Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, we’ve been on a quest to make things as efficient as possible. If there’s a way to do something faster, better, cheaper or more efficiently, it’s worth implementing into the process.
The very first automobiles were painstakingly made by hand until Ford revolutionized the process with automation.
The banking system was forever changed when ATMs were introduced into our daily lives.
Even today, we can do anything we choose, have access to unlimited statistics and data and resources by pushing a button on a small device located in our pockets.
But as much as automation has become a part of our lives, some industries still lag behind. Right now, the nursing industry is expected to have a shortage of a quarter of a million people by 2025, due to an ever-aging population in need of more care. A shortage of as many as 90,000 doctors will also exist, especially in more specialized areas of surgery or treating chronic disease.
Why? Because healthcare continues to be managed on a one-on-one basis.
And while individualized attention will never go out of style, applying automation to the tasks that are repeated over and over again can and should be implemented to reduce both time and costs for both staff and patients.
Automation:
- Increases overall savings on time, labor and cost. If something is repetitive, you can automate it. This is where apps and wearable technology can create the biggest change.
- Improves quality and consistency. Human error and fatigue are significantly reduced when certain processes are automated. Automating things like patient records, order entry, and medical support can all help reduce complications and costs.
- Provides better routines. Patient care can be triggered by many things. Two patients with similar medical problems may currently be treated in different ways, depending on the medical staff they see, the time of day they visit a facility, their reaction to information, the resources they are provided, and how well they understand advice. With human interaction, no two processes are the same. But with automation, every patient receives the same resources, the same information, the same guidelines and the same procedures once the system has been triggered. When patients follow a standard of care that is supported and monitored by automation, they are more likely to take the necessary actions.
Some may say that our new direction of healthcare will greatly impact the effect of human interaction and undermine staffing skills and knowledge. But automating tasks that require little cognitive value can free up time to spend on more important things. Like quality care, the human touch.
While the benefits of automation are still being developed, one thing is certain; it’s bringing change to a system that is in need of vast improvement.
How are you incorporating automation into your practice?
