The need for digitization is now. With the deadline for the CMS Interoperability Cures Final Act looming and expectations for an improved patient experience driving evolving technologies in telehealth and other digital-based services, 85 percent of executives said their company has significantly or somewhat accelerated the implementation and adoption of technologies. 

But your approach to introducing new technologies for your health delivery services teams dramatically impacts the success of your digital implementation strategies. Success depends on the preparation you implement before the digital plan. By gaining strategic insight from your departments that directly address department needs, implementing tools that help your organization scale as a whole, and then encouraging staff to discover new ways to optimize workflow with this newly implemented technology, the pathway to digital transformation can be supportive and seamless. Here’s how:  

Prepare a plan that addresses departmental needs

Although the decision to move forward with digital transformation rests on the shoulders of your executive team, measurable success ultimately occurs when department heads are consulted to learn more about their team’s needs. Is existing workflow scalable? What does the team need to be more efficient, more collaborative, more cost-effective?

Google research found that the success of change implementation increases by 42 percent with increased consultation with frontline employees. Such efforts ensure that your staff will utilize your plans for partnering technology in ways that enhance their workflow rather than disrupt it. 

Select tech tools that optimize workflow—not disrupt it

The most significant impact of these changes is likely seen in the better utilization of data. Comprehensive patient information, a more accessible provider history, benefit history, billing, supply chain information on supplies, etc. This improves the performance of existing health delivery services by using digital tools without disrupting customer relationships. 

“Digital transformation means something very different from outright disruption, in which the old is swept away by the new,” says Nathan Furr and Andrew Shipilov, who researched the process. “Change is involved, and sometimes radical replacements for manufacturing processes, distribution channels, or business models are necessary; but more often than not, transformation means incremental steps to deliver the core value proposition better.”

Develop a learning work culture for ongoing growth

As an organization grows, technology-based tools always provide new ways to keep workflow running smoothly. And as your staff becomes more familiar with a new system, encourage them to explore new features, fields, or tools that simplify essential tasks. 

Doing so equips your team with innovative skills to match this new technology to explore new ideas that lead to solutions to benefit customers. It also enables leaders to develop processes based on these new technological innovations and respond to these shifting demands of the healthcare industry. 

As healthcare moves further toward interoperability, every team member in your organization should understand the purpose of these digital-based changes and feel they contributed to this transformation. Consult with your teams, implement digital transformation with their needs in mind, and then encourage continued innovation to ensure a seamless and successful implementation.