Two in five physicians plan on adopting augmented intelligence this year, while nearly one in five is already using these tools within their facility. As we begin a new year prepared for adaptability and potential financial uncertainty, there is one certainty: digitalization in healthcare is here to stay. DX, or digital transformation, has swept the modern workforce, and healthcare is no exception. So, how do we leverage these digital tools to maximize benefits for healthcare patients, staff, and stakeholders? Here, our team of healthcare logistics software specialists at SCLogic discusses multiple benefits of healthcare digitalization and how data plays an integral part in adopting a successful facilities management strategy for the upcoming year. 

The Current State of DX & Data Analysis in Healthcare

Digital transformation has been the buzzword of the decade, but as a broad term, let’s break down what digital transformation means for the healthcare industry today. For healthcare facilities, the main goals of DX are to adopt innovative technologies that can improve efficiencies in all areas, including patient care and facilities management. It’s important to note that DX is not just a one-and-done procedure but prioritizes continuous innovation and a mindset shift among employees that emphasizes collaboration, communication, and strategy with the help of technology. DX is the start of an entire workforce shift, using technology not just as a welcome addition but as a partner in every task, team, and department.

Did you know that currently, hospitals produce 50 petabytes of data per year? That’s 50 million gigabytes. However, 97 percent of this data is unused, meaning a world of information is at your disposal, going untouched. While it’s clear that not all data will be relevant to every healthcare facility, the minimal use of data analysis in healthcare facilities currently poses a massive gap that, with the right technology, could provide the knowledge and strategic opportunities to excel during an otherwise tumultuous financial state.

What Are the Benefits of Leveraging DX for Healthcare?

With an overview of DX under your belt, we know you’re itching to learn about the benefits, and trust us; there are endless. While it’s important to remember that the digital transformation process is ongoing, beginning your journey now will set your facility up for success in the coming years. Deloitte’s recent article regarding the future of healthcare outlines many experts’ predictions perfectly, stating, “we can be reasonably certain that digital transformation – enabled by radically interoperable data, artificial intelligence (AI), and open, secure platforms, will drive much of this change.”

A Focus on Data Aggregation for Managers

Data aggregation, or the compiling of information from multiple databases, is one of the most significant benefits of digital transformation. One of the main reasons that the vast majority of hospital data goes unused is that it is currently siloed or kept in individual point solutions that cannot integrate across your facility. This includes areas such as asset logistics, visitor tracking, document management, and more for operations management. This siloed data fosters inefficiencies and provides additional opportunities for cybersecurity threats and data breaches. With a complete platform solution, such as our software, Intra, this data can be compiled for all relevant departments, creating a comprehensive view of your entire facility.

Improved Internal Communication Prioritizes Patient Safety

The goal of any healthcare facility is to ensure patient safety. While we generally think of this from the direct sense of doctor-to-patient care, it is vital to ensure that your entire facility’s operations process is streamlined to minimize human error. What do we mean by this? Consider lab workers, providing needed vaccines and lab samples to a large hospital. With asset management software like Intra, you can identify a specific chain of custody for courier access and create customized notes for any temperature or care needs during transfer. This doesn’t stop at vaccines or lab samples; this is possible with organ transfers as well. Our job is to ensure that internal communication is streamlined so that you can focus on protecting your patients.

Maximize ROI with Data for Business Growth

At the end of the day, healthcare facilities are businesses. Like other industries, healthcare executives, directors, and stakeholders also benefit from digital transformation initiatives. Recent studies cite that the cost of downtime for IT in the healthcare industry ranges between $5,300 and $9,000 per minute. Even just a few minutes of downtime for outdated technology can result in significant financial loss. Additionally, with no proactive maintenance plan in place, reactive maintenance can lead to extensive repair costs and even longer downtimes for vital equipment.

 We know those were some dismal statistics, but don’t be alarmed. There is a solution, and that solution is digital transformation. Interoperability, or systems working in conjunction with one another, is estimated to reduce healthcare costs by an estimated $30 billion. By investing in a comprehensive platform that prioritizes integrations, such as Intra, cost minimization will be almost immediate. Not only will your facility save money through streamlined workflows, but the data from these efficiencies will provide solutions for the massive reallocation of funds to optimize your hospital.

Begin Your Digitalization Journey with SCLogic

The digitalization journey can be a trying time for healthcare facilities, as many are already short-staffed and working with outdated systems. To foster a digital-first healthcare facility, it starts from the top. Directors, managers, and executives that provide an innovative base for their healthcare facility set the precedent of incorporating digital tools as an essential part of business, one that not only promotes patient safety and staff security but generates revenue for continued growth. The time is now, and SCLogic is the solution. To learn more about our healthcare-centered workgroups and commitment to digital transformation, email [email protected] or schedule a demo with one of our team members today.