A Catalyst for Change: Junior Doctors and Digital Transformation
Involving junior doctors in tech decisions can revolutionise NHS
In the evolving transformation of healthcare, junior doctors find themselves at the crossroads of technology and tradition. Ed Hutchison, an NHS doctor and clinical solutions specialist at Altera Digital Health, delves into the implications of sidelining junior doctors in adopting new technologies such as Electronic Patient Records (EPRs) within NHS organisations.
The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan unveiled in June has sparked discussions among healthcare professionals regarding its efficacy, especially in digital transformation. The plan aims to address the projected staff shortfall of 260,000-360,000 by 2036/37, promising long-term changes and outlining strategies in three priority areas: train, retain, and reform. If successful, it could result in an additional 60,000 doctors, 170,000 nurses, and 71,000 allied health professionals by 2036/37.
However, the plan has been criticised for lacking focus on digital initiatives. Junior doctors, feeling underappreciated and grappling with uncompetitive pay and outdated technology, are increasingly seeking opportunities overseas, contributing to the brain drain in the UK healthcare sector. The state of technology within the NHS exacerbates this, with junior doctors often struggling to find working computers and dealing with disjointed systems, leading to a third of them planning to leave the NHS to work abroad in the next 12 months.
Junior doctors, constituting almost 50% of the NHS’s doctor workforce, are often marginalised from decision-making processes related to new technology, usually dominated by board members and senior leaders. This marginalisation has significant ramifications, especially when introducing fundamental systems like EPRs, crucial for delivering high-quality patient care. Poor IT has been reported as a major cause of burnout among junior doctors, who, along with nurses and other allied health professionals, are the primary users of these systems.
To foster a positive culture and retain junior doctors, senior leaders must include them in decisions related to digital technology and tools that impact patient care directly. With their rotational training across different hospitals, junior doctors possess unique insights into varying degrees of digital maturity and EPR solutions, making their input invaluable to decision-makers.
The current approach to digital transformation is perceived as out-of-touch, with the focus often on flashy new technology projects while the core clinical systems and hardware remain inadequate. Junior doctors must be empowered with time and opportunities to contribute to local digital transformation, leveraging their training in ‘Quality Improvement’ to facilitate improvements in digital medical referral processes and other areas.
By involving junior doctors in technology adoption processes, NHS trusts can build a health system conducive to their needs, preventing burnout and the potential loss of this valuable workforce. An effective and flexible EPR system is crucial in the current policy landscape, enabling trusts to promptly respond to patient safety issues and policy changes, improving patient outcomes, and streamlining processes.
Involving junior doctors and other healthcare professionals in decision-making processes for new technology provides unique insights and inspires the next generation. Early involvement in technology encourages junior doctors to participate in developing new digital health technology and offers learning opportunities for technology users.
Without a grassroots approach to digital transformation, the risk of losing more valuable NHS staff looms large. It is not just about investing in new technology projects; it is about getting the right people behind the projects, including frontline clinical staff and junior doctors, and taking a different approach to them altogether.
In conclusion, the involvement of junior doctors in technology adoption is not just a necessity but a catalyst for change, significantly improving processes and patient outcomes. It is high time that their unique insights and experiences are valued and utilised in shaping the future of healthcare technology within the NHS, inspiring the next generation and ensuring the retention of valuable staff in the face of increasing pressures and challenges.
Source: Building Better Healthcare