A deep dive into digital transformation in healthcare

Digital transformation in healthcare implies more than adopting technology; it's about prioritizing and fundamentally reshaping healthcare delivery and patient experiences. Digital health platforms offer healthcare providers the opportunity to transform their business processes and cultural practices through technology. They enable the integration and utilization of data from a broader health ecosystem, streamlining operations and enhancing patient care. In this blog, we'll capture the role of digital transformation in healthcare, examine popular use cases, and explore key trends that are shaping the future of healthcare digitalization.

Digital transformation in healthcare: an overview

Digital transformation is reshaping healthcare through the integration of digital technologies and data-driven processes. This approach significantly improves healthcare service delivery, enhances patient outcomes, and streamlines administrative operations, while also fostering collaboration among healthcare stakeholders. At the heart of this transformation are innovations like electronic health records (EHRs), telemedicine, advanced data analytics, and the integration of IoT devices and artificial intelligence (AI). These elements collectively drive efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and innovation, marking a new era in the healthcare industry.

Why is healthcare digital transformation important?

Benefits of digital transformation in healthcare

Digital transformation in healthcare has revolutionized healthcare engagement, making it more interactive and patient-centric. HCOs are partnering with technology providers to optimize treatment, improve accessibility, and implement proactive, cost-effective strategies. While healthcare digitalization promises a holistic, affordable and sustainable future, it's crucial to acknowledge the balance between innovation and the challenges it brings. While digital transformation offers substantial improvements, it also requires navigating complexities such as data security, interoperability, and the upskilling of healthcare staff. These factors play a pivotal role in determining the success and sustainability of digital initiatives in healthcare. With this context in mind, let's explore the significant benefits that digital transformation brings to the healthcare sector.

The quality of patient care in hospitals is largely dependent on the healthcare provider’s ability to manage hospital resources effectively. Digital healthcare transformation drives data-driven decision-making in hospitals to aid admission, treatment and discharge decisions. Real-time insights and decision-support algorithms can use patient and operational data to provide appropriate recommendations. Predictive analytics to support patient and operational flow can reduce the average hospital stay duration, lower readmission rates and optimize the bed turnover process. Better management of hospital resources improves accessibility and quality of care.

Electronic Health Records (EHR) enable a more comprehensive and accessible view of patient records, ensuring that healthcare providers have immediate access to critical information. This improves the accuracy of diagnoses and the effectiveness of treatments. Moreover, telemedicine platforms facilitate remote consultations, increasing accessibility, especially for patients in remote areas or those with mobility issues. This leads to better patient outcomes and a more personalized healthcare experience.

In the past, hospitals would depend on traditional methods for staffing decisions, such as allocating nurses to shifts or determining the number of doctors needed in each department. This often led to inefficiencies, inconsistencies in scheduling, and even staff burnout due to the ad-hoc nature of these methods. Today, with healthcare digitalization, HCOs have the means to log and analyze staffing needs, factoring in variables like patient influx, staff availability, and individual workload histories.

The shift from a manual, reactive approach to a proactive, analytics-driven strategy is leading to a more balanced workload, reduced burnout, and a more efficient allocation of hospital resources. Predictive insights from analyzing historical data can identify emergency staffing parameters to better handle patient care while reducing turnover rates. Healthcare providers are now analyzing the composition of care teams for maximum productivity, recommend a combination of different roles and expertise and maintain optimal staffing levels based on familiarity among team members and past collaborations.

Healthcare professionals are using AI-powered diagnostic tools, EHR systems, clinical decision support systems (CDSS), mobile health applications and other platforms to diagnose complex cases and reduce the likelihood of human error. Additionally, digital platforms streamline administrative tasks, freeing up healthcare workers to focus more on patient care. Online learning platforms are also offering continuous learning opportunities to keep staff updated with the latest medical advancements and practices. This not only improves the quality of care but also boosts job satisfaction and efficiency among healthcare workers.

According to data from Definitive Healthcare, U.S. hospitals reported more than $48 billion in combined medical and surgical supply costs in 2021 — averaging $13.5 million per hospital. Digital transformation in healthcare enables real-time tracking of medical supplies, ensuring timely availability and reducing wastage. Advanced analytics can predict supply needs, leading to more informed purchasing decisions. This reduces operational costs and minimizes the risk of shortages.

Healthcare digitalization has provided HCOs with the means to automate inventorying tasks like data collection, ordering, payment reconciliation and audits. Advanced analytics tools provide insights into pricing trends, demand forecasting, and supply longevity, aiding in cost-effective purchasing and preventing overstocking or stock shortages. The adoption of blockchain technology has increased transparency and security in supply chains, minimizing administrative burdens and optimizing the overall management of healthcare resources.

