Striking the Right Balance between Technology and Resident Care for Nursing Homes

The world of nursing is truly fascinating as it will play a major role for many years to come in the American Healthcare Industry. The blend of powerful trends such as new technologies, a demand for better resident experience, an ageing population, and government as the regulator shows that there is a burning need for digital transformation within the traditional nursing system.

Where we are today

Before we talk about how the nursing sector is in the midst of revolutionary changes, let's look at the true state of the American healthcare industry

Growth in American Healthcare Industry

Healthcare as a percentage of GDP in the United States has increased from 5% in 1960 to 18.2% in 2018. This can be attributed to an ageing population that has become a lot more health-conscious.

The nursing sector is expected to expand in the coming years

As the ageing population is expected to increase in 2019, this is going to significantly impact the revenue for the nursing care sector, that is likely to view an annualized rate of 4.1%, according to IBISWorld estimates.

Today, nursing professionals are most likely view themselves as experts in the arena of resident care, but sadly, not in the field of technology. But how can they make most of this growth opportunity and step into the world of digital transformation?

Bridging the gap: Today and beyond

In 20 years, patients will be at the center of the healthcare model. This depicts how the future of the nursing sector is becoming increasingly focused on the well-being and overall experience of nursing home residents rather than their treatment itself. So, the primary goal now remains: keeping your residents happy. According to Simon Frey, the co-founder of Pivot Health, "Nurses can deliver great resident experiences that would contribute towards improved healthcare outcomes." This growing inclination towards enhanced resident experiences makes for a compelling case for going digital as this is known to automate less value-adding elements and resident-care experience.

As this major shift in the healthcare system is being defined by radical challenges that are brought in by the American legislation, an ageing population and resident-driven care – what role should nursing homes play?

Nursing professionals need to ensure that their resident experience keeps up with the evolving needs of the field. Part of this responsibility also entails care providers to stay conscious of the industry developments to ensure that their clinical practices are aligned with the latest ones in the industry. This is the key to hit higher ratings in the Five-Star Quality Rating System, get more referrals from hospitals, and perform significantly better than traditional nursing facilities do.

Put your residents at the center stage

There is a paradigm shift towards value-based models that are driven by a mantra of placing focus on the residents. Successful nursing facilities put their resident experience as their top most priority to match classy experiences that their residents would expect from retail shops.

Reducing patient leakage should be a top priority for CEOs in 2019

Antlere insights show that nearly 87% of executives say referral leakage is a high priority, yet more than 20% say they are not familiar with the tools or knowledge to implement this in their practice.

Become more coordinated

Incorporating digital health tools for improved coordination between nursing staff leads to higher resident engagement and by creating harmony between resident data and your system, your staff will be enabled to provide coordinated, personalized and seamless experiences. "What's in a name?" once asked Shakespeare. Apparently, a lot, as a study conducted by Northwestern University shows that a large number of residents want to be greeted by their names. This shows how residents would like their experiences to be more personalized and enjoyable.

Create meaningful engagement

Simplification of processes such as reducing check-in time, especially for the elderly shows them how their precious time is valued. Nearly every major sector outside nursing uses digital platforms and engagement strategies for enhanced patient engagement. To stay ahead of the curve, the nursing facilities of today must do the same, that is leveraging the power of digital clinical tools to drive meaningful engagement by providing useful and relevant content.

Technological advances in the nursing discipline aren't likely to slow down any time soon. So, what are the benefits of integrating tech into nursing? Antlere allows nursing facilities to transform the way they engage with their residents and boosts the volume of positive referrals received.