Embracing tech for smoother care team collaboration
Author: Cynthia Horner, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Amwell
As healthcare leaders, we all know the drill. Supporting care teams in delivering top-notch patient care amid rising costs, increasing volumes, and limited resources — it’s a juggling act! But there’s a silver lining. Digital transformation offers a way to tackle these challenges head-on. Today, we’re exploring how digital health solutions can enhance care team collaboration and set your organization up for success.
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The priorities on your plate
As a clinical leader, you're probably wearing many hats. Here are some priorities you might be balancing:
- Enhancing clinician experience
- Improving care team efficiency
- Reducing burnout
- Boosting health outcomes
- Elevating patient satisfaction
- Driving engagement in care
And that's just scratching the surface. Sound familiar? While you can’t clone your workforce or access an infinite budget, we can talk about integrating technology to achieve your goals.
Why digital transformation is a must
When it comes to tech in healthcare, it’s not about replacing humans but boosting collaboration across care teams, providers, patients, and families. It's about making connections happen seamlessly across the care continuum. Let's break down the opportunities digital transformation brings to the table.
1. Enhanced communication and coordination
Digital tools are tearing down communication barriers among healthcare team members regardless of where they are and even the timing of when they can connect. Secure video conferencing and messaging platforms mean clinicians can consult and coordinate care in real-time or asynchronously, leading to timely diagnoses and better outcomes.
2. Streamlined team workflows
Make endless paperwork a thing of the past. Automating routine tasks like data entry and inventory management frees up clinicians at different levels to focus more on patients. With connected electronic health records (EHRs) and AI, documentation work becomes lighter, quicker, and easier, allowing bedside and virtual clinicians to prioritize patient care. Not only that, digital health solutions, disease surveillance, and remote monitoring tools take on the job of frequent check-ins, escalating only the care that needs clinical intervention to help manage patient volumes.
3. Improved clinical decision-making
Here’s where tech really shines — clinicians can make faster, more informed decisions with access to real-time patient data in integrated EHRs. Advanced analytics provide insights into patient health trends, making diagnosis and treatment planning more accurate.
4. Increased accessibility and flexibility
Virtual care technologies like telehealth and virtual visits extend healthcare’s reach beyond traditional settings. Virtual nurses can manage admissions, conduct virtual rounds, and mentor bedside teams. Care teams can consult with specialists remotely on patient cases. Clinicians can see patients through video appointments wherever the patient — or clinician — is located, including the office or home. The increased flexibility is great news for rural hospitals, clinics, and communities with limited providers and access.
Getting your team on board with digital tech
Remember, technology’s here to empower, not overwhelm. Facilitating digital transformation success is key — here’s how you can do it:
1. Highlight the benefits
We all have similar pain points. Show your team how digital tools can alleviate burdens, improve collaboration, and allow them to focus on what they do best — patient care. Share how technology supports better outcomes and job satisfaction.
2. Ask for input
Your team will be executing these changes, so their input is crucial. Encourage feedback from physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, and care teams to drive adoption and advocacy. You need their voice in leading new tech selection, design, and implementation. It often helps to identify a dedicated and passionate “advocate” from among the user groups to help drive engagement and adoption. Consider the needs of various specialties, backgrounds, age groups, practice settings, and more to enlist input that includes your diverse workforce.
Having an open-door policy for feedback can inform continuous improvement.
3. Invest in training and communication
Digital literacy is a game-changer. Provide initial instruction and ongoing training to keep teams updated. Transparent communication about goals, changes, and expectations is vital. Address concerns, answer questions, and offer reassurance through various channels like team huddles and Q&A sessions, email, texts, and chats.
Creating an exciting work environment
Ultimately, it’s about empowering clinicians to do their best work and helping patients take charge of their health. I hope this post gives you insight into the potential of digital health solutions and how they can help you tackle common challenges head-on. Want to learn more? Check out our comprehensive eBook for steps to successful implementation and practical insights to elevate your team’s performance and patient care.