Kick-starting change in healthcare: the data dimension
Much has been said and written about how the pandemic has accelerated digital transformation across sectors. The healthcare sector has borne the brunt of the pandemic, providing care for those with COVID-19, and also continuing to care for patients with other conditions. This has created huge challenges for the sector — but also opened up new possibilities. However, are healthcare organisations well-placed to take advantage?
Creating lasting change
We must be honest: the healthcare sector is not always the earliest adopter of new technology. Telehealth, for example, has been possible for many years, but has not been taken up with any enthusiasm by either patients or practitioners. Some of this may be genuine concern about the impact on vulnerable patients, but some of it may also be a dislike of the unknown — on both sides.
It is, therefore, interesting to look at the impact of COVID-19 on the healthcare sector and consider whether changes are likely to prove lasting. Jason Garay, Ontario Life Sciences and Healthcare Leader for Deloitte Canada, thinks that there may have been a permanent effect.
“I think we’re starting to see increasing momentum in addressing some longstanding issues in the digital sphere, not only in Ontario, but I would say across most Canadian provinces and territories. I think most organisations now recognise that they are on the brink of having to make major investments. Hospitals and academic institutions used to have to push hard for investments in data and digital infrastructure. These are still significant investments, but I think it is now easier to make the case for why those things are important and why they are a major strategic priority.”
The drivers of change, however, vary between organisations. Jason suggests that some have been driven by the need to update legacy infrastructure and systems to avoid security and stability issues. However, many others are thinking about the future and how data and information will be used.
“We all know that one of the major gaps that has certainly put up barriers, and sometimes precluded timely response to things like COVID or SARS, is related to access and interoperability of data. That’s one of the areas that is growing most significantly, both in terms of investments and analysis of options. COVID has forced people to look again at what they’re doing, especially on data integration, and how they can create a system that allows the right people at the right time to access data in a way that protects the privacy and legal authorities of both citizens and the organizations, but also opens up opportunities for things like innovation.”
Drawing on data
The key issue in healthcare is perhaps the slow rate of progress to date. Organisations have a lot of catching up to do before they can launch into using data to drive better decisions. Jason Garay agrees.
“I think the biggest questions now are how do you standardise data across all these different care partners, organizations, researchers, and define it effectively? And once you’ve done that, how do you start to look at the interoperability of systems? That doesn’t necessarily mean creating massive data warehouses. It might mean using things like some of the new applications to manage data sets and present their contents in a centralised way to be accessed by appropriate partners. I think there was always momentum behind this, but there is a much quicker pace now among most life sciences and healthcare organisations.”
This broad statement, however, hides a spectrum of maturity.
“There is a disconnect. Some organisations still have a kind of ‘data and digital’ push behind digital transformation. However, others are very focused on the business needs that are driving change. I think that’s really important. You need a clear idea of the problem you are trying to solve, and the needs of the community. Once you have that, you can work your way backwards to see what you need to do to enable the business. If you don’t have that, you’re trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, and it just won’t meet the needs of the organisation.”
Changing culture to drive change
Jason Garay believes that in many cases, the key to success is cultural transformation, not simply digital transformation. He suggests that organisations have to shift their thinking about who drives change.
“You need an understanding that if it’s not done jointly between business and digital stakeholders, it is rarely going to find that sweet spot where everyone is satisfied.”
