In the dynamic healthcare landscape, the digitalization of services has emerged as a pivotal yet challenging transition. Our organization is at the forefront of addressing this national healthcare stressor, navigating complexities that impact daily operations. The selected scholarly resources, Gjellebæk et al. (2020) and Slonim (2023), shed light on critical strategies and challenges associated with this transformative shift. As we delve into a nuanced exploration, we seek to understand how these strategies can be tailored to our organizational context. Also, the paper examines the impact of digitalization of health services, both positive and negative, on our organization and the broader healthcare landscape.
Describe the national healthcare issue/stressor you selected
The national healthcare issue I’ve chosen concerns the obstacles involved in digitalizing healthcare services. The low adoption rate and poor utilization of eHealth produce the most significant barriers to resolving the existing healthcare issues. As a healthcare professional, I notice the consequences on our organization, such as that eHealth shifting means the fundamental reorganization of processes. Knowledge deficits, lack of relevant training, and the necessity of joint activities make the smooth implementation of digital solutions complex (Gjellebæk et al., 2020). Acknowledging the power of this issue, it is crucial to dive into high-tech management options and strike a balance between traditional teaching methods and the new learning-based approach.
The impact of the stressor/issue on our organization
The effects on our organization by the digitalization of health services are massive. I undertook the impact assessment by studying the pertinent data and asking for inputs from various organizational perspectives. The journey of eHealth implies fundamental change, which means terminating routine tasks to adopt a learning advantage and skill-intensive oriented approach. This transition process involves obstacles, including knowledge gaps, lack of training, and social incorporation (Gjellebæk et al., 2020). Both employees and managers must constantly develop their skills due to the dynamic nature of work procedures. The organization’s success in this transition process will depend on implementing a learning-oriented leader, an adaptive manager, and scenario-planning tools. These approaches can successfully boost employee motivation and flexibility; however, there can be difficulties associated with employees’ resistance and adjustment to new workflow arrangements (Slonim, 2023).
Summary of the External Articles
The external articles written by Slonim (2023) and Gjellebæk et al. (2020), respectively, enrich our knowledge with different views on healthcare stressors. Balancing these four aspects, coordination, medication, payment, and respect, Slonim (2023) describes the patient experience. On the contrary, Gjellebæk et al. (2023) are focused on the digitalization of healthcare services and the need for learning-oriented management. Together, they give a detailed look. Slonim’s (2023) concentrated insights on patients demonstrate real-world coordination and communication management issues. Gjellebæk et al. (2023) are the most fitting managerial strategies in facing these problems because adaptive management and learning-oriented leadership are stressed in the age of digitalization. These perspectives enhance the organizations’ capacity to examine healthcare issues from different angles. Therefore, the institutions can develop all-inclusive solutions.
Strategies used to address the organizational impact of national issues/stressors
The academic sources propose different approaches organizations take to deal with the effect of digitalization on healthcare services. Healthcare institutions challenged by the impact of digitalization on their service delivery have adopted focused techniques. Scenario planning and backcasting are the tools that carry the most weight as they enable us to see the future and strategically adapt in response to the everchanging healthcare world. Successful organizations focus on workplace learning, which they know is the only way to adapt to these changing times (Slonim, 2023). Employees are engaged more and, as such, are adaptable through continuous learning. Through the implementation of these measures, enterprises are not only able to master the complications related to digitalization but also cultivate a culture of resilience and innovation (Manteghinejad & Javanmard, 2021). They have used scenario planning to predict workflow shifts and created an easy interface for such digital tools. This preventative strategy will engage employees and provide a smoother transition (Manteghinejad & Javanmard, 2021).
Explain how they may impact your organization both positively and negatively.
Implementing mechanisms like scenario planning and backcasting would be a strength for our organization as it will help us be proactive in digitalization and have a leading position among our competitors (Slonim, 2023). Consequently, it becomes possible to accumulate strength in developing best practices through instance-making by anticipating workflow variations using scenario planning. Firstly, in the process, the employees may become more involved in learning, transforming the office culture into a more adaptable one(Slonim, 2023). On the one hand, the original resistance may arise due to some changes that are likely to make the initial period unproductive. Furthermore, it could lead to the exhausted material temporarily erupting at the other end of the chain (Manteghinejad & Javanmard, 2021). Therefore, it is imperative to curb these demerits by introducing particular aid and highlighting the long-term results of effective healthcare sector e-transformation.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the methods elaborated in Gjellebæk et al. (2020) and Slonim (2023) summarize the main approaches an organization can take when facing the challenges of healthcare digitalization. Implementing learning-oriented leadership, adaptive management, and strategic tools will build the capacity of healthcare organizations to deal with the current change period. Therefore, initial resistance is expected; resource stretches are also anticipated; the long-term benefits of enhanced operational efficiency and improved patient outcomes affirm the imperativeness of these strategies. By comprehensively adapting these strategies to our specific organization setting, we will increase the resilience factor and creative thinking and finally succeed in the everchanging healthcare service provision services.
References
Gjellebæk, C., Svensson, A., Bjørkquist, C., Fladeby, N., & Grundén, K. (2020). Management challenges for future digitalization of healthcare services. ScienceDirect. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016328720301282#abs0010
Manteghinejad, A., & Javanmard, S. H. (2021). Challenges and opportunities of digital health in a post-COVID19 world. Journal of Research in Medical Sciences: The Official Journal of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, 26(11), 11. https://doi.org/10.4103/jrms.JRMS_1255_20
Mumtaz, H., Muhammad Hamza Riaz, Hanan Wajid, Saqib, M., Muhammad Hamayl Zeeshan, Shaheer Ellahi Khan, Yesha Rajendrabhai Chauhan, Sohail, H., & Laiba Imran Vohra. (2023). Current challenges and potential solutions to digital health technologies in evidence generation: a narrative review. Frontiers in Digital Health, 5. https://doi.org/10.3389/fdgth.2023.1203945
Slonim, A. (2023). Top Challenges Facing Healthcare: Back to Basics. Physician Leadership Journal, 10(2), 12–14. https://doi.org/10.55834/plj.2064149664
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