Digital transformation of the healthcare system: How can it succeed?

Today we will talk about the digital transformation of healthcare speak. Even before the COVID-19 era, healthcare organizations were moving toward digital transformation in a number of areas, with a focus on the patient experience. However, the pandemic quickly transformed “digital transformation” from a corporate slogan to an absolute necessity in the healthcare sector.

Today, the focus is no longer just on eliminating friction in patient encounters, as was the case before the pandemic. Healthcare leaders have now recognized the importance of addressing new issues such as the shortage of IT specialists, project plans to optimize systems, and hiring and retention.

A well-defined digital transformation strategy is now essential to decipher patient behavior, understand their expectations and meet their diverse needs. This strategy is also a key factor in meeting the critical need for new IT positions and optimizing technology systems that healthcare executives are actively seeking.

Healthcare digital transformation project plans

In a recent survey conducted by QuestionPro and Medix, more than 200 healthcare executives were asked about the most important challenges in the coming years. Here are some of the results.

Optimization of the electronic patient record

Data: 55,88% of healthcare leaders are preparing to optimize their electronic health records (EHR). However, the path to an optimized system is associated with significant challenges. Medical data, often captured in unstructured formats across multiple systems, presents a maze that leads to manual data entry errors. Shortages of staff in medical teams complicate the task, leading to problems such as duplicate records, misdiagnosis and delays in treatment with potentially life-threatening consequences.

Big challenges:

• Limitation of technical resources: Small clinical centers and general practitioners have difficulty putting together their own technical team to implement electronic patient records.
• interoperability: Although interoperability is an essential requirement for comprehensive health records, it remains a major challenge. Seamlessly transferring data between systems is a constant battle in the electronic health record landscape.

Complexity of Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

49,51% of healthcare executives express concern about their CRM systems. The challenges of enterprise CRM projects in healthcare are due to the decentralized nature of customer ownership. Unlike traditional industries, in healthcare there is no specialized department that “owns” the patient. Instead, clinical, call center, marketing, finance and other departments work together to create personalized healthcare for each patient.

Big challenges:

• Cross-departmental collaboration:The nature of healthcare requires collaboration between different departments, which makes CRM implementation even more complex.
• Difficulties with personalization:: Customizing customer experiences in healthcare requires seamless collaboration between different departments, which presents a unique challenge compared to other industries.

Concerns about cybersecurity and protecting patient data

47,55% of healthcare executives express concern about patient and hospital cybersecurity. The healthcare sector faces numerous cybersecurity challenges, including the vulnerability of legacy systems, data breaches, and a fragmented security architecture.

Big challenges:

• Vulnerability of legacy systems: Reliance on outdated systems with unpatched vulnerabilities makes healthcare organizations an attractive target for cyber attackers.
• Data Breach Risks:: Storing large amounts of sensitive data combined with the need for accessibility puts healthcare organizations at constant risk of data breaches.
• Fragmented security infrastructure:: Reliance on multiple security products makes it difficult to detect and mitigate potential cyber threats.

Concern about the shortage of IT talent for digital health projects

72% of healthcare executives are somewhat or very concerned about the availability of qualified IT professionals in the next 2 years.

Concerns about the IT skills shortage are looming like a storm on the horizon. Currently, one in five job openings in the U.S. are in healthcare, a trend that will only increase over the next decade. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that half of the fastest-growing jobs in the coming years will be in healthcare, creating a scenario in which demand outstrips available workers.

What makes this challenge so critical is the impending perfect storm: a combination of rising demand and the massive retirement of baby boomers, including a significant portion of working physicians. The American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) underscores this shift by revealing that a quarter of the current workforce will be over 55, contributing to a growing shortage of qualified medical professionals.

Why is this so important? The effects affect the core of healthcare. Nurses on the front lines of patient care are increasingly relying on AI, automation, electronic health record optimization, telemedicine and remote monitoring to address the challenges of staffing shortages and avoid burnout. Innovative approaches such as early discharge programs demonstrate the adaptability of healthcare professionals, allowing them to overcome staffing and capacity constraints by virtually observing patients from the comfort of their own homes.

The most sought-after positions in the digital transformation of healthcare

Demand for key IT roles in healthcare is taking center stage, reflecting the sector's shift towards technological innovation. An overwhelming 47,55% of healthcare executives are actively seeking IT project managers and recognize the role they play in orchestrating and leading digital transformation initiatives. This increase in demand highlights the industry's awareness that effective project management is the starting point for successful technology integration.

This is closely followed by demand for cybersecurity professionals at 40,69%, a clear sign of the industry's commitment to strengthening its digital protections. As cyber threats increase, the need for experts capable of protecting patient data and securing healthcare systems has become essential.

At the same time, the demand for software developers, which represents 37,75% of executives' priorities, underscores that the industry has recognized the critical role of these professionals in creating the digital framework for modern healthcare. From designing innovative solutions to optimizing existing software, software developers are the architects shaping the digital face of healthcare.

Conclusion

As healthcare executives grapple with the IT talent shortage, implementing survey software becomes a powerful tool to gain insights. By understanding the needs, concerns and hopes of the workforce, healthcare organizations can develop strategies to attract, retain and develop the skilled talent essential to digital transformation.

Surveying healthcare workers identifies critical pain points and is a proactive step toward creating an environment that promotes professional growth and fulfillment. The survey software serves as a voice for employee voices, enabling companies to understand and implement the changes necessary to create a workplace that meets the expectations and desires of healthcare professionals in their digital transformation project plans.

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KEYWORDS OF THIS BLOG POST

Digital transformation of the healthcare system | Market research | Digitalization