Exactly the right information at exactly the right time
Laura Heß
Julia Schmich
Ms. Schmich, due to the pandemic and the Hospital Future Act (KHZG), there is a huge surge of digitalization sweeping through Germany’s healthcare sector. What is the current state of affairs?
Politicians have realized that the pace of digitalization in the healthcare sector needs to be ramped up considerably. Grants have been awarded and there are lots of projects running in parallel as a result. That presents a major challenge, since resources are scarce right now and the lack of skilled workers in the IT sector has not been resolved.
What would you say the challenges are?
New IT systems need to be rolled out and then networked with each other, for example, and increasingly complex new processes are emerging.
That means the range of tasks is changing, and staff are faced with many new duties. All the same, a healthcare worker’s main role doesn’t revolve around operating an IT system, so digitalization essentially means more work for them in the first instance. Staff find themselves faced with a whole lot of change in what is already a stressful day-to-day working environment. And that’s not all, as they also need to absorb a lot of new know-how. Lastly, we shouldn’t forget that hospitals are facing a whole host of challenges besides the surge in digitalization.
Julia Schmich, Head of Business Development Healthcare at tts GmbH
New IT systems need to be rolled out and then networked with each other, for example, and increasingly complex new processes are emerging.
Which challenges are you referring to exactly?
First and foremost, the skills shortage, and then that is compounded by high staff turnover. This constant change within the workforce makes it increasingly difficult for new staff to work their way into their job. What’s more, the amount of time available for training, onboarding and generally imparting knowledge is constantly shrinking. If we look at everything involved in the forthcoming digitalization projects, most hospitals simply don’t know what’s about to hit them.
That raises the question of how to tackle all these challenges.
First, it is immensely important to get staff on board with the changes. They have to understand them to start with, and really grasp how these changes in their workplace will benefit them personally. That is crucial if you want them to accept the changes and be prepared to see them through.
The process of enabling them to do that is equally important and must not be approached with a short-term mindset. Classic in-person training on how to operate the new IT system is not enough on its own. We know from experience that participants forget most of the content presented during in-person training in the space of just a few days. By contrast, staff acquire over 80 percent of their knowledge directly at their place of work – where they usually get no support whatsoever.
Julia Schmich, Head of Business Development Healthcare at tts GmbH
If we look at everything involved in the forthcoming digitalization projects, most hospitals simply don’t know what’s about to hit them.
So, what other options are there?
Support needs to be provided directly at the workplace – in the form of a digital adoption solution. Software like this is based on a context-sensitive help function that gives staff exactly the support they need exactly when they need it. The aim is not to provide training as such, but rather rapid assistance within the working process itself and as appropriate to the staff member’s current situation and role.
Performance support that is implemented through a digital adoption solution such as the tts performance suite helps answer questions as they arise and reinforces process know-how and general competence for the long term. It works particularly well if staff only need to refer to a single source to gain access to their organization’s entire knowledge bank. After all, that ensures they aren’t wasting time having to search out relevant information, because everything they need to know in their current situation is right there for them in their moment of need.
What risks are organizations taking if they don’t opt for this kind of solution?
They may find that a new system is simply rejected outright and staff just carry on working as they always have. Alternatively, staff might find workarounds. Another risk is that the systems may not be used correctly. That leads to high costs for the hospitals due to incorrect data, duplication, non-functioning processes and inaccurate entries, for example. The result is that the added value the organization hoped to gain from its new system will not be realized. Ultimately, this added value lies in being able to spend more time focusing on the patient instead of grappling with administrative tasks.
