During the Great Depression, tens of thousands of nurses joined the military to help the United States during their involvement in WWII. Hospitals and doctors’ offices were left to deal with a lack of licensed healthcare workers. Most recently, during the COVID-19 outbreak, healthcare workers began to show signs of burnout after providing continued care to massive numbers of patients with the virus, causing over 200,000 nurses and physicians to leave the field.

Within the next 10 years, approximately 40 percent of active physicians and a growing number of nurses nationwide are expected to reach retirement age. For those left behind, this means an increased workload unless healthcare facilities start looking for ways to fill these staffing shortages. 

With fewer people applying for med school and seeking nursing and medical degrees, the solution doesn’t lie in hiring from a non-existent workforce. Growing tech trends, such as telehealth, Cloud DevOps, chatbot integration, and software engineers, can help streamline facility operations, improve efficiency, reduce workloads, and enhance patient care. By investing in technology and training existing teams, your organization can provide high-quality patient care while addressing workforce gaps.

Cloud Development in Healthcare

The introduction of cloud computing has brought numerous benefits for today’s healthcare industry.

Cloud storage makes it easier for healthcare facilities to manage and access electronic health records (EHRs), which are important for reviewing patient information, medical histories, diagnosis reports, vaccinations, and establishing treatment plans. Secure cloud storage also adds a layer of protection, making it easier to adhere to current compliance regulations, such as HIPAA, by keeping patient information secure.

Due to the sheer volume of information healthcare professionals gather daily, having staff trained in modern Cloud DevOps is important. Additionally, with the increase in the number of patients who turn to telehealth, having reliable real-time data access to patient files helps improve patient care, regardless of location.

IT Workers: The Key to Seamless Technical Operations

In a recent Mayo Clinic study, a consistent lack of satisfaction with their organization’s EHR was one of the leading causes of frustration and burnout among physicians. Common complaints include:

• Poor Usability: Because of the amount of information EHRs provide, these programs are often difficult to use, making it hard for doctors to locate the information they need.
• Time-Consuming Data Entry: Physicians often spend the majority of their time entering information into the system, which limits the amount of time they can spend with their patients.
• Lack of Integration with Other Systems: EHR systems from different vendors often do not communicate well with one another, making it hard for doctor’s offices and healthcare facilities to share information.
• Alert Fatigue: EHRs often generate many alerts and notifications, which can mean some important information gets missed.
• Disruption of Workflow: Learning new updates and training on new features often leads to a disruption in workflow.
• High Costs: Implementing and learning a new EHR can be time-consuming and expensive.
• Limited Customization: Most EHRs have limited customization options which can make it hard to adapt the system to specific needs.
• Privacy Concerns: With electronic data breaches occurring regularly, patient privacy can be an ongoing concern.
• Lack of Training and Support: Due to a lack of time for adequate training, doctors often find themselves frustrated when trying to use EHRs.

In-house IT workers play an important role in eliminating many of the frustrations of EHRs. Tech specialists offer continued support with technical skills throughout the day by answering questions, addressing issues immediately, and ensuring the software operates flawlessly. They also help train all staff members in software programs and best practices so individuals know exactly how to navigate the technology. This allows doctors and nurses to focus on caring for patients and working without interruption. 

How Software Engineers Propel Innovation and Growth in Healthcare Organizations

IT programs aim to automate repetitive processes, streamline administrative tasks, and reduce the risk of error. As a result, patients receive a higher quality of care. Software engineers drive innovation and growth in healthcare organizations by developing and updating telehealth and EHR programs. These programs allow doctors to locate patient information quickly and reduce the time spent preparing reports and paperwork. These professionals also help healthcare facilities adapt to new technologies, keeping them in touch with medical advancements.

Fill Your Technical Skill Gaps Internally with Upskilling

A lack of qualified healthcare workers creates problems for hospitals, doctor’s offices, and other facilities. Organizations must improve their technical processes and introduce new technologies to boost efficiency and reduce workloads. Unfortunately, there’s also a lack of workers with enough knowledge to address these staffing challenges.

Hiring and training new employees costs thousands of dollars, and with increased turnover rates in the healthcare industry, upskilling current employees is often a better investment. Upskilling helps build a learning culture and is an excellent way of attracting and retaining talent familiar with your organization’s culture and processes.

By partnering with us, we can help you create a custom upskill program tailored specifically to your organizational needs. Our programs are taught by industry experts and will help you fill staffing gaps and ensure your healthcare office runs smoothly and efficiently.

Connect to Our Tech Talent Pipeline 

With technology constantly changing, staying ahead of the curve requires hiring top-tier talent to introduce and manage these programs. However, with an increasing demand for tech workers, locating the best employees for the job has become harder for companies across all industries. The average time to hire tech professionals is now at an all-time high of 44 days, with recruiting costs often reaching one-half to two times a worker’s salary. We can help reduce wait times and costs by connecting you with our Tech Talent Pipeline, allowing you to focus on your patients.

Are you ready to close your staffing gaps and enhance your tech team? Contact us today to learn more about how our Tech Talent Pipeline can streamline your hiring process and provide you with access to top-tier tech talent.