Today's healthcare environment looks very different than it did just a few years ago. Healthcare is no longer delivered exclusively inside the four walls of a care setting, which enables better access for patients and a more efficient experience for clinicians and administrative staff. Technology can be used to more easily schedule and triage patients, collaborate amongst clinicians and care providers both onsite and off, and follow up virtually with care at home.

A flexible work environment allows often stressed and burnt-out clinicians to take much-needed physical and mental breaks, which is critically important in a field that is losing talent and already has a global shortage of skilled healthcare workers (the United States is projecting a shortfall of 124,000 skilled healthcare workers in the next twelve years).

Recently, we commissioned IDC to explore workplace transformation in healthcare and the ways that healthcare organizations are taking a digital-first approach to care delivery. The result is a new Industry Spotlight paper titled, "Workplace Transformation in Healthcare: The Time is Now."

The spotlight uncovered some interesting statistics about the benefits healthcare providers reported after implementing a more flexible work model.

When asked in IDC's Hybrid Work Maturity Study what percentage improvement their organization experienced in 2021 because of investments in work transformation, healthcare providers reported having achieved a marked improvement in employee experience (30%), expanding the talent pool beyond existing geographical constraints (28%), attracting top talent (29%), and better employee retention (29%).

Out of necessity, hybrid work was adopted during the pandemic across all industries. And while healthcare has reverted to a more traditional care setting, elements of a hybrid model still exist because patients and providers demand it.

What we're starting to see now is the next wave of innovation in healthcare. One that moves beyond virtual care, digital front door and clinical communications to address the healthcare facilities themselves.

While the technology we've adopted in the past few years that enables better communication and virtual care is still critical, healthcare organizations are now also investing in smart and sustainable hospital facilities to address Environmental, Social and Governance goals (ESG) and differentiate amongst competition.

With smart and sustainable hospital facilities, healthcare organizations can reduce energy consumption, water usage and waste, enable greater automation and security for systems across the facility, and address the future of work with smart, intuitive, and flexible spaces.

Ready to learn more about workplace transformation in healthcare and the numerous benefits to healthcare staff and their patients? We encourage you to read IDC's spotlight on the future of workplace transformation in healthcare (Doc#US49224922, June 2022), and join the conversation by sharing your thoughts in the comments below.