Will The Healthcare Industry Overcome Current Technological Gaps? SOTI Research Shows Lack of Advancement Year Over Year
June 27 2024 - 4:00AM
As healthcare needs escalate globally, the requirement for modern
technology to support patient care is evident. New research from
SOTI, Code Digital: Will Healthcare Thrive or Survive, reveals that
85% of healthcare professionals worldwide believe organizations
need to invest in new or better technology to improve patient
outcomes.
Understandably, the persistence of outdated technology makes it
difficult for healthcare workers to do their jobs efficiently.
Research shows that healthcare staff are losing an average of 3.9
hours per week, per employee, due to technical or system
difficulties associated with poorly managed devices and IT
infrastructure – up from 3.4 hours in 2023. Additionally, over
one-quarter of the workforce now loses more than five hours per
week, affecting the quality of patient care.
“The impact of technological stagnation in the healthcare sector
is significant. Without the adoption of appropriate and advanced
technologies, there is a tangible risk of delay in critical care
delivery, mismanagement of patient data and hindered communication
among healthcare providers. More than two-thirds of organizations
experience regular problems with IoT/telehealth devices leading to
patient care delays. These gaps can directly lead to poor health
outcomes and reduced patient satisfaction,” said Shash Anand, SVP
of Product Strategy at SOTI.
In With the Old, Slow With the New: Addressing the
Remote Support Gap
Telehealth leverages technology to deliver healthcare services
remotely and is relied on to meet community healthcare needs. While
the rates of telehealth usage rise, legacy IT issues prevent 24% of
global healthcare organizations from supporting devices remotely.
This impacts the ability to modernize day-to-day operations.
Additionally, 89% of those working in telehealth believe their
organizations would benefit from more interconnected medical
devices. This underscores another critical gap: despite the rapid
growth in the number and complexity of devices, healthcare
infrastructure and management processes have not kept pace. This
diminishes the ability to leverage the potential of telehealth
technologies and the data they contain.
A further 63% admitted to relying on outdated technology,
marking a significant increase from 46% in 2022. This trend is more
pronounced in countries such as Germany (81%), Canada (77%) and
France (73%), where most healthcare professionals believe they are
hindered by legacy systems.
SOTI’s research also shows that artificial intelligence (AI) can
be a key driver for improving telehealth capabilities and unlocking
its potential, with 98% of organizations having at least considered
incorporating AI into patient care. Despite the strong interest in
using AI to transform telehealth, the survey reveals a significant
hurdle. Nearly one-quarter of telehealth professionals find it
challenging to translate their intentions into AI investment.
“AI and machine learning can improve the link in telehealth
between patients and physicians, automating updates to patient
records with greater accuracy and speeding up the generation of
treatment plans that patients can access digitally. It is evident
that there is a need for clearer technological roadmaps and more
effective strategies to fully leverage AI and machine learning to
improve remote care processes,” added Anand.
Data Security Concerns Escalate as Legacy Systems
Persist
Data security is a growing concern within the healthcare sector,
with 23% of professionals now citing it as their primary worry – a
significant increase from 16% in 2023. This increased apprehension
is mirrored by a rise in data-related incidents: nearly half of
those surveyed (45%) reported external data breaches this year, up
from 33% last year. Additionally, both accidental and intentional
data leaks by employees have heightened, along with DDoS ransomware
attacks. The survey results highlight the critical need for robust
data protection measures and substantial investment in securing
sensitive healthcare information. SOTI’s research reveals a direct
link between the use of legacy technology and escalating security
issues.
“Based on our research, 36% indicated that outdated IT systems
increase their vulnerability to cyberattacks, correlating to the
rise in data breaches and security threats. The presence of
security vulnerabilities must serve as an incentive for healthcare
providers to prioritize technological upgrades. This is essential
to prevent costly data breaches and leaking sensitive patient
information, which can significantly undermine trust in healthcare
systems,” concluded Anand.
To address data security risks in the healthcare sector,
organizations must prioritize robust device management solutions.
The SOTI ONE Platform offers comprehensive visibility, strong
security protections and the capability to remotely manage and
secure devices. Moreover, organizations can gain real-time
visibility into the field, to support data-driven decision making.
It is crucial for IT decision-makers to understand how devices are
used in operations, and to be proactive in addressing issues
quickly and efficiently.
SOTI’s latest report, Code Digital: Will Healthcare Thrive or
Survive, can be downloaded here.
Report MethodologySOTI’s research spanned 1,450
IT decision-makers across the U.S. (200), Canada (150), Mexico
(150), the UK (200), Germany (150), France (150), Sweden (150), the
Netherlands (150) and Australia (150). The fieldwork took place
between March 7 and March 25, 2024. All respondents worked within
the healthcare industry in either a hospital, general medical
practice, clinic or for an organization that provides
direct-to-patient remote or telehealth services.
About SOTISOTI is a proven innovator and
industry leader for simplifying business mobility solutions by
making them smarter, faster and more reliable. With SOTI’s
innovative portfolio of solutions, organizations can trust SOTI to
elevate and streamline their mobile operations, maximize their ROI
and reduce device downtime. Globally, with over 17,000 customers,
SOTI has proven itself to be the go-to mobile platform provider to
manage, secure and support business-critical devices. With SOTI’s
world-class support, enterprises can take mobility to endless
possibilities. For more information, visit soti.net.
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