Digital Transformation in Healthcare: An Overview

Digital transformation hugely impacts the performance of almost all industries, including the healthcare industry. In fact, it is becoming an integral part of the healthcare industry as it helps to improve patient care, irrespective of where they are. In general, digital transformation involves adopting innovative technologies that serve to improve the operational efficiency of healthcare facilities and take patient care to a totally new level.

In this post, we will be discussing a few aspects of what digital transformation is, why it is important for the healthcare industry, and how it is impacting patient care.

Digital Transformation of the Healthcare Industry: What Is It?

Digital transformation involves delivering care to patients in a totally new way while upgrading the hospital's internal processes and meeting the needs of patients by adopting advanced technologies. In other words, it actively employs technology to add value to patients and healthcare facilities and achieve optimum benefits.

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According to experts in the field, nearly 92 percent of healthcare businesses expect to improve their performance using this patient-centric business model. That’s why businesses in the healthcare industry are digitally transforming themselves and radically changing the way medical services are delivered to patients. Having said that, let us now understand a little bit about the digital transformation the healthcare industry is going through.

Top Challenges to Digital Transformation in Healthcare

While technology has brought many improvements to the healthcare industry, digital transformation efforts also come with challenges that must be addressed to ensure sustainable success. Below are some key obstacles to consider when fostering a culture of digital innovation within your organization.

Data Privacy and Security

One of the most significant concerns in bringing healthcare into the digital age is the issue of data privacy and security.

As Maini notes, "Currently, your digital health data is scattered across different systems—it’s in your electronic health record, with your pharmacist, radiologist, or even dentist. However, these systems don’t communicate with one another."

This lack of interoperability makes it difficult for healthcare providers to use data in a way that ensures timely access to information, which can improve patient care and outcomes. To address this, healthcare organizations need to consolidate data in the cloud and minimize duplication, streamlining processes and reducing costs.

However, data security remains another pressing concern. While digitizing data allows easier sharing between patients, providers, and specialists, it also makes that data more vulnerable to hacking.

From 2009 to 2022, over 5,000 healthcare data breaches were reported to the HHS' Office of Civil Rights, affecting more than 350 million healthcare records, according to the HIPAA Journal.

As a result, healthcare facilities must enhance cybersecurity measures to mitigate the risk of breaches while also meeting patient expectations and adhering to data protection regulations. A Business Wire report highlights that 92% of Americans consider quick and easy access to their medical records through digital patient portals important, underscoring the need for secure but accessible systems.

Resistance to Change

Resistance to change is a common challenge in most workplaces, and healthcare is no exception. Digital transformation in healthcare requires significant buy-in from clinicians, administrators, and patients alike.

Maini suggests that creating an organizational structure that encourages collaboration is essential for successful digital transformation.

"When I talk to hospitals about preparing for digital transformation, whether cloud migration or cybersecurity, I recommend forming cross-functional teams," Maini says.

This approach ensures that business professionals and clinicians work together to find solutions that cater to both administrative and clinical needs. A unified effort ensures that healthcare providers who will be using the new technology are involved in the process, increasing the likelihood of success.

Skill Gaps Among Healthcare Professionals

Alongside labor shortages, the healthcare industry is grappling with a skills gap among both new and experienced professionals. This issue is particularly evident among clinicians who are not well-versed in the digital tools now becoming prevalent in the healthcare sector.

To address this, hospitals need to invest in professional development programs and training to help healthcare workers stay effective in the digital era.

Digital Transformation in the Healthcare Industry

The main goal of healthcare businesses is to use technology to implement innovative solutions that help them optimize their workflow processes, improve patient service, and cut costs.

Automation

The automation of workflow has a huge impact on the performance of the healthcare industry. It is helpful to drug manufacturers as it enhances production safety. This is because technologies can be employed to enable accurate and detailed testing of materials. Automation algorithms help boost the efficiency of microbiological studies, assess and analyze specimens, and improve laboratory research outcomes.

Furthermore, automation helps to minimize paperwork, which reduces human error. Besides, it contributes to maximizing productivity across departments.

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 The automation of workflow has a huge impact on the performance of the healthcare industry. Innovative solutions like a care coordination solution play a crucial role in enhancing operational efficiency by minimizing paperwork and reducing human error. Such systems also contribute to maximizing productivity across departments, allowing doctors to spend more time with patients and provide personalized care effectively.As far as doctors are concerned, automation helps them spend more time with patients and provide better and more personalized care. Automation also enables doctors to handle patients with similar needs as a group, and save time. Moreover, automation enables hospitals to send automated appointment reminders to patients and ensure that they keep up with their appointments.

Connected Ambulance

A connected ambulance is helpful to healthcare service providers as it potentially gathers and transfers vital information related to patients through wearables, HD cameras, and sensors as they are being transported to the concerned department.

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Even before a patient reaches the hospital, doctors have all the data they need to decide the course of treatment for him/her. Furthermore, this enables doctors to carry out the procedures not only faster but also more effectively. In certain critical situations, a connected ambulance helps doctors and paramedics perform certain important procedures while the patient is being brought to the hospital.

Telemedicine

Virtual doctor visits or consultations are one of the most recent developments in the healthcare industry. This helps patients meet specialists at their convenience and from anywhere they like. This is a more convenient and time- and cost-efficient proposition for patients and hospitals.

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The use of HIPAA-compliant telemedicine solutions increased multifold when people were forced to stay at home due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.. This strategy is now widely used on a regular basis. These solutions allow patients to schedule appointments, talk to doctors through video chats on their phones or PCs, receive prescriptions via email, etc.

Wearables

Today, people are more health-conscious than ever before. They are looking for effective ways to keep track of their health. This has led to the development and use of wearable medical devices. The wearable technology enables users to track their health metrics in real time. Some of the health devices that use wearable technology include:

• Heart rate trackers
• Exercise machines and fitness devices
• Sweat meters that track blood sugar levels
• Oximeters

Smartwatches are some of the most popular wearable devices available on the market for anyone who wants to track his/her health and fitness parameters on the go.

Patient Portals

Another trend in healthcare solutions is the creation of specific platforms that allow patients to:

• Schedule an appointment with a specialist
• Check prescriptions
• Schedule consultations
• Obtain additional information from doctors
• Review laboratory results
• Share health data with doctors
• Analyze their health records

This is not an exhaustive list of features that these platforms offer. These are just a few options available to patients on some healthcare platforms.

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All said and done, the healthcare industry has a long way to go to achieve the expected levels of digital transformation. Surveys show that people find these systems too confusing, and the interfaces are not intuitive enough.