The top five health challenges and solutions in 2022

 The top five health challenges and solutions in 2022

Here are the replies we received when we asked industry experts to comment on the problems facing the healthcare business right now.

Numerous healthcare organizations have had numerous difficulties over the past year as a result of COVID-19. Some are a direct result of the pandemic (such the pressure on primary healthcare practitioners), while others are longer-term problems made worse by a worldwide epidemic (for example, inadequate healthcare and inequalities in services).

But difficulties frequently present chances to act differently. What are the most significant problems facing healthcare and hospital management? is a question we posed to industry professionals in order to learn more about current concerns and potential solutions in the healthcare industry. 

( Here are some of the replies we got and some of the learnings we've made over the years helping healthcare organizations optimize their processes. This post is not intended to offer solutions to healthcare issues; rather, it is meant to broaden the discussion and improve conditions.

The top five governance challenges in healthcare in 2022 and their solutions.

1. Lack Of Real-time Situation Management 

True crises were previously uncommon, but over the past year, we have been in a perpetual state of crisis, which is a very challenging situation for healthcare organizations. Healthcare crises like COVID-19, in Terry Zyski's opinion, necessitate situational awareness, or the use of real-time data analysis to comprehend how an event is developing and respond appropriately.

During an emergency or natural disaster, this is the only means to get vital health resources to the appropriate individuals at the appropriate time. The fundamental issue with hospital management systems is that they don't allow users access to the kinds of real-time factors that can speed up reaction times and outcomes, including the number of beds in a facility that are available at any given moment or the location of vital supplies. 

Real-time measurements can be gathered using a variety of software programs, including specialized situation management platforms like LiveProcess.

Another choice is ClearPoint, which offers a more thorough picture of situational awareness and connects it to strategy. This program is used by many organizations to automatically monitor and report on COVID-19-related health indicators, including incident volume, response times, resource usage, and more. Using this information, you can make decisions that continue to support your overall strategy and respond to emergencies properly.

2. Ineffective internal communication

Communication is still difficult between and within healthcare organizations, as well as with other external stakeholders. According to research, hospitals squander $12 billion yearly as a result of poor communication, which is frequently brought on by antiquated technology, departmental silos, and other problems. A successful communication program is essential since poor internal communication is even associated with the standard of treatment patients receive.

Issues including safety precautions, access to testing, and supplies of personal protective equipment must be conveyed to internal and external customers, particularly in the event of a pandemic. To empower and engage people, promote cooperation, and advance strategic goals, organizations need better ways to exchange data and information across teams—even in "normal" times.

Communication and information sharing are streamlined and facilitated using ClearPoint. By encouraging all staff to get involved in projects, it fosters engagement and provides transparency about the organization's goals and mission. Using external dashboards to provide critical information, ClearPoint also aids in communication with external stakeholders.

3. Lack of interoperability between systems.

Another significant issue that many healthcare professionals have noted is a lack of interoperability among health technology systems. Without a national health database, "health practitioners in one practice or health system cannot see patient information in another system, which can harm the patient," says Susan G. Bornstein, MD, MPH. For instance, a patient can forget that they are allergic to specific medications, what tests they've had, when they had surgery, and who they visited and why. All of this information is crucial to the success of continued treatment.

It is challenging to recognize patients' medical concerns and find remedies due to interoperability issues, according to Christy Dalecek of Haven Healthcare Advocates. "Electronic health records should be the answer, yet our healthcare system is currently even more disjointed. Your doctors and specialists might not have a complete medical record and medical history, even if they are all connected to the same network and utilizing the same electronic health system.

Issues with interoperability are frequently cited as a hindrance to increasing care quality and cutting costs. While it is unclear how new technologies like blockchain and machine learning will be used in practice, some people think they can be helpful.

4. Information overload

Imagine having to wade through tens of thousands of data points or hundreds of pages of test data at a time to find crucial information. These kinds of situations frequently arise with hospital personnel, administrators, physicians, and other healthcare professionals. Data overload is an undeniable issue in any medical organization, regardless of whether the information is produced by medical equipment or laboratory testing, whether it is used for patient care or for administrative purposes, etc.

Although having too much information can be beneficial, it can also become overwhelming very quickly. Technology can be useful because the majority of data are now in electronic form. Organizations in the healthcare sector should search for cutting-edge solutions that support the following.

