The 3 Critical Steps Required to Achieve Digital Transformation Success in Healthcare

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Healthcare organizations are undergoing tremendous transformation. With advancements in AI, telehealth, and other innovations, many providers have successfully modernized the patient experience to make everything from scheduling appointments to refilling prescriptions faster and easier. However, this era of unprecedented technology transformation in healthcare is not without hiccups. The quality-of-care providers deliver also hinges on balancing the needs of patients with the needs of frontline healthcare workers. This remains a challenge for many providers — not surprising given the speed of change occurring across the healthcare industry, which has typically been shackled to legacy technology systems and processes.

A recent McKinsey report cites some of the challenges healthcare providers must overcome when it comes to digital transformation. McKinsey projects that AI, machine learning and deep learning will result in a net savings of $200 billion to $360 billion in healthcare spending. While these are potentially massive savings, McKinsey reports that 75% of survey respondents said that while they place a high priority on digital and analytics transformation, they also lack sufficient resources or planning in this area. 

According to McKinsey, 51% of respondents report economic and cost pressures as well as budget constraints as key obstacles to comprehensive digital transformation, which makes implementing digital, AI, and generative solutions at scale across the organization a major challenge, often resulting in disjointed roll outs. Layering modern technologies on top of broken processes will not improve efficiencies. It will only cause additional headaches. To truly reap value from advanced healthcare technology transformation, workflows as well as care models need to be reimagined. This process will lead to more appropriate delegation, powered by technology, to yield a potential 15% to 30% net time savings over a 12-hour shift. 

Most executives of health systems that have invested in digital priorities (72 percent) reported satisfaction across all investment areas.  This survey points to the advantages of investment in a digital strategy that is well integrated across the patience experience, but which also makes healthcare workers’ jobs more efficient.

Achieving complete digital transformation to deliver patient-centric care

To achieve full, 360-degree digital transformation, there are important steps healthcare CIOs must consider to reduce dependency on manual processes. These three considerations result in higher efficiency across the organization, and ultimately, deliver a higher quality of care, including:

1. Select the right tools for the job

One of the biggest hurdles to comprehensive digitalization is using outdated technologies, which create inefficiencies for healthcare workers and may also be incompatible with modern EHR systems. In addition to outdated technologies, the inability to provide the right tools for the right job is equally problematic. Many healthcare organizations still depend on multifunction printers (MFPs) to manage patient registration, billing, etc. Frontline workers must spend more time scanning and capturing documents, which are then uploaded to EHR and other systems. However, these devices may compromise document accuracy because they aren’t designed for scanning, but instead are optimized first for printing and copying, with scanning and faxing as ancillary features. MFPs also require staff to walk to and from the device, while scanners are usually at arm’s length, allowing personnel to scan documents at the time of patient check-in. This proximity increases efficiency and allows frontline workers to provide better service. In addition, scanned documents can be uploaded immediately to the EHR, to create a continuous record of patient care. 

2. Successful change management requires the voice of the user

Once new technology and processes are introduced, healthcare organizations must coordinate change management carefully.  Healthcare is 24/7 — there are no off days. While hiccups will happen, planning will help diminish critical failures. Organizations’ IT departments and solution architects must engage their frontline workers and “power users” during the selection and implementation of new systems. By making this a standard step in change management, stress levels will decrease because frontline workers will be part of the process and engaged in establishing the new systems – reducing the culture shock that might occur. Having the voice of the user throughout the design and implementation process is critical. There also needs to be a heavy emphasis on training – and training, training, training. If new systems go live and there hasn’t been sufficient training, the probability of failure is high, and it may have a negative impact on productivity. Change management is a big challenge and difficult to get right. Incorporating the voice of the user is critical to making the process successful, particularly the healthcare industry. 

3. Beware of trends that might compromise disaster recovery

Healthcare organizations have been targeted by cyber criminals for years, and the threats continue to grow. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) reported a 239% increase in hacking-related data breaches between January 1, 2018, and September 30, 2023, and a 278% increase in ransomware attacks over the same period. In 2023, 79.7% of data breaches were due to hacking incidents.  These frightening statistics are one reason why healthcare CIOs must make security “job one” and why they shouldn’t fall for trends that could make resuming operations nearly impossible should a cyberattack occur. For example, as much as we all want to use less paper, or eliminate it entirely, this isn’t possible in healthcare because a ransomware attack could render a provider’s IT networks and infrastructure useless. Ascension Health is just one example of a health system that was hit by an attack. In May 2024, Ascension Health announced the breach which sent their systems offline across its 140 hospitals and 40 senior living facilities across the country. A more recent example was the widespread outage caused by an update to CrowdStrike’s endpoint detection and response (EDR) platform which led to Windows operating system crashes around the world. With Electronic Medical Records (EMR) systems down, hospitals and healthcare had to revert to “old school” paper charting, many scaling back services or canceling  surgeries and appointments entirely. Full digitization is an admirable goal, and one that should be pursued; however, paper processes can enable healthcare providers to deliver some level of care if a cyberattack or outage occurs. And while paper backups are important, organizations also need a way to digitize and move that paper efficiently and effectively.

The journey towards successful digital transformation in healthcare requires a multifaceted approach that integrates technological innovation with strategic planning and a patient-centered focus. By providing healthcare workers with the right tools and engaging them in the change management process, providers can enhance efficiency, improve patient outcomes, and foster greater collaboration among healthcare professionals. As healthcare continues to evolve in the digital age, sustained commitment to innovation, adaptability to emerging technologies, and a steadfast dedication to patient care will be pivotal in shaping a future where technology serves as a cornerstone of accessible and effective healthcare delivery.