The healthcare sector is grappling with unprecedented staffing challenges, clinician burnout and retention issues. By leveraging data-driven insights, automation and innovative tools, hospitals and health systems can address immediate staffing gaps while also fostering a more sustainable and resilient workforce.
During a recent Becker's Healthcare webinar sponsored by LeanTaaS, Mohan Giridharadas, founder and CEO of LeanTaaS, facilitated a discussion with two healthcare leaders about harnessing technology to transform the workforce and drive performance optimization:
- Andy Anderson, MD, chief medical and quality office, RWJBarnabas Health (West Orange, N.J.)
- Jessica Reid, MBA, BSN, RN, NE-BC, CCRN, PCCN-K, assistant vice president, clinical and operational effectiveness, Orlando Health (Fla.)
Four key takeaways were:
- Actionable data can help with employee retention. For RWJBarnabas Health executives, doctor and nurse turnover are key performance metrics that are cascaded down through the system. One way that technology can improve retention is by making it easier for clinicians to do their work. "Actionable, timely and accurate data enables team members to make decisions and identify gaps," Dr. Anderson said. "Having those data systems in place is quite helpful."
- Predictive analytics support more accurate staffing plans. Three years ago, Orlando Health moved to a single anesthesia contract across its facilities. This provided better visibility into the needs of each facility and the ability of the anesthesia team to meet those needs. "You need predictive analytics to get insight into how much volume will increase for a service line and how that will affect staffing demand in that space," Ms. Reid said.
- Change management is essential when introducing new technologies. Orlando Health supports frontline leaders with the principles of change management. "They are the ones who communicate why it's important to adopt innovations and change the way we approach care," Ms. Reid said. An important part of change management is having the right culture, leadership and data transparency so people understand how things are going. "You want it to be change management and not crisis management," Dr. Anderson said. "Leaders must be willing to pivot if something isn't working well." RWJBarnabas Health has found it helpful to pilot programs before implementing them on a larger scale.
- Employee engagement is key to the success of new technology initiatives. Healthcare organizations are committed to delivering care that results in the best outcomes for patients and communities. "To do that, we need an engaged workforce," Dr. Anderson said. "Part of engagement is empowering our frontline caregivers to be part of the changes that will help us get there. Retaining highly engaged employees is the secret sauce to successful outcomes." Connecting employees to the purpose of their work and the reason that care delivery must adapt is increasingly important. "We know that an engaged workforce will almost double the outcome improvement for the patient, which is the most important thing," Ms. Reid said.
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