No-code Software One of Many Considerations in the Evolving World of Digital Healthcare

As the healthcare industry continues to grapple with workforce challenges, anything that can be done to eliminate manual processes and reduce workload should be considered. Adopting a no-code/low-code technology solution frees up precious IT resources and allows end-users to configure the solution exactly the way the need it. Implementing a solution of this type for online data capture is a fantastic way to get started with no-code/low-code solutions.

We sat down with Cedric Savarese, Founder and CEO of FormAssembly, a user-friendly and HIPAA-compliant forms platform, to learn the ins and outs of form building and why healthcare IT leaders should prioritize secure data collection at their organization.

No-code / Low-code

The terms no-code and low-code were first coined to describe application development environments. According to IBM, low-code is a “rapid application development approach that enables automated code generation through visual building blocks like drag-and-drop and pull-down menu interfaces. Users can still add code over auto-generated code.” IBM defines no-code as a “completely hands-off approach with 100% dependence on visual tools.”

When these two terms are used to describe an application, it refers the level of effort required to configure it. A no-code application means that an end-user or trained super-user with no coding experience can maintain it. A low-code application means that for most things, an end-user can maintain it, but IT support will be needed for some advanced features.

Form solutions are well suited for a no-code and low-code approach. With drag-and-drop tools, end-users can design online forms and add in helpful features such as validation rules (ie: valid phone number and email formats, mandatory fields, proper dates, etc).

“FormAssembly is a data collection platform with all these features,” explained Savarese. “It helps organizations collect data through online forms and surveys in a way that’s easy-to-use, secure and compliant. The software is designed to be very easy-to-use and not require any sort of technical skills. It’s no-code software.”

Why is no-code an important consideration? Put simply, it’s far more efficient to have those closest to the need for a form, design and implement it rather than involving the IT department.

Other Considerations

Savarese also mentioned several other important considerations for forms solutions in healthcare:

  • Form templates & cloning – minimizing the time to create new forms
  • Data security – ensuring healthcare organizations are good stewards of the personal health information (PHOI) they regularly collect
  • HIPAA compliance – providing a simple way for healthcare organizations to collect and protect PHI while operating within industry regulations
  • Integrations – the ability for data collected to route directly into an organization’s applications, eliminating manual data entry

Compliance Does Not Mean Slow

Savarese commented on FormAssembly’s quick and seamless implementations. As an example, he spoke about FormAssembly’s work with the California Health Corps (CAHC). CAHC temporarily deploys licensed and trained medical personnel to provide support during major disasters and medical events.

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, FormAssembly worked with CAHC to quickly create a series of online forms. “They needed to mobilize resources that were suddenly freed up – those nurses and doctors that were idle because of cancelled appointments and surgeries – and redirect them,” explained Savarese. “In order to do that, they needed to ask people to volunteer and share information about where they are, when they are available, what skills they have, what they can contribute, and so on.”

Leveraging FormAssembly’s secure platform, the CAHC team was able to create the necessary forms to collect the needed information in only a few days.

What this example shows is that healthcare organizations do not have to put themselves at risk by using form platforms that do not have the security and compliance requirements to collect sensitive information (like many web form plug-ins). Uncovering the use of these quickly deployed forms is where healthcare IT departments can find opportunities to consolidate to a single platform. Not only will eliminating those single-use forms improve compliance, it will reduce the overall administrative work and IT burden on the organization.

Watch the full interview with Savarese to learn:

  • What data minimization is and why it is important in healthcare
  • How healthcare organizations can optimize business practices with a data collection platform
  • Why empowering end-users does not mean IT has to forgo oversight into the data collection process

Learn more about FormAssembly by visiting: https://www.formassembly.com/

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FormAssembly is a supporter of Healthcare Scene.

About the author

Colin Hung

Colin Hung is the co-founder of the #hcldr (healthcare leadership) tweetchat one of the most popular and active healthcare social media communities on Twitter. Colin speaks, tweets and blogs regularly about healthcare, technology, marketing and leadership. He is currently an independent marketing consultant working with leading healthIT companies. Colin is a member of #TheWalkingGallery. His Twitter handle is: @Colin_Hung.

   

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