The healthcare industry around the world is facing serious and growing staff shortages. This crisis has been driven by an aging population, workforce retirements, staff burnout, and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare systems are now facing a critical shortage of staff in roles such as nurses, doctors, technicians, and administrative staff. Shortages have reached unsafe levels that are preventing healthcare organizations from meeting patient demand and providing timely, quality care. The situation continues to deteriorate: a recent study predicts a shortage of more than 10 million healthcare workers worldwide by 2030.
Without intervention, these staffing gaps will threaten patient outcomes, increase medical errors, lower staff morale, and increase costs from measures such as excessive use of overtime and locum tenens. However, technological innovations provide data-driven solutions that can allow health systems to optimize their limited workforces. Technologies are emerging to assist with locum tenens management, telehealth, workforce planning, clinical decision support, and more. Adopting these technologies will be a key strategy for healthcare organizations around the world to maintain operations and quality of care despite limited human resources.
Rationalization of Locum Tenens management
One important area where technology is having an impact is the streamlining of locum tenens management. Locum tenens are temporary healthcare providers who fill staffing shortages. Managing and coordinating options for locum tenens management has traditionally been an administratively onerous task. Technologies such as automated supplier management systems are transforming this process by simplifying locum tenens scheduling, credentialing, payment, and performance tracking. These systems leverage large national networks of qualified suppliers and use data analytics to tailor them to facility needs. This reduces the time and resources organizations must devote to locum tenens management, ensures compliance, and allows access to flexible staff on demand.
Expanding access through telehealth
Telehealth and telemedicine technologies are also expanding access to health services despite workforce limitations. Patients can conveniently consult with remote providers through audio and video calls, chat platforms, and mobile health apps. Effective care for many minor acute conditions, chronic disease management, and mental health care can be provided without the need for in-person visits. Telehealth allows providers to maximize their availability and increase patient reach. Additionally, remote patient monitoring tools facilitate patient care outside of clinical settings, further optimizing limited staff resources.
Optimizing staff planning and scheduling
Workforce management technology provides data-driven insights to improve workforce planning and scheduling. By analyzing past trends and forecasting demand, healthcare facilities can better align staffing levels with expected patient volumes. Workforce management systems also include automation to schedule shifts, on-call rotations, and vacation time based on staff availability and hospital policies. This promotes efficient and equitable management of staff time. Fatigue management components further improve patient safety by identifying and mitigating the risk of physician burnout.
Technology presents immense potential to enable health systems to operate safely and effectively during this era of unprecedented staffing shortages. Solutions such as telehealth, automated locum tenens management, workforce analytics, and clinical intelligence tools can optimize limited staff resources to maintain access, quality, and positive patient outcomes. However, technology alone cannot completely solve the healthcare workforce crisis.
Addressing factors such as poor working conditions, non-competitive pay and a lack of diversity and inclusion will also be critical to recruiting and retaining staff in the long term. Still, the appropriate adoption of technological capabilities will be a key element of any successful strategy to strengthen the resilience of healthcare workers. Healthcare organizations that leverage data-driven technological innovations while implementing positive systemic reforms will be well positioned to manage shortages now and in the future.
Subscribe to our latest newsletter
To read our exclusive content, register now. $5/Monthly, $50/Yearly
Categories: Technology
Source: vtt.edu.vn