Welcome to the latest edition of the MedElite newsletter! In today’s issue, we’ll discuss how you can transform your workplace into a healthier and happier environment for your team.
We compiled four essential steps that can help improve employee well-being and increase productivity. From auditing occupational risks to promoting greater inclusion and diversity, we explore essential best practices for promoting employee wellness.
With MedElite‘s guidance, you can create a workplace that fosters a positive and thriving work culture. Let’s dive into these practical tips and get jumpstart your organization’s health-centered transformation today
From the CMO:
On March 31st, Dr. Rekha Bhandari, CMO of The MedElite Group, published to LinkedIn Pulse the following piece exploring the ongoing hiring crisis in healthcare, noting how the field might strike a stronger balance of care quality and cost in the future:
Balancing Quality and Cost: Addressing Healthcare’s Staffing Crisis in 2023
The early 2020s have been a turbulent period for the healthcare sector, beginning with the sudden logistical shock of COVID-19 and, lately, entering a period of relative uncertainty in several regards. While healthcare profit pools are poised to see considerable growth in the coming years, many industry institutions are currently still struggling from a personnel standpoint. Enduring patient backlogs, staff burnout, and ongoing residual health concerns are just a few factors jeopardizing these entities’ ability to remain medically effective and financially viable.
As a result, healthcare leaders continue to search for ways to mitigate costs in the name of consistent, quality care. For the industry to properly fulfill its projected growth, it must establish a stronger balance between value-based care and cost-effective staffing.
Achieving this harmony is proving difficult, and one unfortunate byproduct of this process has been a general reduction in backfilling personnel holes – even in some ERs, which are cutting certain hiring initiatives in favor of alternative staffing strategies.
(Click the link above to read her full piece.)
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) recently proposed new rules for the use of clinical decision support (CDS) tools and artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare. The proposed rules seek to establish standardization and interoperability for CDS and AI technology to improve the quality and safety of patient care. The rules would also promote transparency in developing and implementing these tools, ensuring that patients and healthcare providers have access to accurate and up-to-date information.
One of the key aspects of the proposed rules is the incorporation of the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA), which would create a national infrastructure for securely sharing electronic health information. This framework would enable healthcare providers to exchange patient data more easily and efficiently, improving communication between providers and ultimately enhancing patient care.
Additionally, the rules would require CDS and AI developers to follow a standardized development process and provide clear documentation of their tools’ performance and capabilities. This change would help build trust in the technology among healthcare providers and patients alike, as they would have more information about tool design and functionality.
Overall, the new ONC rules have the potential to bolster trust, transparency, and overall efficiency in healthcare on behalf of a wider range of patients. By establishing standards for CDS and AI technology, and by promoting the secure exchange of patient information, these changes could help ensure that patients receive the best possible care – all while supporting innovation in healthcare technology at large.
Health at Work: Quick Steps to a Healthier Workplace
Workplace health is paramount in building and maintaining a proper quality of life; this fact has become increasingly clear as business culture evolves to bolster employee safety and well-being. Every year, World Day for Safety and Health at Work (April 28th) calls additional attention to this topic, highlighting how workplaces can mitigate prevailing health and safety risks, establish a stronger internal culture, and ultimately advocate for their workers in new and effective ways – actions that have only become more crucial amidst COVID-19.
That said, here are four quick ways workplace leaders can improve workplace safety and overall health for their employees:
Audit For Occupational Risks
Perhaps the most obvious way leaders can ensure a safer, healthier workplace is to take stock of existing occupational risks and deficiencies. Such changes will vary depending on the industry or line of work, but broadly speaking, leaders should make sure their work environment is clean, compliant with all relevant health codes and regulations, and conducive to workers’ safety as they navigate their daily obligations.
Foster a Stronger Workplace Culture
In addition to ensuring their workers’ physical well-being, leaders should also make necessary changes to support employee mental and emotional health – and, in many cases, this starts with general workplace culture. Cultural change is inherently a communal effort, with leaders setting a proper example in fostering cohesion, tolerance, transparency, and camaraderie.
Emphasize a More Inclusive, Aligned Hiring Process
Cultural changes should also include hiring and acquisition protocol, with leaders tailoring such efforts to inclusion and alignment in terms of appropriate staffing. New additions should not only represent a broad dedication to diversity and equity – they should also complement and augment existing team culture and functionality.
Keep Ahead of Emerging Risks
Foresight is critical to workplace safety and health; this applies to everything from regular auditing initiatives to constant insight into macro business and healthcare trends. In this sense, leaders must keep an eye on emerging risks threatening the integrity of their working environment, taking preemptive steps to ensure occupational and cultural health, reduce stress, and keep employees in the best position for success.