Low-Tech Solutions Might Benefit Your Business

Technology has the ability to address some of our most pressing healthcare issues, and hospitals and health systems are setting the bar for integrating a care management platform.

Robots are already doing surgery and artificial intelligence is being used to diagnose diseases. They are examining novel pharmacological developments and uses for gene therapy. They could even be able to produce 3-D organs on demand in the not too distant future.

These developments were emphasized earlier this year at the Interactive Health and MedTech track of the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival, when many lectures focused on how medical technology has the ability to completely change the way we receive and provide care.

Tried-and-true, low-tech solutions that hospitals and health systems are using to improve value in their operations get little attention despite all the enthusiasm. Low-tech alternatives have a lot of promise, especially in the current challenging economic environment.

They are adaptable and have a variety of talents. They might be used in any hospital, regardless of size. They are also economical. They don't demand a significant cash outlay. They are intended to seem uncomplicated. Additionally, they are low-tech and only tangentially reliant on current technology. They won't need the purchase of expensive or brand-new equipment.

After all, they are people. They need human contact and connection to operate, which will improve the coordination and integration of long-term care. All types of hospitals and health systems regularly use useful technologies to provide value.

Hospitals, for instance, have come to appreciate the benefit of paying attention to how limited resources are distributed. Russell (Kansas) Regional Hospital, a critical access hospital, focuses on strategic investments to advance energy efficiency, which has led to a 43 percent decrease in energy use over a three-year period, saving more than $120,000 per year.

In addition, hospitals have undergone significant transformation as a consequence of providing patients greater control over their treatment. A program that enables a restricted group of patients to self-administer long-term antibiotics rather than relying on medical personnel has been established by the Parkland Health & Hospital System in Dallas. Parkland was able to maximize its limited resources by reducing the length of time that patients who could get treatment at home were in inpatient facilities.

Hospitals and health systems have benefited significantly from collaboration with other organizations to address socioeconomic determinants of health. Their health care costs decreased by 42 percent on average when the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System in Chicago partnered with the Center for Homes and Health to help chronically homeless people move into fully independent and permanent housing. These individuals were 35% less likely to visit the emergency room, where care may be highly expensive. They started to visit clinics more often.

Other low-tech options include extending patient sessions' times. 80% of diagnoses, it has been shown, may be made only on the basis of the patient's statement. 1 A low-tech but very helpful possibility is to allow patients to open up to physicians and tell their tales.

Hospitals may easily adopt and scale up low-tech practices like group visits, telephone care, and video-assisted training with telephonic group assistance.

While high-tech advancements often get media attention, it's crucial to not overlook the low-tech answers that are already in plain sight.