Healthtech Security
Article | August 31, 2023
Combating stress and anxiety can be a major challenge these days, but there are certain behaviors that contribute to those feelings, and you can take action right now to stop them and focus on your wellbeing. By taking a look at the way you react to others, how you practice self-care, and what kind of attitude you approach new tasks with, you can make some positive changes to your lifestyle that affect both your personal and professional lives.
Stop stressing over your current job
Almost everyone experiences job-related stress at some point in their lives, but when those feelings become overwhelming, it may be time to consider your options, according to Zenbusiness.com. Those in corporate positions and high-level management often cope with the most stress or anxiety due to the number of people they have working under them. If you find yourself bringing home feelings of irritability, or if you suffer from insomnia or a lack of focus during the day, take a look at open positions elsewhere and think about how much moving on could help you maintain a higher level of mental health. It can be scary to think about making such a major life change, but you’ll never know what possibilities lie out there if you don’t take a leap.
Stop competing with others
While some competition in the business world is a healthy motivator, other types can leave you feeling terrible about yourself. Rather than comparing your lifestyle or achievements to someone else’s, try to practice gratitude each day by using mindfulness techniques that allow you to focus on your own actions. Focus on your strengths and remind yourself that you’re doing the absolute best you can each day. Make it a point to congratulate others on their achievements, especially your coworkers, and do what you can to build others up. When it comes to social media, remember that the things we share only give a glimpse into the whole story, and that comparing your life to another’s can be detrimental to your mental wellbeing.
Stop ignoring your physical needs
While your mental wellbeing is obviously an important focus, it’s also crucial to think about how you can make sure your body is getting everything it needs. Working a corporate job often means sitting stationary at a desk for long hours, working through lunch hours, or working at home even after you’ve clocked out for the day. Allow yourself to rest by setting boundaries once you’re home, and give yourself the tools to get better sleep by creating an end-of-day routine that will help you relax and prepare to let the workday go. Eat plenty of lean protein and leafy greens to keep your energy up, and make it a point to get up and move around at work. You might also invest in a standing desk, as those come with multiple health advantages for individuals who spend much of the day sitting.
Stop dreading the new week
It can be helpful to set some boundaries where work is concerned, but it’s also important to get organized in order to banish that dread you feel on Monday morning. Facing a busy week can bring on stress and anxiety that leaves you feeling unprepared, but if you take the time to write out a to-do list on Friday, you can jump right in at the beginning of the week without feeling frazzled. It can also help to have something to look forward to, such as promising yourself a little treat once you get a certain amount of work done. Staying productive can be a big help, so if you have time left toward the end of the day and there’s a small task still to be done, don’t let your desire to leave early on a Friday afternoon take over. Finishing up can give you a sense of satisfaction and will keep you from feeling overwhelmed once the new week starts.
Stop saying yes to everything
Another behavior that leads to feeling overwhelmed is saying “yes” to anyone who asks for your time or energy. You may feel that doing so contributes to a helpful, team-oriented atmosphere at work, but it becomes a problem when you take on too much without focusing on your own needs at least part of the time. Learning how to diplomatically say no when you can’t take on any more responsibilities is a form of self-care that can banish stress and allow you to focus on your own needs without feeling guilty.
Letting go of stress, anxiety, and poor health habits can take some time, but by creating some new routines you can learn new habits that help you tackle anything life throws your way. Write down a strategy that encompasses your daily schedule, and get organized both at work and at home for maximum mental health benefits.
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Health Technology, Digital Healthcare
Article | August 21, 2023
Stay at the forefront of the digital healthcare revolution by mastering EHR analytics. Discover the top EHR certifications that provide comprehensive training and industry-recognized credentials.
As healthcare organizations increasingly embrace digital solutions, the demand for skilled professionals well-versed in EHR analytics continues to soar. Numerous certifications and courses have emerged to meet this demand, offering comprehensive training and industry-recognized credentials.
This article delves into the top EHR certifications and courses, exploring their unique features, advantages, and opportunities for professional growth and advancement.
1. Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist
By pursuing this course, participants will gain knowledge and practical skills in EHR, medical billing & coding, anatomy & physiology, medical terminology, medical law and ethics, and health insurance in the United States. This electronic health record specialist certification includes hands-on exercises using specialized software to create patient records, generate lab reports, and take notes & codes. Furthermore, it emphasizes the legal aspects of patient confidentiality and the responsible disclosure of medical records, ensuring a solid understanding of privacy regulations and ethical obligations within the healthcare industry.
