Can digital really solve the workforce problem? Jyoti Mehan of Health Care First considers how digital can tackle the workforce issue within healthcare
W
e hear a lot about digital solutions in healthcare, and the fact that these may be the panacea to our problems. As we well know, healthcare is facing an enormous workforce problem, which was sharply thrust into focus by the pandemic. While those of us in the healthcare sector were becoming increasingly aware of the workforce
problem prior to this, the past two years have comprehensively demonstrated the gravity of the issue we are facing. But right now, there is a real feeling that digital, and technology, can solve the workforce problem. We have heard so many instances of digital enabling the workforce to be more efficient, such as fully-connected patient management systems, technologies
that enable patients to take charge of their own healthcare when applicable, and many more. These solutions have been embraced with open arms, and for good reason. Technology is just such an incredibly important field in healthcare - and there’s no way to deny the power and capability for change that it has. Without the benefits of the developments in digital health which we have already experienced, we would really be in a bad place right now. However, if we look at technology, and digital innovation at large, healthcare is really lagging behind in its own digital revolution. For instance, if we look to consumer technology - the iPhone was only released in 2007, yet now it’s incredibly rare to find someone who doesn’t own a smartphone.
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