The healthcare industry is rapidly evolving, and digital transformation is a key driver of change. Ever since shifting to various electronic health record systems (EHR), the healthcare industry has adopted a multitude of digital bolt-ons to enhance both the provider and patient experience. Everything from telemedicine to mobile health applications has transformed how patients receive care. However, these advancements have also brought new challenges for healthcare organizations, including managing and maintaining complex digital infrastructures.

Healthcare administrators and executives understand that digital infrastructure is crucial to providing high-quality care to patients. However, they also recognize that having an excess or a shortage of technology can negatively impact patient outcomes. Therefore, to optimize the benefits of your digital infrastructure, it is essential to rightsize your technology stack. Here are some tips on how to do so: 

Assess Your Current Digital Infrastructure 

The first step in rightsizing your digital infrastructure is comprehensively assessing your current technology stack. This involves identifying all the technology solutions in your organization, including EHRs, telemedicine platforms, mobile health applications, and any other digital tools. Once you have a comprehensive overview of your current technology stack, you can evaluate how effectively it meets the needs of your patients and staff. 

 Evaluate Your Technology Needs  

After assessing your existing digital infrastructure, the next step is to evaluate your technology needs. This requires determining which technologies are essential to providing high-quality patient care and which are not. To do this, you must consider factors such as patient demand, clinical workflows, regulatory requirements, and your organization’s strategic goals.  

For instance, if you serve a large patient population with complex medical needs, you may need to invest in advanced EHR systems and telemedicine platforms to provide remote monitoring and virtual consultations.  On the other hand, if your organization serves a small patient population with relatively simple medical needs, you may not require as much technology. However, advanced systems like EHR are only one piece to your digital infrastructure; many of the advancements are done outside the EHR platform. 

Consider Your Budget and Resources  

Rightsizing your digital infrastructure begins with budgeting. You must balance the cost of implementing new technologies with the benefits they provide. You must also ensure you have the resources to support and maintain your digital infrastructure over the long term. 

Consider adopting a phased approach to rightsizing your digital infrastructure to optimize your budget and resources. This involves prioritizing the technologies that significantly impact patient outcomes and implementing them in stages. For example, you may begin by implementing a new EHR system that improves clinical workflows and then progress to implementing telemedicine platforms that improve patient access to care. 

Involve Your Clinical Staff in the Process  

Rightsizing your digital infrastructure is not solely about technology but also about people. Your clinical staff are the ones who will use the technology daily, so it is crucial to involve them in the process of rightsizing your digital infrastructure, but you will also want your patient access, billing teams, and research folks involved as well. Really anyone who utilizes the system should have a voice in the implementation and training. This entails obtaining their input on which technologies are necessary to provide high-quality care and which are not. 

By involving your entire staff in the process, including providing them with the training and skills needed to assess the process, you can ensure that your technology solutions align with your clinical workflows and meet the needs of your patients. You can also address any concerns or resistance to change that may arise. 

Ensure Compliance with Regulatory Requirements  

Rightsizing your digital infrastructure also involves ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements. For example, healthcare organizations are subject to numerous regulations, such as HIPAA, which require them to protect patient privacy and security. Failure to comply with these regulations can result in fines and damage your organization’s reputation. 

To ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, you must consider how your technology solutions handle sensitive patient data. You must also ensure that your staff is trained on how to use the technology in a compliant manner. 

Implement a Governance Framework  

Finally, it is essential to implement a governance framework to ensure that your digital infrastructure continues to provide the most significant impact on patient outcomes over time. This involves establishing policies and procedures for managing and maintaining your technology solutions. It also entails assigning responsibility for technology decisions and ensuring accountability for their outcomes. 

A governance framework can help ensure that your technology solutions are aligned with your organization’s strategic goals and provide the most significant impact on patient outcomes. It can also help you identify and address any technology-related risks or issues before they become substantial problems. 

Rightsizing your digital infrastructure is essential to delivering high-quality care to patients. By assessing your current technology stack, evaluating your technology needs, considering your budget and resources, involving your clinical staff, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, and implementing a governance framework, you can optimize your digital infrastructure for patient impact. But remember, rightsizing your digital infrastructure is an ongoing process. You should regularly review and update your technology solutions to ensure that they continue to meet the needs of your patients and staff. As a healthcare stakeholder, your efforts to rightsize your digital infrastructure can improve patient outcomes and healthcare delivery.  If you have any questions, Technossus is here to assist in reviewing your tech stack and partner with your team to ensure your digital infrastructure runs efficiently.