Healthcare transformation streamlines the scheduling process, making it more efficient and patient-friendly. Online appointment systems allow patients to book, reschedule, or cancel appointments easily, reducing no-shows and optimizing clinic schedules. These systems can also analyze peak times and patient flow, enabling better staff allocation and resource management. v

St. Luke’s Health is a good study in the interaction of AI/ML with EHR technologies. St. Luke’s Health is a nonprofit healthcare provider in Kansas City that needed to address a staffing and resources shortage. They partnered with Qventus, an AI-based software platform to optimize patient flow across the platform. A combination of AI/ML, automation and behavioral science principles allowed St. Luke’s Health to improve time management for surgeons, study their practice patterns and past performance and find actionable improvement opportunities. As a result of the collaboration between St. Luke’s Health and Qventues, the healthcare provider is consistently achieving 80% prime time utilization in the main ORs, along with 7% more surgical cases.

Healthcare providers are partnering within the healthcare ecosystem to create more cohesive scheduling systems that can predict, with a high degree of accuracy, granular details like the average time to complete a procedure, the duration a patient should spend in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) and the optimal sequence to schedule surgical procedures for maximum efficiency.

Healthcare digital transformation challenges

Digital transformation in healthcare requires a measured approach – healthcare providers need to balance stakeholder expectations and address data privacy issues, regulatory mandates, compliance and data integration concerns. Addressing these effectively requires a balanced approach that combines technological innovation with a deep understanding of the healthcare ecosystem and its unique needs.

One of the primary challenges in healthcare digital transformation right now is achieving interoperability and scalability. Healthcare systems often comprise diverse technologies and software platforms, which need to seamlessly exchange data for effective patient care. Most medical and biomedical devices feature proprietary language protocols, making communication and data sharing challenging.

While Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) or the CMS Interoperability and Patient Access Rule operate as interoperability standards, most health systems have to deal with multiple EHR systems spread across affiliated providers. Recent survey data indicates that 4 in 5 non-federal acute care hospitals use APIs to securely read and share data from the EHR and grant access to patient-facing apps. However, API adoption drops drastically among hospitals that do not use the most popular EHRs.

Establishing interoperability among these disparate systems, while ensuring they can scale to accommodate growing data volumes and new functionalities, is a complex task. It requires a strategic approach to integration, along with adherence to standard data formats and protocols. Torry Harris Integration Solutions (THIS) offers an interoperability kit for digital healthcare data exchange designed to simplify and expedite the adoption of FHIR-compliant APIs for healthcare organizations.

Security and compliance are major concerns for modern health systems that store and exchange sensitive patient data like diagnoses, prescription and dosage information, treatment data and more. HCOs must comply with stringent regulations like HIPAA in the United States the Hébergeurs de Données de Santé (HDS) in France, the Royal Netherlands Standardization Institute 7510 or GDPR in Europe.

According to the HIPAA journal, 5,150 healthcare data breaches of 500 or more records have been reported to the HHS’ Office for Civil Rights from 2009 to 2022. The challenge lies in implementing robust cybersecurity measures and maintaining compliance without compromising on the efficiency and usability of digital systems. Regular risk assessments, data encryption, and employee training on data handling are essential components of a comprehensive security strategy.

The quality of data in healthcare systems is critical for accurate diagnoses, treatment plans, and research. However, ensuring high data quality is challenging due to factors like inconsistent data entry, legacy systems, and varying data standards. Poor data quality can lead to erroneous clinical decisions and inefficiencies. Healthcare providers must establish stringent data governance frameworks, employ advanced data cleansing tools, and ensure regular monitoring and validation of data to maintain its accuracy and reliability.

Securing buy-in from all stakeholders – from top management to healthcare staff and patients – is crucial for successful digital transformation. Each group may have different concerns and expectations. For instance, healthcare professionals can be skeptical about new technologies disrupting established workflows, while patients might have privacy concerns. Amazon’s entry into the telehealth services sector with Amazon Care is further triggering concerns about data privacy and security within competing technology providers.

Addressing these apprehensions requires clear communication about the benefits, comprehensive training programs, and involving stakeholders in the planning and implementation phases to ensure their needs and concerns are addressed.

