By Thomas Davis, CRNA, MAE, DNAP candidate

“The first thing we ought to recognize is that mobile is now part of the fabric — every day in everybody’s life. So, if you’re not looking at mobile solutions, then you’re not really looking at all solutions.” ~Mal Postings, Global CTO

The world is wired.   From preschoolers to grandparents, cab drivers to health care workers, our lives are infused with digital technology in both obvious and subtle ways.  We locate directions and connect with friends, we take online courses and purchase real estate, we buy groceries and have them delivered, we organize, strategize, socialize and generally utilize technology to run our lives.  We make business choices based on the company’s online presence and, as noted by PatientPop, 80% consumers search for healthcare information online and 41% say that social media affects their choice of healthcare provider.  Healthcare workers provide a vital service to patients; however, healthcare is a competitive business that must generate a positive cash flow to remain operational.

The Harvard Business review reports that the most digitalized corporations see an increase in profits two to three times the average rate of less digitalized competitors.  Likewise, healthcare organizations with a user-friendly digital platform are easy to find, easy to use, easy to forward to a friend, and attract loyal clients.  Your digital presence makes a difference.

Writing for Linkedin, product marketing director, Mark Hughes, offers these thoughts about increasing the digital presence in your workplace.

• Abandon old stereotypes about IT geeks.  Healthcare leaders usually arise from a medical or nursing background and lack sophisticated knowledge about digital technology.  Combine your leadership with a personal relationship and create a techno-partnership with the IT department.    Collaboration enables you to blend your ideas with their technical expertise and develop web-based applications that enhance the patient experience.  The first step to becoming a tech-savvy leader is developing a first name relationship with a skilled person who can create the programs that you need.
• The customer has the final say. Team leaders must follow hospital policy and remain mindful of the patient’s HIPAA rights.   The patient, however, has no limit to the things that he/she can post on social media.  They can and will rate both the quality of care that they received and the ease of obtaining it.  Part of your job as a leader is to create a client experience that the patient will want to share in a positive way.  The things your patients post on social media can make or break your organization.
• Understand why a platform works. Rather than becoming distracted about how to use a social media platform, explore the various platforms and figure out why they work.  Why does one platform target a certain demographic more effectively than another?  Select the right platform and then challenge your IT support to make it work for you.  In some cases, you may need to use multiple platforms to target different demographics.
• Always look to the future. Whatever technology works to connect your team with clients today will be replaced by something else tomorrow.  Never rest on your laurels.  Constantly remain aware of new social media platforms as they arise and always question how they can be used to the advantage of your patients and your staff.

Becoming a tech-savvy leader is a great way to connect with existing clients and attract new business to your organization.  However, technology can become impersonal and create a buffer between you and your team.  Author Inger Buus, leadership developer at JP Morgan, offers suggestions for solidifying the connection with your team as you add technology to your workplace:

• Value human connections. The best teams are those that value interaction and collaboration between the team leader and team member. As you increase your digital presence, make sure that personal relationships are maintained.
• Embrace change. Adding technology to the workplace requires that the workflow be altered to adjust to the change.  Take the lead and set the example for your team to follow by willingly modifying your routine to accommodate the technology upgrade.
• Encourage diversity of thought. A recurring theme in Leader Reader 1, Authentic Lessons in Leadership is “The best idea arise from many ideas and yours may not be the best.”   Review your goal with the team and listen as they describe the ideal app that would best accomplish the goal.  Not only will the final concept be stronger, team members will have a sense of inclusion and will be more likely to participate in bringing the project to life.
• Ask for help. Patient safety advocate Dr. Peter Pronovost notes that everybody is fallible, including the leader.  The best leaders acknowledge that they don’t have all the answers and rely on a working relationship with team members to help find solutions to challenges.  When developing new technology, rely on your team to identify and correct glitches.  Have a goal, create a vision and then ask the team to help develop the plan.  Active participation shows trust and builds engagement.

Patients and their families are hungry for technology that will enhance their healthcare experience.  They desire appointment scheduling similar to booking seats on an airline and appreciate GPS based assistance when navigating the halls of busy medical centers.  Families want to connect to nurses via mobile device rather than pushing a call light and wondering when it will be answered.

User-friendly digital connections produce impressions and influence decisions to do business with the vendor.  Confusing or cumbersome technology is quickly abandoned leaving you to look elsewhere for goods and services.   Bond with IT specialists and develop cutting edge technology in a user-friendly format that you would enjoy using.  Chances are that your patients share your expectations when using web-based sites, including those related to healthcare.  Be a catalyst for digital technology and keep your organization a step ahead of the competition.

Tom is a noted author, enthusiastic speaker, committed leadership developer and superb clinical anesthetist.   Contact tom@prosynex.com to book a speaking engagement.