After months in the global spotlight, there is no doubt that healthcare resources are hard-pressed: caregivers are stretched, costs are rising, and time is short. Frontline healthcare workers are tending to patients whilst weighed down by slow administrative processes. The pandemic is pressuring healthcare organisations to move faster, review costs, make technology investments and embrace adaptable, quick, and robust systems.
Healthcare organisations are experiencing years of change, packed into a few short months. According to the Xerox Future of Work study, over a third of healthcare organisations are driving forward digitisation plans to meet the pandemic’s challenges. New systems and ways of working are shining a light at the end of the tunnel for clinicians.
The healthcare industry’s response has demonstrated resilience and the ability to develop solutions and innovate quickly. We will not see a radical transformation of current processes overnight or build a future-proofed digital system tomorrow. Yet, healthcare organisations need to continue to ride the wave of change and navigate the digitisation journey ahead of them to enable better patient care.
Adapting healthcare systems for digitisation
The pandemic has placed a magnifying glass on the pre-existing pain points within both primary and secondary care. Two such areas include traditional paper-based processes and searching to find relevant information within files and records.
With technology at our fingertips, tackling these time-consuming administrative tasks has never been simpler. Capturing, digitising and compiling unwieldy amounts of physical documentation equip healthcare workers with the essential information they need to act quickly. Patient check-in forms and medical records are now secure and accessible to staff, all with the click of a button. It also removes the labour-intensive and repetitive tasks involved in daily hospital routines, including patient scheduling and test ordering.
Digitising patient records and automating paper-based processes in these areas creates more flexible and efficient systems, giving healthcare workers more time to focus on what matters most – their patients.
How to successfully use technologies within secondary care
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS trust is a prime example of how digitising previously paper-based processes can make an entire healthcare network more efficient. The Trust is rolling out a project that aims to digitise over 800,000 medical records to improve communication and care coordination amongst clinicians and patients.
In one 400-bed hospital, this adoption has already allowed for the conversion of 240 million pieces of paper for hundreds of thousands of patients. This makes it far easier to store medical records in a manageable and accessible way.
Instant access to digital medical records means healthcare workers can review patient medical history simultaneously within teams while ensuring compliance. This was unheard of with previous systems. Each paper record needed to be transported across departments, raising issues around security. Filing for each record was additionally taking-up space in densely populated hospitals where this is treasured.
When resources are stretched beyond their limits, digitisation sets the scene for a new system that streamlines services, reduces cost, and provides better quality care for patients.
What the digital future looks like
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust provides us with one example of how healthcare organisations can begin to embrace digital transformation. By looking deeper into the technology that has been rolled out, we can also gain better insight into what the digital future might look like for clinicians.
Last year alone, 62% of healthcare organisations allocated additional budget towards technology, with the NHS investing in new screens, iPads, laptops and phones. Digitisation will continue to be a priority for the sector and provide new opportunities to support caregivers in multiple ways – these being just a few.
Simple and effective technology is the key to starting your digital transformation journey. Now more than ever, it is vital to create a maintainable and streamlined healthcare workforce. This is an essential part of delivering the highest quality of care for patients in a timely manner.
Article by Ian Martin, General Manager UK Public Sector, Xerox