Connected health is a model for healthcare delivery that uses technology to provide healthcare remotely. Wearable devices, such as smartwatches and fitness trackers, monitor vital health parameters in real-time, allowing for proactive health management. Combined with mobile health applications, connected health offers personalized health advice and reminders for medication, significantly enhancing patient engagement and self-management. Telehealth services have also surged, enabling patients to consult with healthcare providers from the comfort of their homes, irrespective of geographical barriers.

Healthcare organizations (HCOs) are investing in connected health to leverage real-time patient data and make patient care more personalized and accessible. 5G utilization allows telcos to partner with HCOs and create smart hospitals that can easily integrate with fitness trackers, IoT devices, healthcare assets, biomedical devices and more. Connected health allows healthcare providers to pool patient and treatment data into a centralized repository, in a standardized format. Having all the data in a standardized format eliminates silos and offers insights into improving patient outcomes.

A steady increase in the number of devices connected to health systems has brought the focus to cybersecurity. With vast amounts of sensitive patient data being digitized, HCOs are implementing advanced encryption methods, secure data storage solutions, and rigorous compliance with data protection regulations. Regular training for healthcare staff on data privacy and security protocols is also becoming a norm.

Asset tracking can identify and consolidate data from all devices connected to health systems automatically, improving the accuracy and consistency of medical records. However, it’s vital for healthcare providers to first understand the limitations of their health systems and the medical device inventory to address the risk of vulnerabilities within their network. This focus on cybersecurity is crucial for maintaining patient trust and safeguarding against data breaches, which can have significant legal and reputational repercussions.

The impact of healthcare digitalization is not just limited to device integration and ecosystem enablement – it streamlines the day-to-day functions of healthcare professionals and hospital staff. Electronic medical records (EMRs) and digital prescribing systems streamline documentation, reducing the time spent on paperwork. Automated scheduling and patient reminders improve clinic efficiency and reduce no-show rates. AI-powered tools are being used to optimize resource allocation and predict patient admission trends, leading to better staff and bed management.

For example, Imprivata helped CHRISTUS Health implement SSO and VDI, allowing them to save over 1,400 clinical hours and USD $92,000 per year, per facility. These technologies are not only improving the speed and accuracy of healthcare delivery but are also enhancing the overall operational efficiency of healthcare facilities.

Generative AI is being used widely across various industry verticals, including g healthcare. From developing personalized treatment plans, using patient data to generating 3D models for surgical planning, the applications of GenAI are vast and transformative. AI is also being used in drug discovery, speeding up the process of identifying potential therapeutic compounds. Furthermore, AI chatbots are assisting in patient triage and providing initial consultations, thereby streamlining the patient intake process.

While the incorporation of generative AI is opening up new possibilities for healthcare innovation, it’s necessary to address concerns about accuracy and consistency in outcomes. The use of GenAI is still nascent, and HCOs are hesitant about implementing it in patient-facing use cases without significant oversight.

Digital transformation in healthcare is allowing HCOs to bring a fresh approach to healthcare delivery. Technology providers are working with HCOs to create innovative health systems that increase access and consistency of patient care with automation, security and data-driven insights. These partnerships are revolutionizing patient experiences and optimizing care delivery.

With more and more healthcare providers leveraging ecosystem enablement to improve tech maturity and remove traditional barriers, we are looking at a future where all medical data will be unified and centrally accessible without any silos. Cloud-native applications and services are helping healthcare professionals and HCOs improve productivity and efficiency in everyday workflows.

Since most HCOs are at a median stage in their digital transformation journeys, the immediate focus is on building a foundational base for data and business intelligence and AI/ML by leveraging the cloud and virtual health services.

Digitalization of healthcare will require a team effort to align healthcare transformation goals with IT, finance, cybersecurity and clinical objectives. At such a transformational stage, it’s important to focus on short-term milestones and play the long game. As hardware and software infrastructures develop to adapt to the knowledge-intensive nature of the healthcare industry, we can expect it to further improve operational and financial processes.

How to get started on your digital transformation in healthcare journey with Torry Harris Integration Solutions?

Torry Harris Integration Solutions (THIS) offers a pathway for healthcare organizations looking to modernize their systems and services. With our expertise in integrating cutting-edge digital technologies and our deep understanding of the healthcare industry's unique challenges, we can help you navigate this transition smoothly. Our solutions focus on enhancing patient care, optimizing operations, and ensuring data security, all while maintaining compliance with healthcare regulations. Whether you're looking to implement AI-driven analytics, streamline your supply chain, or secure your patient data, our team at THIS is equipped to guide you every step of the way.

Interested in learning more about how we can assist your organization in its digital transformation journey? Contact us to explore how we can collaboratively revolutionize your healthcare systems.