Hospital management software, also known as the hospital management system (HMS) or hospital information management system (HIMS) is an automated tool that assists hospitals in managing their workflow efficiently and helps to manage healthcare facilities.

It empowers healthcare organizations like Hospitals and clinics to function in an organized manner and to build capacities that boost patient engagement and satisfaction.

The main purpose of hospital management software is to make hospital operations entirely paperless.

The hospital software can easily manage all core operations of hospital management such as Patients, OPD management, IPD management, OT management, insurance claim management, pharmacy, labs, store, inventory, reception, etc.

Best Hospital management software has the below features

1. Patient Online Appointment Booking facility
2. Quick Patient Registration & Appointment
3. Paperless Patient EMR Management
4. OPD Management
5. IPD Management
6. ICU Management
7. OT Management
8. Pathology Lab & Diagnostic Management
9. Pharmacy Management
10. Store & Inventory Management
11. Insurance or TPA management
12. Digital Patient Consent & Signature
13. Reference & Sharing Management
14. Ambulance & Vehicle Management
15. MRD with the latest ICD-10 & ICD-11
16. Telemedicine Platform
17. Real-time continue Patient Education
18. Real-time Communication via SMS, Email, WhatsApp & Notification
19. Integrated Billing with all departmentsthe  & Cashless Payments collection
20. Patient Feedback Collection
21. Daily Expense & Medical Waste Management
22. Machines & Equipment Management
23. Advance MIS Reports & Business Analytics
24. Hiring & Recruitment
25. Web & Mobile App Access from anywhere
26. Increase online visibility of hospital & Doctor

The two most common Hospital/EHR software are the Electronic Patient Record (EPR) and Electronic Medical Record (EMR). The EPR software help to store all patient data by hospitals/clinics. The EMR software helps to keep patients' recovery records in specific hospital/clinics unit.

Hospital management systems are of different types. There are two main categories

1. Based on connectivity 
Here are some common types of hospital management software Solutions you can find

a. Desktop-based/On-Premise: These types of hospital management software are licensed, and hospitals can install them within their IT infrastructure mostly offline or interconnected Locally. On-Premise hospital management software is highly customizable in nature. Hospitals required to store their data on their own servers can opt for on-premise hospital information management systems.

b. Web-based: Mainly Third-party hospital management solution providers offer online hospital management software. It must require Online connectivity. Web-based online hospital management solutions can be accessed from anywhere with internet availability. Hospital admins, doctors, nurses, patients, staff, and management members can access the secure portal with their login IDs and password. Hospital admins can grant and control access to which part of the portal users can access.

c. Cloud-based: Nowadays cloud-based hospital management software is so routine in large hospitals that require extreme flexibility, a high-speed interface, and massive data storage capabilities. It is Hosted through third-party cloud service providers, it is also called SaaS (Software as a Service) based solution.

d. Open Source: The open-source hospital management software is free to available and allows users to customize programming codes, and integrate external plugins to enhance the core working functionalities, modify default settings, and utility of the system. Generally, Hospitals requiring customized solutions can opt for open source hospital management software or system.

2. Based on Utility
Some are independent solutions designed to execute specific tasks. On the other hand, some Software or systems are complete and include all healthcare management solutions.

Here are some common types of hospital management software.

a. EHR Software: An Electronic Health Records (EHR) system facilitated you to securely store patient information and related medical records. It's a solution to the digital replacement of a patient register. Il also helps you to store and organize patient data digitally. These systems come with robust security features that help you secure confidential patient information and medical records.

b. Practice Management Software (PMS): A Practice Management System is ideal for solo doctors and clinicians. practice management system or software offers a combination of basic hospital management system features, like appointment management, EHR, billing, and more.  In the Market, so many healthcare vendors also offer specialized solutions for dentists, psychiatrists, and other specialty clinics.

c. Lab Information Management System (LIMS): These systems are ideal for pathology laboratories. There some common functionality of a LIMS include inventory management, sample collection,solutions and accounting functions. It also offers various automation features that ensure a smooth workflow in your lab.

d. Hospital Management: If you're looking for a system that includes the capabilities of all the systems mentioned before, a hospital management system would be an ideal choice. It's a comprehensive solution that features a wide range of healthcare management modules, including EHR, practice management, patient management, billing, and more.