You’ve heard the term digital transformation countless times over the past few years. Unless you’re living under a rock, you have probably seen digital transformation, or DX, impact industries across the board. For the healthcare industry, digital transformation has been an immense benefit, but implementing this process has been slow, to say the least. So, what’s holding the healthcare industry back from digital transformation? Here, our team of healthcare logistics software specialists discusses the state of the healthcare industry as it relates to DX, common adoption barriers, and the benefits of implementing a comprehensive DX strategy.

What Does DX Look Like in Healthcare Today? 

If you’re a healthcare worker, two of your top priorities are likely to ensure patient safety and improve their experience, and optimize your daily workflows. Digital transformation, or the process of uprooting traditional legacy systems to foster a technology-first facility, expedites tasks for staff, improves collaboration amongst departments, and enhances the patient’s experience. DX is not a single-step process but begins with small digitization steps. According to the World Economic Forum, there are milestones for healthcare facilities that lead to DX, including the following:

1. Digitization – Digitizing and organizing information by converting physical documents into secure digital ones and collecting information through a detailed recordkeeping system.
2. Digitalization – Automating and streamlining processes by implementing healthcare-centered technologies and operations platforms. 
3. Digital Transformation – An entire shift in workforce technology and culture, using education, training, and collaboration to transform every level of facility operations. 

We understand that digital transformation can be overwhelming, especially for healthcare facilities. Don’t feel like you must completely transform your facility in one go; taking smaller steps can help your team financially, as well as make employee adoption easier. According to Deloitte’s DX insights for healthcare this year, 60% of organizations stated that they were midway through their DX journey, creating frequent checkpoints to measure the value of each new initiative and ROI.

What is Preventing Healthcare from Moving Forward with DX?

When it comes to DX in healthcare, it’s important to note that many factors result in the challenge of implementing DX. From both the staff and patient side, healthcare is one of the strictest industries (as it should be) to support the safety of all involved. From workforce shortages to non-compliance issues, here are some of the most prominent factors in healthcare’s halt in DX.

The Workforce Shortage: Both in Tech and Healthcare 

According to Datapeople’s 2022 hiring report, the available labor in the tech market has reduced significantly. Just this year, there has been a 25% decrease in applicants, while the number of posted jobs has nearly doubled over the same period. Additionally, the U.S. is estimated to have a shortage of almost 100,000 medical and lab technologists and technicians by 2025. As a result, there is a significant shortage of both individuals implementing new digital transformation strategies, with a reduced labor force that will be able to use them. With the labor shortage in the healthcare market, many teams do not have time to work proactively with DX, as they struggle with burnout to get through their daily tasks.

No Thought Leadership Within Your Healthcare Facility

The traditional workforce works from the top down, with executives exemplifying thought leadership and making innovative decisions for your organization. While the modern workplace culture is changing, healthcare is still set in a more traditional sense. When it comes to digital transformation, unfortunately, one of the most significant challenges is strategy and planning from executives. Currently, around 70% of digital transformation projects end in failure due to improper planning and execution. Deloitte’s 2022 study showed that leadership (80%) and management of implementation (68%) are drivers of DX. The study says that “organizational leadership [that] understands and supports digital transformation efforts and follows through with appropriate staffing, resources, and decision-making authority…changes the organizational culture around digital.”

Restrictions from Compliance & Cybersecurity Worries

Compliance and cybersecurity are the most common concerns holding healthcare back from implementing digital transformation. Healthcare is still the costliest industry for data breaches, reaching an average of $10.1 million per incident. Unfortunately, many healthcare facilities view their current systems as a catch-22. If their legacy systems are working well and intact, why risk updating them and potentially losing data during the shift? However, not implementing DX practices can also increase the risk of a breach, as many legacy systems don’t have patches for bugs or other cybersecurity threats. With minimal time to work proactively, compliance can be a concern, as there is no room for human error during the transfer of information to new systems.

Streamline Your Facilities Management Through SCLogic’s DX Software

If you are still figuring out where to begin in your digital transformation process, we recommend working from the bottom up, figuratively. There is no doubt investing in DX software is worthwhile. With SCLogic, our healthcare logistics and operations software, Intra, provides a comprehensive platform that encompasses the capabilities of your many point solutions, giving you one platform that does it all. From asset management to courier services, our software optimizes daily workflows while prioritizing the healthcare industry’s unique needs. To learn more about our healthcare-specific workgroups, email [email protected] or schedule a demo with one of our team members today.