How will you respond to clinicians sounding the alarm on unsustainable care delivery models?

Digital transformation will play a huge role in solving the problem, but the clinician voice is critical

Health organizations can seize on digital transformation to clear the obstacles from clinicians’ days.

“Digital is seen as a cost center, not a value center,” said Rachel Dunscombe, CEO of OpenEHR, who has worked extensively in creating digital clinical programs for England’s National Health Service (NHS) and elsewhere. “We really need to reframe it as being the operating model that allows more productivity while keeping our clinicians a lot happier in the work.” 

In interviews with EY professionals, clinicians say they see value in some digital tools that have been introduced, especially in voice dictation software and tools that allow them to view images, scans or medical records remotely. However, they disliked siloed apps and platforms that require them to log in multiple times per patient and they asked for better surfacing of the information they need from the Electronic Health Record (EHR). Still wary and beaten down by EHRs that have them lost in click boxes, clinicians were more skeptical about the role of technology in changing the care delivery model than executives. 

The costs of not pursuing digital strategies that will help attract and retain clinicians is high as well, as the price tag to replace a physician who leaves due to burnout is estimated at US$500,000 to US$1 million per doctor once recruitment, sign-on bonuses, lost billings and onboarding costs are factored in.¹

Dunscombe says health systems need to familiarize clinicians with the technology and free them to create the experience that is right for them. Another challenge to unleashing the power of health data is “the lack of tooling for the clinicians to actually interrogate the data,” she said. “One of the most powerful things we can do is allow the clinicians to understand the population.”

None of the clinicians interviewed by EY teams said they had access to analytic insights on their patients. Clinicians even expressed frustration with swimming in too much data at times, not being able to find what they need. In fact, a recent report by The World Bank estimated that some countries use less than 5% of health care data to improve health.²

Health organizations must advance toward digitally-enabled hybrid care models to address continuing workforce challenges

Newer models that seamlessly integrate remote and in-patient care can help relieve care demand, expand preventative care and improve the patient and clinician experience. Data insights can help identify the appropriate time, site and mode of care for patients. More effective virtual triage options and virtual primary care can help reduce the burden, while smart remote patient monitoring devices and apps can enable exception-based interventions and help create more consistent touch points with patients.

Six key actions will help health executives move toward digitally-enabled hybrid care models:

1. Prioritize time between clinician and patient.
   Health systems should build in more autonomy for the clinician to manage their patient panels and strengthen relationships with patients.
2. Activate the data that clinicians are collecting.
   Throughout the day clinicians collect data about their patient population. By equipping them with actionable insights from that data, they can better improve outcomes and experience.
3. Develop more precise and consumer-friendly communication strategies.
   When patients are waiting for test results or appointments, anxiety can build. Communication strategies can help assuage those worries and keep them connected to the health organization in hybrid care models.
4. Educate the public about what quality care looks like and their role in it.
   Many may still cling to the idea that quality care occurs only in the hospital, through instant access to specialists. How can health organizations help the public understand what high-quality care in hybrid care models looks like? Clinicians also indicated more needs to be done to stop abuse of health care workers by patients and to build trust.
5. Collect real-time feedback from employees.
   Health organizations need better understanding about what’s working for employees in the moment so they can drop what’s not working and remove burdensome policies or benefits that are not adding value for employees.
6. Focus talent strategies on supporting the move toward new digitally-enabled care models.
   As health systems shift care to preventative models and toward the home, HR will need to be ready for the new roles that will be necessary to carry care through to the home, such as consumer health techs to connect home health devices. Health systems will also need to work with governments and education systems to enhance digital clinical worker skill sets and pipeline.

Special thanks to the following individuals who contributed greatly to the EY Global Voices in Health Care Study 2023: Crystal Yednak, EY Global Health Senior Analyst; Aakanksha Kaul, EY Health Sciences and Wellness Analyst; and Risha Saxena, EY Health Sciences and Wellness Analyst