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In healthcare, efficiency is not just a goal: it is a lifeline. With a growing and aging patient population and a labor shortage, hospitals and health systems must find ways to increase efficiency and do more with less, while still providing safe, high-quality care. It starts with unlocking data and connecting healthcare operations solutions across the enterprise.
The epidemic of siled data
The volume of health data is growing exponentially, with compound annual growth rate this is faster than the data growth rate of the manufacturing, financial services, and media and entertainment sectors. A 2022 survey of 3,000 practicing nurses and doctors found that 69% were overwhelmed by the volume of patient data.
This problem is compounded by the widespread prevalence of data silos in healthcare, which prevent the effective exchange and use of data to streamline operations and coordinate patient care. When healthcare operations and data are compartmentalized and large swaths of data are difficult to access, effective risk management and communication between providers and departments is hampered, negatively impacting the patient safety and operational efficiency. For example, healthcare staff may spend hours completing duplicate paperwork or entering data already recorded elsewhere – time that could be reallocated to other tasks and ensure safer patient care if system technology health was interoperable across the organization.
According to the American College of Physicians, effective data sharing is one of the four key principles to improve care coordination and reduce errors. Prioritizing interoperability – the ability of technology and software to exchange data – is essential to improving workforce efficiency and delivering quality care.
Connected technology is an enabler of efficiency
Healthcare operations technology keeps things moving behind the scenes for hospitals and health systems – from workforce and risk management to accreditation and compliance – enabling teams to provide patients with the care they need. need. Yet for many healthcare professionals, technology can seem like an added burden in an already increasingly pressured field of work.
The majority of healthcare organizations have an excess of point solutions, and working with these disparate solutions takes hours out of healthcare workers' days, eating into valuable time spent with patients. Ineffective health information technology has been linked to emotional exhaustion and burnout among healthcare workers. In investigation37% of healthcare workers said technology frustrated them, and 19% said technology did not improve their work productivity.
The key to a more efficient and less exhausted health workforce? Implement technology this increases efficiency rather than adding to the administrative burden. To make healthcare technology an enabler rather than an obstacle, hospitals and health systems must consolidate point solutions, creating a model of connected operations with interoperable software.
A 2023 report published by KLAS reports that more than 90% of healthcare executives believe technology consolidation is important to improve operational efficiency. Yet 80% are still in planning or early stages of consolidation. In addition to budget and staffing constraints, the report cites internal misalignment of priorities and poor change management practices as obstacles to progress. Consolidation requires collaboration. To move toward connected technology that improves efficiency and reduces burnout, health system leaders must work together to align competing priorities across the enterprise.
Proactive Data Intelligence Drives Prevention
Connecting and consolidating healthcare operations technology can improve efficiency, but it is not a panacea. To operate more efficiently while prioritizing safer care, health systems must also be proactive when it comes to leveraging the insights provided by data.
What does reactive versus proactive look like? Imagine two healthcare systems facing the same security incident: a patient receives the wrong dose of medication. Health System A completes an event report, issues a warning to the nurse who administered the medication, and moves on. Health System B also completes an event report, but doesn't stop there. They analyze data from across the organization from the time the incident occurred. How long was the nurse who administered the medication present? Did the team follow all correct protocols for administering a medication? Was the department understaffed or overbooked with patients at the time?
This information can help identify factors that may have contributed to the security incident, allowing the healthcare system to identify risk factors in the future and take proactive steps to prevent another incident before it occurs. it doesn't happen. To obtain this information, health data must be shared within the organization. By implementing interoperable solutions, healthcare systems can increase efficiency and make data-driven decisions that create a safer environment for patients and healthcare professionals.
About Jeff Surges
Jeff Surges has 30 years of experience leading high-growth health technology companies. As CEO of RLDatix, he is responsible for overseeing and driving the strategic growth of RLDatix in more than 20 countries. Throughout his career, Jeff has led several public and private companies as a senior executive, founder, board member, investor and entrepreneur – a broad range of roles that have given him unique operational experience and knowledge in-depth knowledge of the health sector. Jeff holds a bachelor's degree from Eastern Illinois University.