The 8 Benefits of Optimized SaaS in Healthcare - And How to Obtain Them Using Best Practices

Untapped HIT opportunities abound, offering potential for increased cost-efficiency, effectiveness, transformation, integration, and alignment. The key lies not only in understanding the theoretical benefits of SaaS but also in discerning how best to apply these advantages in practical terms. From the selection of SaaS providers to the enhancement of overall system performance, a multitude of possibilities exists.

It's crucial to regard SaaS not merely as a technical instrument, but as a strategic asset capable of fundamentally transforming your healthcare organization's operations. This requires going beyond SaaS's apparent benefits to discover the deeper, systemic changes it can drive. Strategic decisions made during the sourcing stage, coupled with clear performance expectations and empowering the right individuals within your organization, can drive these transformative initiatives.

In our comprehensive guide below, we will delve into eight key potential benefits of SaaS in healthcare. For each benefit, we provide specific best practices for its attainment and identify the roles in your organization ideally suited to lead these initiatives. We've crafted this roadmap to not only reveal the distinct advantages of SaaS but also to illustrate how these benefits can be achieved with the right leadership.

First Possible Benefit: Streamlined Administration

• Best Practices for Obtainment: Identify SaaS providers with a track record of improving administrative efficiency; ask for case studies and data-backed results; Ensure the contract includes performance metrics related to administrative tasks.
• Typical Leader: Director of Operations or Supply Chain Manager

Second Possible Benefit: Enhanced Patient Care

• Best Practices for Obtainment: Understand how past SaaS implementations have affected patient care delivery; look for value-based models; Require solutions that have been trialed in diverse, high-need patient populations.
• Typical Leader: Patient Experience Manager, Chief Medical Officer or Director of Patient Care

Third Possible Benefit: Customization and Scalability

• Best Practices for Obtainment: Identify SaaS providers that can customize to your specific needs; Look for proof of scalability in past implementations; Ensure contracts allow for scalability as your institution grows.
• Typical Leader: Chief Information Officer or IT Director

Fourth Possible Benefit: Data Security

• Best Practices for Obtainment: Look for SaaS providers with a strong reputation for data security; Ask for proof of security certifications and compliance to regulations; Include specific data security requirements in contracts.
• Typical Leader: Chief Information Security Officer or IT Director

Fifth Possible Benefit: Cost Savings

• Best Practices for Obtainment: Analyze total cost of ownership over the contract term, including potential savings from reduced IT staffing needs; Ensure the contract allows for adjustments as usage changes; Ask providers for data on savings experienced by similar institutions.
• Typical Leader: Chief Financial Officer or Finance Director

Sixth Possible Benefit: Easy Access to Innovations

• Best Practices for Obtainment: Look for SaaS providers with a strong track record of regular updates and new feature releases; Include a clause in the contract for regular product updates; Ask for demonstrations of how the platform has evolved over time.
• Typical Leader: Chief Innovation Officer or IT Director

Seventh Possible Benefit: Improved Interoperability

• Best Practices for Obtainment: Prioritize SaaS providers who can demonstrate integration capabilities with your existing systems; Ensure the contract includes stipulations about data integration and interoperability.
• Typical Leader: Chief Information Officer or IT Integration Manager

Eighth Possible Benefit: Real-time Performance Monitoring

• Best Practices for Obtainment: Look for SaaS solutions that offer real-time performance metrics; Include performance monitoring and reporting requirements in the contract; Ask for case studies demonstrating how other healthcare facilities have used these metrics to improve operations.
• Typical Leader: Director of Quality Assurance or Performance Improvement Manager

These advantages, best practices, and leadership roles will assist healthcare institutions in maximizing the benefits of SaaS while mitigating potential risks.

It is essential to keep in mind that SaaS transformation is a process, not a destination. Even with a flawless SaaS agreement that is fully optimized and balanced with the best healthcare intelligence, not all benefits will be realized immediately.

The impact of SaaS typically unfolds in waves rather than instantly. As your organization familiarizes itself with new tools and processes, benefits like increased efficiency, cost savings, and enhanced patient care will incrementally come to the fore. It's common to find that the initial tools for measuring satisfaction and success might not be comprehensive enough, particularly after a fresh purchase. However, this is a normal part of the evolution in the healthcare landscape as providers adjust and incorporate new systems and strategies.

These challenges should be perceived as learning opportunities and stepping stones to refine your approach, rather than as setbacks. At Uppercentile, we're committed to supporting you at every juncture of this complex and dynamic environment. Our guidance helps you navigate the intricacies, thereby maximizing the returns on your SaaS investments.

Our proficiency stems from our ability to ask the right questions in the right way at the right time. We have a profound understanding of the healthcare landscape and the specific demands of SaaS applications within it. This knowledge ensures that your SaaS investments yield maximum benefits while minimizing risks.

We encourage you to utilize our expertise as we guide you on your path towards digital transformation. Contact us today to start harnessing the full potential of SaaS for your healthcare organization.