Digital transformation is a process of adopting technology to improve all facets of a business. Ideally, engaging in digital transformation involves a long-term view of the operations. But, as hospice is challenged with staffing issues, it is vital to consider ways to improve efficiency and reduce the burden on staff to make each member of the team more productive. Done properly, digital transformation can mitigate the disruption that takes place in the event of turnover.
Hospice organizations are facing two key staffing challenges. One is finding the right individuals, and two is keeping them. As Hospice News reports, the poaching of staff is a growing occurrence among hospice organizations. In addition to the obvious issue of replacing staff, lost team members take with them knowledge of the current patients and the status of new patient admissions.
In the “traditional” admissions process paper, spreadsheets, fax, email, and such are used to manage the communication, track the status, and record the required documents. Unfortunately, this process also requires a great deal of time, manual intervention, and oversight to properly admit patients. This process is severely disrupted when there is staff turnover.
Through the digital transformation of the admissions process, hospice organizations will greatly reduce administration time and centrally organize documentation, forms, and signatures. This reduces the stress on patients, caregivers, and families. It also allows administrators and admissions nurses to instantly view the status of all patients in the admissions process. During staff turnover, this access to a patient’s documentation, communication, and status makes it easier for other team members to easily take over the admissions process.
When you’ve transitioned to a fully digital admission process, not just sending PDFs for e-signature, the benefits are realized all through the organization.