2. Deep learning in Electronic Health Records - CDSS 2
The course provides a comprehensive overview of the fundamental principles of electronic health records (EHR) while also addressing the challenges of applying time-series classification methods to EHR data, such as missing values and variable heterogeneity. Professionals will learn various imputation techniques and encoding strategies to handle these challenges effectively. Upon completion of the course, University of Glasgow awards a certificate. Additionally, this electronic health records certification explores the role of clinical decision support systems (CDSS) in analyzing data to aid healthcare providers in making informed decisions and improving patient care.
3. Introduction to Electronic Health Records
The course aims to provide an introduction to the field of digital health, covering essential concepts and definitions in this emerging area. It encompasses various vital topics, including Learning Health Systems, EHR, and a wide range of digital health technologies such as mobile applications, wearable devices, health information systems, telehealth, telemedicine, ML, AI, and big data. The EHR analytics course evaluates these technologies by examining the opportunities and challenges they present and the evidence of their effectiveness in the context of digital health, both globally and within public health and healthcare domains. This electronic health record certification includes a case study on using digital health technologies to address various aspects of the global response to COVID-19.
4. Interprofessional Healthcare Informatics
This course is offered jointly by the University of Minnesota and its National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education. It provides a hands-on and interactive exploration of fundamental informatics tools and techniques, incorporating technology-enabled educational innovations to enhance the learning experience. The ten modules in the course will help participants create an online learning community and a functioning healthcare informatics network. The EHR analytics course covers multiple topics, such as emerging technologies, telehealth, gaming, simulations, and eScience. It aims to collectively imagine and shape the future of healthcare informatics within the rapidly evolving landscape. The course welcomes healthcare professionals and IT enthusiasts, encouraging a diverse and interdisciplinary approach to learning.
5. Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist
The Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist (CEHRS) course is a fully-online program designed to train individuals to become certified specialists in electronic health records. It equips participants with the necessary skills to navigate EHR systems and pass the CEHR certification exam. In this EHR certification program, professionals will learn essential tasks such as auditing patient records for compliance, extracting clinical information, coding for reimbursement claims, processing medical record requests, reviewing documents for accuracy, collecting patient data, and facilitating communication with healthcare professionals and insurance providers. The course focuses on hands-on experience with actual EHR software, provides an overview of EHR systems, emphasizes compliance with HIPAA regulations, explores various medical record components, and trains students to track vital patient information and report public health data effectively.
6. Electronic Healthcare Records Basics, Plain & Simple
This EHR analytics course emphasizes the critical role EHRs play in improving healthcare services. The course holds immense importance as it delves into topics such as the comparison between digital and paper patient records, definitions of EMR, EHR, and PHR, the necessity for a unified view of records, the critical components of EHR systems, perspectives from both patients and clinicians, technology-related challenges, the concept of meaningful use, and the impact of the 21st Century Cures Act in facilitating advancements in healthcare. By undertaking this course, participants will acquire comprehensive knowledge as well as an understanding of EHR systems and their potential for revolutionizing healthcare delivery.
7. Records and Health Information Management
This comprehensive EHR training certification program has been designed for professionals looking to advance their careers or seeking to stay up-to-date in the medical field and prepare for industry-standard certification exams. The course covers essential skills such as processing patient admission and discharge documents, accurately recording and maintaining information in the electronic medical record (EMR), understanding third-party reimbursement terminology and concepts, and utilizing computer hardware as well as software to enter and process data using medical record software. Learners can get an excellent opportunity to gain comprehensive insights into electronic health records and enhance career prospects in the healthcare industry.
Closing Lines
The EHR analytics certifications discussed in this article offer healthcare professionals invaluable opportunities for long-term success and growth in the evolving realm of healthcare informatics. By acquiring the necessary skills and knowledge through these programs, professionals can enhance their proficiency in managing and utilizing EHR systems, positioning themselves as highly sought-after assets within the healthcare industry.
The comprehensive EHR certification training provided by these certifications and courses not only equips individuals with the technical know-how but also grants them industry-recognized credentials that validate their expertise. This recognition opens doors to diverse career pathways, including positions in healthcare organizations, consulting firms, research institutions, and governmental agencies. Moreover, staying abreast of the latest developments in EHR systems through continuous education ensures professionals remain at the forefront of technological advancements, enabling them to adapt and thrive in a fast-paced digital healthcare landscape.
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Digital Healthcare
Article | November 29, 2023
Your sales cycle encompasses every action you take to close a new customer as a salesperson. But there is a possibility for the sales cycle to be confused with sales methodology. Sales methodology is a framework in which one practices a sales cycle. Whereas the sales cycle is the step-by-step process of you, as a salesperson, to close a deal with a client.
