When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, healthcare providers focused on fast-tracking their adoption of telehealth services. The increased reliance on virtual care, along with numerous other changes ushered in by the pandemic, has required providers to rethink their IT priorities in 2021. Here are some of the top priorities for healthcare providers going forward.
Facilitating Telehealth and Virtual Care
The demand for virtual care remains strong. The stop-gap style telehealth provision seen at the beginning of 2020 has now shifted to more sophisticated, integrated approaches as providers begin to assess and implement best practices for virtual care. 2021 will see healthcare providers focus on areas still in need of improvement, in particular the integration of programs and platforms not originally developed for healthcare use. Upgraded infrastructure and security are also key focal points.
Streamlining Clinical Decision-Making
COVID-19 has placed enormous pressure on many providers. Many organizations have dealt with dramatically increased care demand, along with the associated rise in staffing and resource levels, by implementing AI-based programs to assist with decision-making. These programs can assist with bed management, staffing levels, and tracking needs, along with trends and alerts. They have also been used extensively to help improve revenue cycle management, which is critical to providers seeing increased costs and dramatic changes in the types of patients being treated.
Shifting to Off-Premise Storage
The pandemic has forced many providers to reassess their IT overheads. The increase in data being shared and uploaded along with unpredictable revenues means that providers are shifting away from on-premise models and towards cloud-based solutions. Cloud-based EHR solutions reduce the costs of managing IT infrastructure on-site, freeing up personnel, technology, and space requirements.
Offering Patient-First Digital Health Experiences
Even before the pandemic, patients exhibited heightened expectations around digital and virtual healthcare experiences. The growth of telehealth in 2020 has only cemented this. Patients now expect personalized, tailored healthcare experiences accessible from a central portal they can use to schedule appointments, communicate with physicians, view lab results, or make payments.
Improving Digital Communication Efforts
Public education has been an essential element of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020 providers had to ensure they were communicating effectively with the public about the virus, social distancing, and new measures and procedures. With so much of the communication between patients and providers now happening virtually, providers need to continue to invest in digital communication efforts to ensure that patients remain informed. These efforts may include digital signage, website improvements, social media, and virtual presentations.
Seeking Out New Tech-Friendly Spaces
Efficiency, affordability, and quality of care are the common themes at the heart of each of these priorities. As providers double down on telehealth, shift away from on-premise IT infrastructure, and focus on digital communication efforts, they may also be considering moving or expanding to a space more suited to the demands of healthcare in 2021.
At Gittleson Zuppas Medical Realty, we specialize in healthcare real estate that meets the needs of today’s healthcare providers. If your practice is considering a new space or wants to better understand the technology offered in buildings currently on the market, please get in touch.