The Australian healthcare sector has seen big change in recent years. Many people consider COVID-19 as the major catalyst. But other factors have led many health practices to rethink how they can succeed with technology and for good reason.
According to Australian Government report on older Australians as of June 2020, 4.2 million Australians were aged 65 and over. They made up 16% of the total population, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). By 2066, it’s projected that older people in Australia will make up between 21% and 23% of the total population (ABS). This creates the need for a greater focus on care and what that looks like for an ageing population.
Previously, health practices focused solely on providing great care and achieving positive health outcomes. These factors were seen as the measures of success.
But recently, both patients and healthcare workers' expectations have changed. Experience and collaboration are also important.
For patients, this means receiving great experiences. Healthcare practices can use data from surveys to assess their performance. This might include how easy it is to book an online appointment. Also, the effectiveness of communication, staff demeanour, or appointment wait times.
For employees, several things might be linked to high satisfaction scores. This can include how technology is used in the practice, which can affect efficiency and ease of workflows. Patient load can also impact employee satisfaction. As can the type of technology adopted and how easy it is to use.
Additionally, there are compliance and quality measures to consider. This might include keeping patient health records private with a proactive cyber security program.
Several other trends are also driving success. Here are some of the considerations:
COVID-19 brought about an evolution of technology in many areas of our lives. And healthcare providers also felt this impact. The healthcare industry had to respond, adapt and pioneer how they delivered patient care during this time.
Now, telehealth (video and phone) is very much established in the mainstream. The ABS says that 27.7% of people had at least one telehealth consultation in the last 12 months. This was in 2022-2023. Software such as Hotdoc or Health Engine also exist to help enable accessible ways to book and manage appointments.
More practices will likely make use of telehealth appointments and online appointment monitoring. This advancement is key for people in regional or remote areas and offers many benefits for both providers and patients. We breakdown what some of these benefits are below.
More and more, smaller healthcare practices are collaborating. This includes doctors and specialists. It can also include community and social services.
An example might be caring for a patient with diabetes. A collaborative approach means they receive holistic care. This includes not just their medical needs, but their nutritional, psychological and social wellbeing. Together, a more coordinated approach can result in better care and address complex patient needs.
Learn more about how to achieve collaboration in the workplace.
Patient-centric care is a top trend in healthcare. Patients are getting used to having better, easier, clearer and more personal service. This may lead to more investment in patient experience technology by healthcare professionals.
More and more health information is available online to people. As such, healthcare practices see the importance of engaging and educating patients. This includes investing in tools and strategies to help empower patients. For example, eBooks, blogs, reports and social media posts. They can help improve health literacy and achieve positive patient outcomes.
Influencing many healthcare outcomes is the impact of technology. Technology can help. But only if it's implemented well and aligned to patient and employee needs. It can help ensure smoother workflows. It can also help lead to happier staff and delighted patients.
Healthcare technology is advancing and the industry is digitising more. For example, virtual reality (VR) and wearable medical tech can help with better remote monitoring.
For example, wearable devices can help collect data on vital signs like heart rate and blood pressure. This is useful for managing patients with chronic conditions. Or people recovering at home after leaving hospital.
VR systems can also help guide patients through exercises and activities in a virtual environment. This can help make rehabilitation easier for those in remote areas. They don’t need to travel to see specialists. VR can also help make it more engaging and motivating.
Being able to support technology advancements with a reliable internet connection is also vital. Fast internet might be crucial to help ensure your telehealth calls or practice management software run smoothly. Or that patients can access your booking systems without interruption. Choosing the right nbn plan for your business will help you connect to the business internet with confidence.
There are a range of technologies that health practices can take advantage of. We explore some of these in more detail below.
This can help streamline administrative tasks for employees. It can also include scheduling appointments, managing billing and payments. Or help track medicine or equipment inventory. This can help improve efficiency, while employees focus on other parts of the practice.
Portals can help patients access their health records. They can also schedule appointments and interact with healthcare providers, perhaps through email or customer service chatbots. This can empower patients to manage their health information when they need to. As a result, patient portals can help lead to better engagement and satisfaction.
Software can help provide evidence-based guidelines, diagnostic support and improve decision making. This can help enable better patient safety by reducing human error and time spent on admin tasks.
These tools can help healthcare practices manage their billing and claims. They also help with revenue collection and financial management for the practice. While care may be the biggest priority, managing cash flow is also important.
Mobile apps can help healthcare practices better manage patient care. This includes providing reminders for medication and appointments. It can also include giving patients access to educational resources.
These systems help healthcare practices digitise patient records. It makes them easy for healthcare workers to access. It also helps improve patient data accuracy and visibility among healthcare providers.
Technology plays a big role in improving health outcomes, such as better experiences and satisfaction. But there are other benefits of technology for health practices, including helping to:
Learn more about how to choose the right technology solutions for your business.
The Australian healthcare sector is changing. It's driven by many factors. These include the ageing population, changing patient expectations and new technology.
Success for healthcare practices is no longer about clinical outcomes. It's also about patient experiences, employee happiness and new ways to give care.
Technology adoption is pivotal. Telehealth services, practice management software, patient portals and decision support systems can help enhance efficiency, improve patient engagement and drive better health outcomes. However, they should be supported by a reliable internet connection, suitable for your healthcare practices needs. Done right, it can help shape the future of your health practice.
To learn more about tech trends shaping businesses in industries like healthcare, download our Tech State of Play reports. In this series we uncover insights to help propel your business further through technology.
Download your Tech State of Play report to help propel your business further through technology.
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