Digitization in healthcare is proceeding more slowly than it should because it is looking at the wrong financial benefits. The arguments to digitize are too focused on the short term and stand in the way of further innovation. These conclusions can be drawn from a tour of dozens of Dutch healthcare institutions participating in the “automation in healthcare” seminar organized by low-code specialist Bizzomate, RPA expert Tacstone Technology and Mendix. Nearly two-thirds (60%) of participating healthcare organizations supported the statement that current financial incentives are counterproductive.

Too much short-term focus

Current financial incentives in healthcare to digitize are too often focused on short-term gains and cost savings, making long-term investments less likely to be made or even fail. Moreover, the benefits often relate to traditional treatment methods and models, leaving little incentive to embrace further digitization. Another major cause cited by healthcare facilities is the fact that there are still many outdated systems in place that make further digitization difficult. Nearly one-third (30%) of participating healthcare organizations see this as a limiting factor for digital innovation.

Healthcare organizations see plenty of opportunities for further digitization

That said, there are plenty of opportunities for digitization in healthcare. Eighty percent of participating healthcare facilities agree or strongly agree that they see multiple processes within their facility that could be digitized, optimized or automated. Moreover, with smart automation, over eighty percent (85%) of the survey participants believe the administrative burden for employees can be greatly or very greatly reduced.

Philippe Neven, spokesman at Bizzomate: “At a time when digitization can make a significant contribution to the transformation of healthcare, we are sad to note that the potential of low-code and RPA technology, among others, is not yet sufficiently exploited. Focusing on the short term causes innovation to stagnate and opportunities to be lost. This is unfortunate, especially in an industry in such urgent need of workload relief. Together with Tacstone Technology & Mendix, we are happy to put our expertise to work to guide healthcare organizations into a future where the benefits of digitization actually take shape so that healthcare providers and their clients can benefit.”