According to Rich Birhanzel, Senior Managing Director at Accenture, the lack of patient access caused by the shortage of doctors and nurses is a global issue that only is resolved through technology. At HIMSS23, Birhanzel emphasized care delivery reinvention through automation as the key to solving patient access. Emerging technologies like generative AI, virtual reality, and the metaverse will further change care delivery, and Accenture is partnering to implement solutions. Birhanzel noted that 70% of healthcare workers’ tasks could be reinvented through technology augmentation or automation.
The shortage of doctors and nurses globally has been creating challenges in providing patient care access, which can only be solved through technology, according to Rich Birhanzel, the Senior Managing Director at Accenture. Birhanzel made this observation during the HIMSS23 conference, where he discussed how technology can reinvent care delivery and solve the patient access issue.
The shortage of clinicians due to workforce shortages has created a financial resilience challenge, Birhanzel noted. When patients don’t have access to care, there are consequences in outcomes, and the only way to solve this problem is through technology. Birhanzel added that care delivery reinvention through automation is key to solving patient access and is one of the big themes at HIMSS23.
One way that care delivery can be reinvented through automation is by moving the clinical record into a modern architecture. For instance, when someone goes to urgent care, much administrative work can be automated and done beforehand at home, such as the collection of data on health history and other information. Birhanzel explained that this approach could allow more time for clinical care, which is the movement toward a modern infrastructure.
Emerging technologies such as generative AI, virtual reality, and the metaverse will further change care delivery. For example, virtual reality can help educate patients who need to do a home injection. For those who need physical therapy, emerging technology can tell the therapist whether the patient is doing the exercise correctly or if it’s being done at all.
According to Accenture research, technological augmentation or automation may be able to reimagine 70% of healthcare personnel’s activities. The company featured numerous demonstrations at its HIMSS23 booth, such as augmented reality tools. While Accenture doesn’t offer the software, it partners with companies to implement solutions.
