As the healthcare industry emerges from the pandemic, its leaders are embarking on a major reboot of priorities to improve patient care delivery.
This is one of the big findings of the Future Health Index 2022 report, titled “Healthcare Hit Reset: Priorities Shift as Healthcare Leaders Navigate a Changed World.” Global technology vendor Philips’ 7th annual report analyzes feedback from nearly 3,000 healthcare leaders in 15 countries on the impact of digital health technologies in the adoption of connected care . (US version here, global version here)
Jan Kimpen, Chief Medical Officer at Philips, said many healthcare leaders are implementing new and existing announced that it is refocusing on both of its priorities.
The Urgent Need to Address Burnout
Staffing challenges in healthcare are well known. His 20% of US hospitals reported critical staffing shortages in January 2022, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, while the recent Kaiser Family Foundation/washington post About 3 in 10 healthcare workers were considering leaving, according to the survey.
One of the biggest drivers of these challenges is staff burnout. According to the Future Health Index 2022, more than half of all healthcare workers are suffering from burnout, and many will leave the industry if not addressed.
According to the report, 11% of U.S. healthcare leaders will prioritize staff satisfaction and retention in 2021, compared to 29% in 2022.
Technology to help overworked staff
U.S. healthcare leaders understand staff pressure and how technology can help alleviate that pressure. They know the toll the pandemic has taken on staff and the competing opportunities available to healthcare professionals.
They also recognize the value that telemedicine and AI can provide, especially in terms of improving the staff experience, in terms of meeting the 4x target, says the report. Leaders understand that technology can transform the staff experience, from reducing workloads to spending more time with patients and enabling collaboration with experts around the world.
“Ultimately, we can see healthcare leaders embarking on a reset to meet the demands of a fundamentally changed world. We want to borrow, shape and improve.”
Jan Kimpen, Phillips
Investments in technologies such as telemedicine and AI, as well as partnerships to provide these services to staff, can ease the burden faced by healthcare professionals.
According to the report, approximately 22% of U.S. healthcare leaders are currently investing in artificial intelligence to optimize operational efficiency, with 17% in diagnostics integration, 15% in predicting outcomes, and 15%. invests in clinical decision support.
Need for peers and solid vendors
Peers and healthcare IT vendors can help provide much-needed expertise. Phillips reports that the U.S. Healthcare leader recognizes the need for partnerships to address the human capital crisis, building on the joint experience they built during the pandemic.
Peers are top candidates for partners US healthcare leaders place great value on what they can learn from their peers. Thirty-eight percent now say that other hospitals and healthcare facilities are preferred external partners to fully leverage their data.
Such peer-to-peer collaboration offers the possibility for staff to learn from other professionals and facilities to share resources, both of which can help combat burnout, the report said.
According to the report, when it comes to healthcare IT vendors, strategic partnerships with healthcare technology companies are most important to US healthcare leaders to: 30% for flexible payment models. Access to innovative technology and expertise, 29%. Integration of technology within hospitals/medical facilities, 29%. A strong strategic vision (28%) on the capabilities the healthcare system needs to thrive in the future. Resources and/or services to facilitate implementation and adoption, 28%.
Solidify the value of telemedicine
The Future Health Index 2021 report finds top priorities for U.S. healthcare leaders focused on using core technologies such as telemedicine to address the clinical and operational challenges facing the pandemic. was
Two-thirds (65%) identified “facilitating migration to virtual or remote” as a top priority. To make this happen, he 89% of healthcare leaders were investing in telemedicine. Reflecting this, the use of telemedicine has increased significantly.
A study by consulting firm McKinsey & Company found that although usage declined somewhat as the pandemic receded, telemedicine still made up 17% of all medical appointments, 38 times more than before the pandemic. It features several care areas such as mental care. Stay healthy and keep growing.
Access to care for health equity
According to the report, U.S. healthcare leaders have identified several types of initiatives to address health equity in their communities.
The most prominent initiatives relate to care delivery, ‘increased access to care’ and ‘delivery of care in the community’. This indicates that in most states, African Americans and Native Americans/Alaska Natives are more likely to die prematurely from treatable conditions with timely access to quality health care. Consistent with extensive surveys of demographic systems.
About 25% of U.S. healthcare leaders say they are implementing initiatives to improve health equity by increasing access to care. Of these, 24% provide care in community/community outreach, 17% promote community education, and 16% generate financial support. For underserved communities, identifying cooperative partners makes him 11%, the report says.
Conclusion
The Future Health Index 2022 paints a picture of a sector that has undergone dramatic changes in recent years, which has accelerated rapidly over the past 12 months, said Kimpen, Chief Medical Officer at Philips.
“Instead of continuing to focus solely on the pandemic, today’s healthcare leaders are seeing a fundamental shift in priorities to meet new standards of healthcare management,” he said. Specifically, the leader lays out his three main priorities for 2022 and beyond. Addressing the human capital crisis, continuing digital transformation to improve interoperability and unlocking the full potential of healthcare data, bridging healthcare gaps and prioritizing sustainability. ”
After a year of new transformation, the U.S. healthcare industry faces a growing set of complex challenges that will persist well beyond the pandemic, from staff shortages and security threats to an exponential rise in chronic diseases. In the background, he added, it has been assessing the situation and reprioritizing.
“Ultimately, healthcare leaders are embarking on a reset to meet the demands of a fundamentally changed world – one that they want to shape and improve with the help of data and predictive analytics. you can see,” he concludes.
twitter: @SiwickiHealthIT
Email the writer: bsiwicki@himss.org
Healthcare IT News is a publication of HIMSS Media.
