Healthcare Labor Shortages and the Potential of the Digital Workforce

What began as an explosion of patent demand for urgent care resources, ventilators, and ICU beds evolved into multiple, regional infection surges that continue to test the resiliency of the healthcare system to this day.
The reality is that the healthcare industry has been facing a capacity shortage reality for a long time, well before things like surges, or Delta, or fully vaccinated became part of the world’s collective vocabulary. Advanced Patient Engagement with a Digital Workforce The shortcomings are especially apparent when it comes to engaging patients digitally. Technology continues to advance rapidly which offers a ray of hope for industries that must deal with complexity, administrative overhead, and a broad demographic spectrum of customers (patients). That digital patient engagement number needs to increase significantly. The simplicity of interacting with a digital assistant that uses language to guide patients through process complexity is potentially groundbreaking – especially in healthcare. Rather than requiring people to download apps and set up user accounts, Conversational AI engages patients through simple, interactive messaging and helps them navigate healthcare. Memorial Health uses smart digital assistants to deliver COVID-19 test results to tens of thousands of patients every month. It’s no longer a matter of IF but rather WHEN conversational technology becomes the norm across all aspects of healthcare. There may be a perfect storm brewing, but the path forward is something the healthcare industry has always needed to get behind, pandemic or not.