Technology has long been an effective way to improve operational efficiency. That’s true for a variety of industries in general and the world of healthcare in particular.
Leveraging technology in a targeted and informed fashion has a wide range of benefits. Relevant and useful tech can automate time-consuming tasks, more efficiently share information, encourage collaboration, and much more. While hospital leaders may have not easily understood the application of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in operational areas a few years back – and how quickly they could yield returns on those investments – the times have changed, as a recent Forbes article accurately describes. (The article just happens to focus on Xsolis customer Baylor Scott & White and mentions utilization review improvements they have experienced as a result of our engagement.)
As the article also suggests, securing buy-in from organizational leadership is crucial to make operational efficiency improvements within your healthcare organization. There’s simply no way around it. Without buy-in from the appropriate financial, technical, or executive leaders and stakeholders, there’s no realistic way to make process improvements and equip team members with valuable new tools and systems.
Let’s take a closer look at how to secure that all-important buy-in from healthcare leadership for implementing new technology.
Align With the Practical Priorities of Leadership
Harvard Medical School notes a key issue that influences nearly all healthcare leadership decisions about new tech and processes. Healthcare organizations tend to have slim margins. Any investment they make has to align with broad strategic goals while demonstrating a clear return on that financial commitment.
Look for opportunities to align the technology you want to implement with your organization’s needs and areas of focus. Many types of modern healthcare technology offer a range of benefits, which can work in your favor.
Consider Xsolis’ utilization management (UM) solution, CORTEX®, now known as the Dragonfly platform. By using purpose-built AI and predictive analytics, it streamlines the UM process. Distinct benefits offered by Dragonfly include:
- Administrative staff save time through automation of repetitive business processes
- Clinicians can focus more on complex cases
- Patients benefit from a better overall experience
- Relationships with payers become more collaborative and less burdensome and adversarial
These are all steps to improve operational efficiency. However, certain benefits may better align with current organizational priorities or the preferences of senior leadership. Highlighting the most relevant benefit can help your organization realize all of them.
Building a Complete Vision to Improve Operational Efficiency
Operational efficiencies can be improved by a variety of tools. From software that aids clinicians with diagnoses, to inventory management solutions, there are plenty of options that others in your organization may bring to the table.
As Indeed suggests, sharing a full picture of a new solution’s influence can help secure buy-in. Don’t simply explain current problems and how the right solution can help to address them. Present a more comprehensive view that takes change, challenges, and hard data into account.
Share examples of the solution’s benefits for other providers – often gathered during customer reference calls – and include metrics and data that demonstrate effectiveness. In essence, speaking with a similar customer or use case should reveal how long your own organization should expect to see a return on your investment. What internal resources are required to effectively manage the vendor relationship to compound those returns over time, and can you lean into high-touch customer service to help fill in gaps as needed? You should also mention potential risks and how you plan to address them. This can help build valuable early support.
Improving Operational Efficiency in Utilization Management
UM can be a major burden, driving conflict with payers and forcing staff to take on repetitive work. Dragonfly transforms UM. It emphasizes collaboration with payers and prioritizes the most complex and revenue-sensitive patient cases. At the same time, it streamlines the administrative process, allowing staff to focus on more fulfilling or financially lucrative areas for their employers as well, such as discharge planning or working denials.
Learn how Dragonfly enables more efficient and effective UM. Request a consultation today.