Addressing Reluctance to Change in Healthcare: What it Means for Technology

EDITOR'S NOTE: Special thanks to Justin Baker for writing today's blog post. You can connect with him on LinkedIn. 

Having been in EMS now for 19 years, I have noticed one thing among the medical community: some medical providers are very interested in advancements in technology and improvements in patient care outcomes, but only as long as it does not require them to change or increase their workload.

As technology has continued to evolve, I hear “Wow, that is great, but it is just another thing for me to do.” or “I already have too much.” Even if it is the best thing for the patient, you will still typically hear the staff concerns.

The more reluctant members of the medical team tend to bring up roadblocks for why their teams can't do things a certain way, or why changing technologies will not work for them. For example, when working to implement Pulsara in our region, we hear concerns about how it's just one more tablet and application to have to use, despite the fact that statistics show that Pulsara decreases time significantly and ultimately improves the patient outcome.

Until we can get past this reluctant-to-change mindset, it will continue to cripple the medical industry and will not allow for technological advancement and optimal patient care.

It is time to change, and stop both hospital staff and physicians from holding back the advancement of patient care for complacency, inconvenience, or unwillingness to learn new technology.

Imagine if the care team member complaining about change and added duties could trade places with the patient. They would certainly want the most advanced and effective technology to limit the amount of delay in their care and ensure the best outcome possible. So, why is that not the expectation for all patients?

It is time for the entire healthcare profession to come together and do what is best for the patient -- even if that requires additional work on the front end for medical providers to learn new technologies and techniques.

Change is difficult. This is understood, but at times change is a necessary process required for advancement and improvement. We should always want to do better, be better, and provide better patient care. It's About Time.