
A bright future ahead
As we navigate the challenges confronting healthcare systems worldwide, innovation emerges as a beacon of hope. Through strategic integration of technology, such as AI-driven solutions, we’re not only revolutionising processes but also preserving the most invaluable resource: time. By empowering healthcare professionals and prioritising patient-centric care, we are forging a path towards a more efficient, interconnected, and ultimately, healthier future.
Together, we’re not just solving problems – we’re shaping a new era of healthcare excellence.