Piper Drive, a sales CRM and pipeline management platform defines a sales cycle as the series of predictable phases required to sell a product or a service, and that sales cycles can vary greatly among organizations, products, and services, and no one sale will be the same.
Especially with the healthcare industry, a thorough understanding of your health tech sales cycle will make your sales operations more efficient. Shortening the sales cycle without an up-front investment for sales is one of the critical healthcare sales and marketing goals. If you shorten your health tech sales cycle, you get more time to make additional leads. This will ultimately result in having an improved bottom line.
A faster and shorter sales cycle can bring you more advantages in the competitive sales world of your industry. It will indeed allow your company to grow its business by improving market share. Have you ever thought, as a salesperson, about the effective ways to shorten the health tech sales cycle? This article mainly focuses on proactive ways to shorten your sales cycle and improve profitability.
Challenges of Long B2B Health Tech Sales Cycle
According to Marketing Sherpa, a market research institute, the length of the sales cycle can vary from industry to industry. Comparatively, the health tech industry has a longer sales cycle. Still, there are many effective ways to shorten it and bring a positive impact on your sales process.
In general, B2B sales take a lot of time to maintain. Thus, the B2B health tech sales cycle takes even months to close a sale with a prospect and faces many challenges in the process. Some of the challenges you may face, as a health tech salesperson, can be the following on the process:
Turning the Lead to a Sales-Ready Prospect
No health tech salesperson will find a lead ready to make the sale without any persuasion from you. In the health tech sales cycle, lead nurturing should be your best bet to convert a prospect.
With longer sales cycles, it won't be easy to nurture a lead all through the process and make a sales-ready prospect. It would be easier to convert leads when they are ready if you keep in touch with the prospects. People often find it difficult to do so in the long health tech sales cycle and end up not converting potential clients into happy customers.
Maintaining Engagement Over Time
The sales team keeps converting leads on their radar. As days and months pass, it is challenging to memorize each prospect you have interacted with. Neglecting them brings nothing to your business.
It can be a juggle to balance new prospects with existing SQLs. Older ones may get lost in the weeds as new leads come in. No one can tell which one is a higher priority. Whom will you pay more attention to and for how long? It can be a severe obstacle in the long B2B health tech sales cycle.
Keeping Your Sales Team Energized
If your sales team is not engaged with the process itself and enjoys it, they will have a more challenging time dealing with leads. It is a fact that, unfortunately, salespeople can become frustrated or bored due to working with difficult and hesitant leads.
As the health tech sales cycle drags on, it is tough to remain emotionally calm. If you have no strategies to energize them promptly, apathy or discouragement may come into play.
Ensuring Marketing and Sales Alignment
Lack of communication between the sales and healthcare marketing teams can pose the most detrimental challenges. It can impact the health tech sales cycle seriously. This loss of alignment between marketing and sales can hurt lead nurturing and lead to further difficulties like the ones listed above.
When the two teams move out of sync, it often requires a lot of effort to get them on the same page again. These teams can work separately with decisions and different goals, but it would not benefit the entire company.
Five Stages of the Typical Sales Cycle
It is better to understand the five stages of the health tech sales cycle to comprehend how the sales cycle comes into play completely.
Prospect
This is the stage where the sales team attracts leads and listens to them, and learns to offer what they need.
Connect
This is the stage for you to get leads to move forward with your offers. You can utilize all the data you have amassed during prospecting.
Research
As a salesperson, this is when you learn about leads and determine whether the prospect intends to buy.
Present
In this stage of the health tech sales cycle, you offer your product or services as an effective solution for your lead's pain points.
Close
It’s a fit! By now, you know if your lead wants your product or service and move forward.
Benefits of Shortening your Sales Cycle
A shorter health tech sales cycle allows you to meet more prospects within the same time frame. For example, if you take one week for each prospect to complete the cycle, you can meet more people than with a two-week average life cycle for a single prospect. As you meet more people, it allows you to make more money. Moreover, most of the prospects prefer to have shorter sales cycles provided that you fulfill their need and solve their problem.
However, even with a short health tech sales cycle, you should have an effective method to track sales information. Along with a short sales cycle, an effective method will increase your team’s efficiency and sales numbers. You will make more profits and improve your sales cycle.
Ways to Shorten your Long Health Tech Sales Cycle
One of the significant challenges faced by healthcare technology salespeople is shortening their health tech sales cycle. Unlike B2C, the B2B process of sales has to deal with many decision-makers and educate them about the value of your products. Typically, it takes a lot of time and effort to convince your prospects that your solution is customized to meet their unique needs.
