Healthcare

The last two years introduced more changes and challenges to healthcare organizations than ever before. The pandemic tested healthcare employees, who worked to the point of burnout to save lives, and highlighted severe inequities in the quality of and access to care for historically disadvantaged groups. Add to that the explosive growth of telehealth, which is reinventing healthcare delivery.

Happy New Year! 

Staff burnout in 2021 has reached crisis levels, threatening the health of organizations, providers, and patients across the country. Since the start of the pandemic, between 60 percent and 75 percent of clinicians have reported conditions that include exhaustion, depression, sleep disorders, and anxiety, according to Dr. Victor Dzau, President of the National Academy of Medicine, at a November webinar hosted by U.S. News & World Report.

The use of telehealth peaked in 2020 during the shutdown. It has since settled down but remains a popular option, as research demonstrates that telehealth usage today is 38 times higher than it was before the pandemic. That could have a big impact on the future of healthcare.

The COVID pandemic disrupted healthcare as we knew it. But healthcare systems are taking advantage of the pandemic-driven upheaval to accelerate changes to the way they work. According to a report from Deloitte, only 9% of healthcare employees indicated that employers were innovating new ways of working before COVID-19, compared with 78% since the pandemic began.

More than 500 healthcare cybersecurity breaches were reported in the past year and have affected more than 5 million patients, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights.

Medical services professionals (MSPs) are the gatekeepers of patient safety. That will never change. But everything else about the MSP role is evolving rapidly, with those adjustments accelerating exponentially during the COVID pandemic.

The number of nurses experiencing burnout is trending up and has been since before the COVID-19 pandemic. That burnout comes with a hefty price tag. The National Taskforce for Humanity in Healthcare estimates that nursing burnout costs hospitals $9 billion every year. Disengagement and lost productivity drive frequent turnover and can result in lost reimbursement from failing to meet patient-satisfaction and quality-care outcomes.

The increasing move to digital health sped up during the COVID-19 pandemic, from telehealth to remote work to teleconferences. Many of these changes appear to be permanent, particularly in the healthcare workforce. Embracing digital is no longer optional for long-term success.

Here’s how healthcare HR departments can support their organizations for a successful digital transformation. 

In the past year, COVID-19, increased regulations, and managing a remote workforce have all significantly contributed to the changing nature of human resources and intensified the pressure on the HR function. This new environment demands that HR is equipped, engaged, and invested in not only helping their organization meet its business objectives but mitigating risk as well.