Health care is often recognized as a quickly changing industry, and the technology sector is quite similar. For this reason, health technology is something payers should especially keep up-to-date on.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the biggest technology niches that comes along with digital challenges. So much so that researchers are trying to gauge health care leaders’ views on implementing AI and other digital solutions to assist with implementation.
McKinsey & Company conducted a survey to gauge what digital challenges pose the most concern for public health leaders in the next two years. Coming in as the top concern (54%) within the pool of respondents is difficulty upgrading existing technological infrastructure and having an overly cumbersome transition process. Financial limitations were ranked as the next most common concern among global health leaders surveyed, with 51% of participants reporting that issue.
Other concerns highlighted in this survey include employees who are not open to digital changes, poor data quality impacting the benefits of new technology, and difficulty finding a shared system for both clinical and business information. Some respondents also noted that they’ve had difficulty finding and securing talent to assist with technology solutions. Another concern is that leaders are unclear as to how they should adjust their organizational strategy and digital investments to accommodate digital solutions.
Regardless of the type of technology health plans are looking to utilize, it is crucial that decision-makers are well-informed and take their provider network into account. New infrastructure has a ripple effect that can easily cause delays and miscommunication within the continuum of care. This means all health plans should have an action plan in place.
What are some of the best first steps for health plans looking to avoid these challenges?
- Weigh the pros and cons of any digital solution. Make a list of criteria to learn about each option, and look into at least three solutions before making a decision.
- Write out standard operating procedures (SOPs) in detail with consideration given to all parties who will be working with potential or new digital systems. Start this process as early as you can and add to it over time to ensure it is robust enough to help with the transition.
- Design presentations and other content that highlight the benefits of certain technology. This can assist with securing funding as well as educating employees on how these solutions will help the work they do.
- Recruit the help of trainers to properly orient employees to new systems. Be sure this training involves ample hands-on time as well as phases that allow for gradual implementation.