Combating staff shortages in healthcare with digital solutions

Worldwide we are facing severe staffing shortages in healthcare, digital health solutions may be able to alleviate these shortages. Global healthcare systems are experiencing acute staff shortages, which The Guardian recently called "a ticking time bomb." According to the most recent Becker's Physician Leadership poll, the biggest problem facing healthcare organisations is a lack of qualified employees. 2 By 2030, there will be a global shortfall of 15 million healthcare workers, according to the World Health Organization (2022). 100,000 nurses, many of whom are under 35, departed the employment in the US alone between 2020 and 2021. There are numerous underlying causes of the healthcare professional shortage. The first is the demographic impact brought on by the enormous number of baby boomers who are retiring. Others are connected to medicine, such as the increase of non-communicable diseases. Digital health solutions can help combat the workforce crisis in healthcare in several ways:

• Telemedicine: This allows healthcare providers to remotely consult with patients, reducing the need for in-person visits and freeing up time for healthcare workers.
• Electronic health records (EHRs): EHRs can help streamline the process of collecting and sharing patient information, reducing the need for additional staff to manage paper records.
• Automated appointment scheduling: Digital health solutions can automate the process of scheduling appointments, reducing the need for administrative staff.
• Virtual care: Virtual care enables patients to interact with healthcare providers remotely, via video, audio, or text, reducing the need for in-person visits and freeing up time for healthcare workers.
• AI-powered triage: AI-powered triage can assist healthcare workers in identifying patients with urgent needs, so they can be seen more quickly.
• Wearable technology: Wearable technology can help monitor patients remotely, reducing the need for in-person visits and freeing up time for healthcare workers.
• Remote patient monitoring: With remote patient monitoring, patients can be monitored remotely, reducing the need for in-person visits and freeing up time for healthcare workers.

Overall, digital health solutions can help healthcare providers better allocate their resources and reduce the need for additional staff.