Information retrieval made simple: seek for software that gathers data from several sources and services and automatically compiles it in one location. The better, the less tools required.

Real-time data updating: If a data point is updated by someone from a different department or business unit, all users should be able to see the changes immediately. Everyone will be using the same data this way.

Data visualization - Data is easier to grasp when it is represented visually. Therefore, seek for a program that provides a variety of chart and graph possibilities.

Easy to make reports - Producing reports by hand takes time; therefore, using software that generates and distributes reports automatically is the best alternative.

Turn to ClearPoint if you're seeking for a solution that helps you to utilize the data within your company to increase productivity. However, you might want to search for software that explicitly solves these difficulties in healthcare technology if you require a technical solution for other data-related duties, such as maintaining patient information.

5. Data security

Another concern brought up by many people is data security. Healthcare data breaches harmed 70% of the US population between 2009 and 2020, and this trend is unlikely to last.

Healthcare is relatively unprepared for cyberattacks in comparison to other industries. "Many healthcare facilities are becoming easier targets for attackers to exploit weaknesses due to funding and financial restrictions," stated Raymond Dacillo, Chief Operating Officer at C-Care Healthcare. A significant contributor to the rise in breaches has been the recent growth of digital health efforts, such as telemedicine doctor consultations during the pandemic. It is crucial to protect these procedures as more and more healthcare functions are made available online.

According to Dacillo, the development of the health sector's IT capabilities requires governmental backing. To better protect important healthcare data, healthcare organizations can already put in place a number of good practices, such as training staff members, limiting access to applications and data, and putting in place data access controls.

A stronger push in 2022.

More health problems (and hopefully remedies!) exist than those that are mentioned here. Please get in touch with us if we can assist your organization with any project management, reporting, or strategic planning-related health challenges. We are pleased to assist you in setting, managing, and achieving your objectives.

Problems that health technology can solve for a healthier world.

Almost every industry has undergone a technological revolution, including healthcare. Health technology advancements have made it possible for doctors to treat and diagnose patients more effectively. The adoption and application of technology have speeded up since the coronavirus pandemic and the blockchain that followed it. Initially, the development of health technology was slow.

Investing in mobile and web-based healthcare applications

The adaptability and effectiveness of these external platforms are always being improved by mobile app developers. This gives medical professionals a dependable experience and allows them to assist patients who are far away with high-quality care and guidance.

Telemedicine aspires to raise the bar for the use of wearable technology and cellphones for care monitoring with mobile care solutions. The development of goods that experiment with technologies like holography, artificial intelligence and machine learning, augmented reality, and virtual reality has been spurred by the use of technology in healthcare.

A social application for healthcare providers

The issue might be resolved by developing a social platform just for medical personnel. By developing "The OCR" (The On Call Room), a mobile networking platform for healthcare workers, Net Solutions has accomplished exactly that.

The following components are part of the application:

the most recent medical advancements.

Sharing of images, PDFs, PPTs, Excel spreadsheets, and videos.

the ability to like, comment, and ask questions on new status updates.

ability for healthcare professionals to exchange patient information.

Questions about Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement

Patients can get health insurance through government health care programs like Medicare and Medicaid. Due to the vast differences in their reimbursement regimes, an organized administrative process must be maintained. The application and enrollment processes for Medicare and Medicaid differ greatly and add a new chore to the to-do lists of healthcare providers. In accordance with the requirements, they must also store and preserve medical records in a format that is suitable for the services rendered.

READ: The Importance of Health and Health Care

The necessary electronic paperwork must be filled out by doctors who receive Medicare services in order to demonstrate that the patient actually received the care. The regulations' requirement that health practitioners go through a process to be compensated has greatly exacerbated the issues.

What is the future of technology in healthcare? - Great!

Without a doubt, technology has advanced healthcare, and it will continue to be crucial. Technology in healthcare is still thriving, with applications allowing doctors and patients to interact globally and regulating information flow within institutions.

When it comes to what mobile apps, cloud computing, and other digital tools may provide healthcare practitioners, we could only be at the top of the iceberg right now. In the near future, the digitalization of healthcare will become more significant and provide both patients and physicians fascinating new prospects.