Clinical Workflows
Clinical workflows refer to the structured sequences of tasks, processes, and interactions involved in delivering healthcare services, such as patient intake, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up. They are designed to standardize care, improve efficiency, and ensure patient safety by mapping out how clinical staff, technology, and data move through healthcare settings. This concept is critical in healthcare IT for optimizing operations and integrating systems like Electronic Health Records (EHRs).
Developers should learn about clinical workflows when building or customizing healthcare software, such as EHRs, telemedicine platforms, or clinical decision support systems, to ensure their solutions align with real-world medical processes and regulatory requirements like HIPAA. Understanding workflows helps in designing user-friendly interfaces for clinicians, automating repetitive tasks, and facilitating data interoperability across healthcare systems, ultimately enhancing patient care and reducing errors.