However, your health tech sales cycle can become agonizingly long as each prospect can have a different perspective about your solution. It can also occur due to the number of people involved in the decision-making in B2B companies. According to the latest Demand Gen Report, the buyer’s journey is getting more complicated and longer. This makes the sales process worse, which is already tedious.
However, the good news is that you can follow these marketing strategies to shorten your health tech sales cycle tactically.
Understand Your Buyer Personas
Keep yourself away from trying to engage the wrong people. This will not bring you any results in the end. Before commencing the sales process, you should have a clear idea of who your targeted audience is. The decision-makers or influencers in the organizations you are targeting are your buyer personas.
After identifying your personas, by answering the following questions, you can outline their qualities:
• What are their goals?
• What are their responsibilities?
• What trigger drives them to buy?
• What problems are they dealing with?
• How do they like to research?
• What inhibits a purchase?
As you answer these questions, you will get a clear idea of the best way to approach them.
Send an Introductory Video
The prospects get to know the salesperson only in the in-person meeting. So before the in-person meeting, you can consider sending them an introduction video. This would add value and explain why you are interested in them with a ‘call-to-action. It creates familiarity by the time you connect with them. This is a very creative step to shorten your health tech sales cycle.
Provide Pre-Sales Appointment Content
Having a sales appointment with a prospect, who does not know anything about your solution, is one of the biggest mistakes you can make in your health tech sales cycle. This means you may have to have several meetings to convince the client. This problem can be eliminated with a lead nurturing email with informative content. This email can have a link to an informative blog about your product, which was written previously. It will make them peruse your website before the actual sales meeting with you. It saves your time by eliminating many meetings to educate the prospect about your product.
Provide Post-Sales Appointment Content
The prospect is expected to come out with some concerns and objections after the first sales appointment. As a healthcare tech company salesperson, it is your responsibility to eliminate all those obstacles by addressing them strategically. Sending follow-up emails, videos, and case studies helps address those concerns. The content can be used to guide other prospects too. Overcoming these obstacles with effective content can shorten your health tech sales cycle effectively.
Come Clean with Pricing
Pricing of your products can be one of the main concerns for your prospects. Many salespeople address it only at the last stage of the health tech sales cycle. Not revealing the price at the beginning will only lengthen your process. Moreover, it may result in losing trust in you. Be transparent and reveal the price, to save yourself from such issues.
Leverage Social Proof
One of the smartest ways to win the trust of your prospect is to provide social proof. It will also make the deal close sooner. The best social proofs are case studies with the impact of your products or ROI. Remember to make that the company featured in the case study is similar to the particular prospect's company.
In the health tech sales cycle, it is crucial to thoroughly understand the prospect. Your sales cycle should connect with the process of lead nurturing, where you act as an advisor. This will also help you build trust with the prospects and increase your chances of closing the deal before the expected time.
Executing all of these alone would be challenging. At Media7, we help companies market their healthcare technology product with innovative strategies and support by implementing these strategies effectively. Our strategies help attract prospects, convert them and turn them into your happy customers forever. To know more about us, visit https://media7.com/
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the stages in the health tech sales cycle?
B2B health tech sales cycles include seven main stages. They are sales prospecting, making contact, qualifying the lead, nurturing the lead, making an offer, handling objections, and closing the sale. Following these steps help a salesperson to close the sale effectively.
How does the health tech sales cycle help?
The health tech sales cycle helps you identify potential clients and nurture them through the process of sales. It makes you effectively and efficiently guide your clients and gives them the confidence to go forward with more effort.
What are the best practices for the health tech sales cycle?
The best practices for the health tech sales cycle can be attracting more prospects through content marketing, building trust by understanding clients better, focusing on your customers' clients, and knowing the prospect’s organizational chart.
Why is the sales cycle important in health tech?
The sales cycle in the health tech industry helps the sales managers to forecast the accurate picture of your sales. This because they know where your salespersons are in the sales cycle. It also gives a clear picture of how many deals your salespeople close out of a given number of leads.
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Article | April 20, 2020
Healthcare is top of mind as the coronavirus hits hard everywhere. The inefficiencies of the system itself are on full display during the pandemic — where testing is hard to come by, diagnoses and treatments are reactive rather than proactive, and many people do not get the care they need, when they need it. Adrian Aoun, CEO and founder of Forward, a tech-driven healthcare startup, told Karen Webster that it’s possible to build a completely new healthcare ecosystem, beginning with primary care — and the overhaul needs to leverage data and artificial intelligence (AI).
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