It’s time to put down the manila folders & embrace tech to transform healthcare

No one would deny that the COVID-19 Lockdown was tough, but there was a silver lining: It turbocharged telehealth! In the same way that hybrid working went from niche to new normal, Lockdown forced people to experiment with remote healthcare, opening up a whole new avenue for healthcare that could have an enormous impact in a resource-strained country like South Africa.

The rise of telehealth and other digital forms of healthcare in this country is so significant that last year, the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) updated its guidelines to improve patient remote management. This gives healthcare access points to potentially millions more people in the country. It’s also a wake-up call for healthcare practitioners and practice managers who may be reluctant to relinquish their legacy systems and manila folders in favour of digital solutions.

For many, the fear of the unknown may be preventing them from taking the leap – “I’m too old for this … ” is a refrain I hear often – but for others, it could be that they don’t fully appreciate the benefits at stake here, not just for patient health and access but for the sanity of stretched medical professionals.

The truth is as doctors and nurses we are all overworked and trying to do more with less. Technology can help us do that on steroids and without a significant time or cost investment. Here are three ideas we explore in our acclaimed healthcare management course that healthcare practitioners can do to transform their systems in the short- to medium-term to improve efficiencies and their work-life balance without compromising patient outcomes.

1. Embrace tech-enabled consults and online booking systems

Cellphone coverage and internet penetration are high in South Africa: almost 100 percent of the country is covered by a 3G network or higher and 22 million South Africans have smartphones. By 2026, 43 million South Africans will be using the internet on their cellphone in some way, it is predicted, and, in truth, all of these people should therefore be able to reach a doctor.

For patients, the major benefit of telehealth or mHealth is convenience. Not only can they access help more quickly and from wherever they are, but they can do so at a time that suits them. And even if you don’t have a fully remote consultation, technology can enhance processes. An online diary, for instance, means patients can see their doctor’s schedule and book an appointment online at any time of the day or night, even if the practice is closed. Additionally, they can fill in critical health information virtually so, when they arrive at the appointment, the doctor or nurse on duty already knows their symptoms, health record, and if they are on any medication.

2. Digitise your practice

Technology also gives us an unprecedented ability to monitor patients and improve medical compliance. By using existing AI applications, for example, doctors can record and back up sessions and other sensitive patient data securely, and scripts can be sent via an app to the patient, or directly to the nearest pharmacy. Technology also means doctors don’t even have to make a diagnosis alone. Across the globe, many are using AI models to (consensually) analyse patients’ medical data and suggest what might be wrong, and what might help. Last year, Forbes reported that K Health, a digital health startup, has created a healthcare chatbot that has helped over 3 million patients.

Chatbots like these are always available and can be accessed anywhere – and while they still require professional vetting from doctors themselves, they help to lighten the workload. This can translate into increased revenue potential for practices as there is a reduced need for office space and admin staff.

Of course, uploading patients’ data to the cloud requires their consent, as well as good cybersecurity practices. As we know, electronic systems are not immune from being compromised, but many cybersecurity issues are preventable. Overall, retaining patients’ medical data digitally speeds up processes and is far safer, when practised correctly, than the alternative. I’ve heard too many stories of practices losing all their patient data to a fire or a flood, or even to robbery, to not think this is a no-brainer.

3. Task shifting

Like any doctors working in an overwhelmed healthcare system, we run the risk of burning out – and we should be doing everything we can to prevent that. A doctor’s health is, after all, everyone’s health. As Dr Jackie Wittuhn of the Independent Institute of Education notes, one way we can prevent burnout is through task shifting – and this is a process that is best managed digitally.

“[Task shifting] helps address the shortage of healthcare workers by reallocating available and skilled resources,” Dr Wittuhn says. It can relieve overworked but experienced doctors while giving upcoming physicians the experience they need or allowing nurses or other healthcare practitioners to take the cases that don’t require a high level of expertise, all while ensuring that patient needs are not neglected.

None of these technologies are hugely expensive or difficult to access. Healthcare practitioners have it within their power to improve not just how they run their practice from a business point of view but how they run their lives and achieve a better work-life balance, all while making services more accessible and affordable for patients.

Truly, these applications could change the game. One doctor I know, who studied the Future Proof your Healthcare Practice short course that I run at Henley Business School says it best: “We need more of these high-tech approaches to promote equity and access. It feels like an exciting future for both practitioner and patient, and makes healthcare more actionable in a digitised world.”

Dr Peter Cruse is founding director of Take Note Event Management and works as an independent consultant with Henley Business School Africa. He is the founder and Programme Director of the Henley postgraduate short course Future-proof your Healthcare Practice.