Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1476979
82 EXECUTIVE BRIEFING 3 EXECUTIVE BRIEFING Should healthcare institutions upgrade their tech? Q&A with two experts Many hospitals and health systems are leaning on yesterday's technology to meet today's demands. An attitude of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" can leave healthcare institutions with outdated technology stacks and an overwhelming feeling about how to upgrade effectively. We spoke to Tabitha Lieberman, President, EHR and Healthcare Applications, and Michelle Strawn, Vice President, EHR and Healthcare Applications, to get their take on how healthcare providers can assess the right time to upgrade and approach this potentially daunting process. Should all healthcare institutions upgrade their technology tools? Tabitha: Consider where the healthcare industry is right now. We're dealing with decreasing revenue, mounting costs, increased complexities, and higher-than-ever physician burnout. The more we can utilize technologies to assist the better. At the same time, though, we're also not in a position to keep adding millions of dollars worth of tools—so you need to make sure your team is getting the most out of your existing technology investments. That not only helps you save money, but it also addresses a portion of these systemic issues we're facing. We owe it to our providers and patients to understand what tools we have and what benefits these tools provide, for a minimal increase in costs. Michelle: I think KPIs can be used in the revenue cycle space to ask, "Where do we come in compared to our peers? And what's the cost to deliver that service? Are we getting our biggest bang for our buck?" And I think we need to ask ourselves, "Is it helping solve the problems that we face in healthcare? And if it's not, then what are we doing?" Sometimes I feel like we spend a lot of time on a cool tool, but if it's not helping the patient or helping the healthcare organization deliver care in a better way, then what's the value? You've got to have a reason that you're investing in it. Tabitha: Very few organizations use all of the functionality available in their existing systems. When you're behind in revenue or when your nurses are frustrated, do you layer on another tool? Or do you sit down and say, "What tools do I already have to improve the experience and outcomes?" Epic is utilized in small and large organizations, but I guarantee that very few organizations have fully exploited it. I just met with someone who told me that they haven't done a technology tune-up in over 10 years. They're a good organization and they've applied timely upgrades, but they haven't gone back and looked at some of the foundational items needed to take the system to the next level. How should organizations think about their tech tools? Michelle: You've made this significant financial investment in your EMR, so you want to constantly be looking at where to leverage that. But it gets tricky because you implement the tool, and then you move on to the next project. And you're not reevaluating and constantly asking, "Does the tool still meet our needs? How can we optimize it? How can we fine-tune it?" You need to take advantage of the technology that you've invested in to the best of its capabilities. Tabitha: We constantly hear that new technologies are so much better. They're modern, they're in the cloud, they're automated, and they have AI. While this all sounds good, the reality is that there's no magic fix. It's a hard discipline for many organizations to understand their needs, learn what their applications can do, and only augment with new tools when they have taken advantage of what they already own. That requires governance, financial discipline, and operations-friendly technology roadmaps. Michelle: Many organizations have tools that can help them. But they have to sit down and expend energy on how to apply them and how to use the tools in the tool bag to actually make improvements. It can be hard, but also look at the ROI—meaning that by really understanding your tools and the value they are bringing you. Organizations can't afford right now to just go out and buy everything, so let's use what we have and drive improvement. Do you think you're leaning on yesterday's tech to meet today's demands? Is it time to upgrade or figure out how to get the most out of what you have? Let's talk! Contact us at info@ brightworkconsulting.net to learn how we can help.n Launched in 2017, Brightwork is a trusted healthcare consultancy and premier EPIC implementation partner. With an eye on optimizing technologies, modernizing workflows, and transforming infrastructure, we illuminate the path forward and ensure organizations are ready for the right now—and for all that comes next.