Streamlined Administration Systems Decrease Exhaustion in Clinical and Administrative Staff
In the rapidly evolving landscape of healthcare, the need for efficient data management has become paramount. One solution that is gaining traction among major healthcare employers, including large hospital systems in Florida, is the adoption of Enterprise Content Management (ECM) systems.
ECM systems, such as SCWorx and those offered by companies like Oracle Health, serve as content connectors for systems that might not be able to merge with a patient's electronic health record. By doing so, they help close gaps and streamline data management, reducing administrative burdens on healthcare professionals.
Implementing ECM tools can enable automated content management, removing manual steps such as scanning. This not only frees up time for other tasks but also cuts down on repetitive tasks for non-clinical staff. For instance, a large Canadian health system reported savings of over 500 hours for nursing staff and 1,500 hours for administrative staff over one year by using a dynamic document interface for vitals monitoring and other disconnected data.
An effective content management strategy can improve digital processes already in place, supporting improved workflows and accessibility. When coupled with a broader ECM system, users can receive content in near real time, improving efficiencies for both clinical and non-clinical staff.
However, the successful implementation of ECM tools is not without its challenges. Leadership should survey functions and identify the biggest stressors for staff to ensure a solution best addresses the unique challenges a health system might face. Monitoring and evaluating the success of implemented ECM tools is critical to ensuring their adoption by the hospital team.
Moreover, leaders should consider ways to keep the conversation going among employees to understand how new processes affect their day-to-day experience. A recent study found that health systems reported various IT issues, such as information errors in software and poor user interfaces, as having an impact on workflow. Being realistic about the current state of an organization and focusing on moving forward is critical when implementing ECM tools and processes.
The adoption of ECM systems is particularly timely, given the current state of the healthcare workforce. Subsets of health workers are conveying intent to leave their jobs due to work overload, with record-high levels of exhaustion, negativity, and ineffectiveness reported by clinical staff and non-clinical workers, according to the World Health Organization. In 2022, 82% of health workers reported that their workplace conditions supported productivity, down from 91% in 2018.
An enterprise content management system can feed documents from other systems to aggregate materials, alleviating clinician workload and improving patient care. By reducing administrative burdens and streamlining data management, ECM systems can help address and eliminate problems in the healthcare ecosystem, such as work overload and high levels of stress.
In conclusion, the implementation of ECM systems like SCWorx and Oracle Health's AI-integrated solutions can bring about significant improvements in healthcare data management, workflow, and ultimately, patient care. As leaders in the healthcare sector continue to seek solutions to address the challenges faced by their workforce, ECM systems are emerging as a promising tool for the future.
