Celebrated on September 17th each year, World Patient Safety Day is a World
Health Organization (WHO) initiative which puts focus on the critical issue of patient
safety in healthcare. While many associate patient safety with the more visible
adverse effects of medical errors, such as incorrect medication or surgical mistakes,
the topic of patient safety extends far beyond that to include anything which hinders
an optimal outcome for the patient. Examples of this include errors which lead to
diagnostic delays or inaccuracies, or communication breakdowns and incomplete
data access which may ultimately limit treatment choices.
Fortunately, a wide array of medical technologies already exists to help caregivers
achieve patient safety goals – from clinical decision support tools to electronic
patient records. In today’s article, we will examine the barriers that prevent their
optimal use. We’ll also discuss strategies to help healthcare professionals better
leverage medical devices, software, and solutions, so that patients and staff can fully
benefit from the latest advances and more easily adopt technology for long term
gain, ultimately leading to improved health outcomes for all.
The Role of Technology in Improving Patient Safety
Technology plays a crucial role in enhancing patient safety by providing
comprehensive medical histories, enabling early disease detection, and making
sense of big data for actionable insights. It allows for personalized treatments,
improves healthcare staff efficiency, and supports adherence to evidence-based
protocols. Moreover, technology aids the transition from reactive to proactive and
towards predictive healthcare.
Challenges in the Current Use of Technology
Despite the enormous potential of medical technology, several challenges hinder its
optimal use, thereby limiting its impact on improving patient safety. These hurdles
include but are not limited to
Usability Issues: Complex interfaces and poor device usability can lead to
errors, making it difficult for healthcare providers to effectively use these
technologies. This is also encumbered by user instructions which are hard to
follow or difficult to retrieve.
Data Overload and Alert Fatigue: Healthcare professionals are tasked with
managing multiple devices, making it impossible to become an expert on all of
them. The sheer volume of data they handle each day can lead to overload
and alert fatigue, causing critical insights to be missed or ignored.
Lack of User Knowledge and Product Mastery: Insufficient familiarity with
technology reduces its effectiveness. Often, healthcare providers, limited by
time and capacity, only utilize the basic functions of a medtech solution,
overlooking advanced features. High staff turnover further complicates this, as
product expertise is frequently lost when team members leave.
Other barriers to fully optimizing technology include interoperability issues,
fragmented systems, and data privacy concerns.
Strategies to Optimize Technology Use.
With all this in mind, how can we ensure that healthcare providers and their patients
are maximizing the benefits of medical technology to enhance patient safety?
Several strategies can be implemented:
Continuous Training: Ongoing training for healthcare providers on the proper
use of their medical equipment is essential. This training should emphasize
the balance between technology and clinical judgment and be delivered over
time, rather than in a single session. An ideal approach includes an easy-to-
follow onboarding program for new users, complemented by continuous,
advanced, and refresher training available at the point of need, when it's most
relevant and in the proper context. It should also be self-sufficient and
accessible even when the technology provider is not there
Accessible Information at the Point of Need: To support clinicians in mastering
technology, “how-to” content must be quickly accessible, precisely when and
where it's needed. Acting as a co-pilot, this information helps users become
familiar with their solutions and gain confidence in using features correctly.
This approach fosters long-term technology adoption, allowing innovations to
become fully embedded in the workflow.
Just the Right Amount of Instruction: Instead of relying on lengthy user
manuals and computer-based trainings, it's more effective to complement
face-to-face sessions with short, targeted snippets of information. These key
pieces of knowledge should be easily accessible even after the training and
quick to locate when required.
For those looking to accelerate and maintain their technology adoption, the SIMPI
How-to platform offers an innovative solution. SIMPI is a browser-based application
that provides short, context-specific content blocks available precisely when and
where they are needed. It directs users to the essential information required to
maximize their technology's potential, supporting effective initial product instruction,
refresher training, as well as the mastery of advanced features. This platform is
particularly valuable for long-term technology adoption, helping users learn
advanced functions as the individual user becomes ready to learn. It also enables
hospitals to keep new joiners as well as experienced staff up-to-date with everything
the technology has to offer.
To see a demo, visit: http://www.simpi.com/medical
Additional strategies for leveraging technology for patient safety include
User-Centered Design and Patient-Centric Approach: Involve end-users in the
design and testing of healthcare technologies to ensure tools are intuitive and
user-friendly. A patient-centric approach ensures that technology enhances,
rather than replaces, human interaction, improving the overall quality of care.
Effective Change Management: Implement structured change management
processes when introducing new technologies. Engaging stakeholders and
providing support during transitions are essential for smooth and successful
adoption.
Conclusion
Optimizing the use of medical technology is crucial for enhancing patient safety.
However, to help caregivers fully leverage these innovations, it's essential to address
challenges like data overload, staff turnover, and limited capacity.
By prioritizing product mastery and technology adoption in a way that is manageable,
actionable, and sustainable over the long term, the healthcare industry can make
significant strides toward more effective and safer care.
Platforms like SIMPI can play a key role in supporting new product introductions,
training initiatives, and technology optimization programs. By doing so, you can
positively impact your customers’ interactions with their devices and transform your
clients from mere users into enthusiastic advocates.
About the author: Sarah Morton has over 25 years'; experience in the healthcare
industry. A former Philips employee, she held a variety of leadership roles from
marketing strategy, and engagement to sales excellence and customer education.
Sarah is an independent consultant at www.unplainjane.net and a keen advocate for
continuous innovation in the customer journey.
Originally from the UK, Sarah has been based in the Middle East for the last decade,
and in her free time is a keen creative writer and amateur stand-up comedian.