Over the past two decades the relationship and dynamic between IT and Clinical Operations has changed. The two must now work in close collaboration with each other to improve clinician experiences and patient outcomes. Yet, healthcare IT departments do not have sufficient financial or human resources to deliver on everything that is expected of them. Technology and third-party support are needed.
Healthcare IT Today sat down with Thomas Charlton, CEO & Chairman at Goliath Technologies, a company that offers end-user experience monitoring and troubleshooting software to healthcare customers, to discuss how IT and clinical teams need to work together to achieve the level of digital transformation we desperately need in healthcare.
Half the Resources
Healthcare demands high levels of accuracy, reliability, and security, which requires specialized technology and expertise. Yet, as Charlton points out, healthcare IT budgets are typically lower than those in other industries (as much as half as much), making it challenging to invest in the latest technologies and infrastructure.
Additionally, the healthcare industry faces an acute shortage of IT personnel, exacerbating the burden on existing staff. Furthermore, healthcare systems are highly complex, involving multiple interdependent applications all needed to work together seamlessly in order to deliver information to clinicians who care for patients.
As healthcare has become more digital, IT and clinical departments have had to work more closely together in order to deliver technology solutions that are helpful rather than disruptive.
Changing Dynamic
“Digital transformation cannot happen without cross-functional teamwork,” said Charlton. “That doesn’t happen with out a strong leader. If you don’t have the C-level executives from the clinical side, the business side, and the IT side all working together in concert and aligned, then technology projects fail, which ultimately impacts the patient.”
Today, it is not uncommon for a technical project to have not only the CIO and VPs of IT involved, but also Chief Medial Information Officers (CMIOs) and Nursing Informatics Officers as well.
“That’s because there’s a bigger human component to what used to be merely technical projects,” continued Charlton. “There is a growing realization that technical projects have a real impact on clinician satisfaction and patient outcomes. The clinical side and the operational side need to be more collaborative and integrated.”
Watch this interview with Thomas Charlton, CEO of Goliath to learn more about the company’s technologies and how they facilitate cross-functional collaboration by empowering leadership with better data insights to make more informed decisions.
Visit Goliath Technologies to learn more: https://goliathtechnologies.com/
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Goliath Technologies is a supporter of Healthcare Scene.
