4.10 Digital transformation

A 2021 study by Appleby et al. (2021) for Deloitte identified the following key attributes of healthcare organisations undertaking digital transformation:

1. Health systems consider digital capabilities a path to fundamentally transform their relationship with consumers.
2. While the digital transformation journey is long, health systems are focusing on interim milestones to show value.
3. Talent, data and setting key performance indicators are challenges to overcome, in addition to budget.
4. An executive champion is key to digital transformation success.
   (Appelby et al., 2021)

The rapid development and evolution of digital tools can tempt us to adopt the ‘latest invention’ to solve a particular issue. The adoption of a digital technology must align to overall enterprise-wide strategic and functional objectives and add value to how the organisation achieves its goals. For example, digital video capture of operating room procedures allows collection of useful training material. However, if the recording of patient images is not governed by policy (e.g. confidentiality) and process (e.g. how and where will images be stored) then the solution may raise more challenges and issues than it solves.

Challenges

Gopal et al. (2019) identified data and analytics as a key challenge as digital technologies collect ever more data but the capacity to analyse and synthesise may not keep pace. Gopal et al. (2019) further considered that not only is the volume of data an increasing challenge for organisations but lack of data structure inhibits data mining for analysis and research.

Challenges to achieving true and sustained value from digital technologies in health and social care are not from the evolution of the technologies but also come through broader organisational and industry issues:

• Workforce: what skills, training and abilities will the future health and social care workforce need to best use new and emerging technologies?
• Changing models of care: what are the gaps and needs in delivering patient/resident-centric models of care? How can digital health help to solve these challenges?
• Changing health and social care systems: the increasing divide between rich and poor and the role of digital technologies to address this; changing modes and models of care – for example, the increased use of telehealth. What might be the next digital health innovation for this mode of care provision? (e.g. What might the next evolution of virtual reality offer telehealth?)
• Changing treatments and diseases: how can digital technologies be applied to support changing treatments and emerging diseases?

Barriers

There are many drivers for digital innovation and adoption across the health and social care system. Desveaux et al. (2019) identified that digital health innovation relies on the following priorities for success at various levels.

At a policy level:

1. A system-level definition of innovation
2. A clear overarching mission
3. Clearly defined organisational roles

At an operational level:

1. Standardised processes
2. Shifting the emphasis to change management
3. Aligned funding structures
   (Desveaux et al., 2019)

Petracca et al. (2020) reviewed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on digital innovations in Italian hospitals, noting that the pandemic prompted an urgent need to implement digital solutions to a range of healthcare system challenges. The authors identified that success needs:

• reimbursement schemes
• a balance between local need and national priorities
• involvement of healthcare professionals
• coexistence of digital and analogue pathways for healthcare.

Sustained change

In the ‘post’ pandemic period, the authors found that healthcare organisations are now challenged to sustain the momentum of digital innovation and application, noting that a sustained approach needs the following ingredients:

• Planning and design
• Policies
• Priorities
• Partnerships
  (Pettraca et al., 2020)

The future of digital health innovations is only limited by our imaginations, and the potential to solve many health issues is being progressively realised. In the time you have taken to read this chapter many new scientific discoveries and health advances have been made.

Health service managers of the present and future will be challenged to find better solutions offered by digital health that deliver measurable value to patients, organisations and the broader health and social care system.