The current healthcare landscape is facing a significant crisis in its human resources, posing an alarming challenge to the entire healthcare system. Both on a national and global scale, the workforce in the health sector is confronting unparalleled difficulties, characterized by a diminishing pool of healthcare professionals, unfavorable retention rates, and working conditions that exert undue pressure on staff. Further, escalating stress levels have resulted in early retirements, transitions to part-time employment, or outright departures from jobs and the profession itself.
In a recent sit down interview with Paula Doering, the SVP of Clinical Programs at Bruyère Hospital - she expressed, "I've been in healthcare for 40 years, and would say that these last couple of years have been one of the most challenging from a health human resources perspective. We have seen Nurses leave their profession, we have seen some join and only stay for a short period of time, and some have taken early retirements. I think the pandemic was a big part of that, but I also think it was the workload that they were experiencing".
Over an extended period, various stakeholders, including healthcare associations, labor unions, economists, and experts, have consistently raised concerns about shortages in the health workforce, particularly in the field of Nursing and Personal Support Workers (PSWs). The COVID-19 pandemic has only intensified these issues, with heightened patient loads, limited resources and great concern for the safety of our front-line heroes.
The ramifications of the HHR crisis extends far beyond the healthcare facilities themselves. As staffing shortages persist, patient care is compromised, leading to longer wait times, decreased access to essential services, and an overall decline in the quality of healthcare delivery. This ripple effect has severe consequences for public health, placing a significant burden on families and communities. Individuals with chronic conditions or those requiring timely interventions may find themselves facing prolonged suffering or exacerbated health issues due to the lack of available healthcare personnel.
Introducing Technology:
Technology can play a major role in enhancing the efficiency of an overburdened healthcare system. Able Innovations’ ALTA Platform®, a robotic patient transfer technology, is poised to help frontline staff, and improve the way in which care is delivered to patients. It automates the process of transferring patients between beds/stretchers/CT couch, eliminating the need for manual lifting, hence reducing the risk of costly injuries, exhaustion, burnout and strain to caregivers. One of the most remarkable aspects of the ALTA Platform is its ability to provide compassionate care without compromising efficiency. Further, it encompasses a highly intuitive design model, allowing frontline staff to do-more-with-less.
By automating routine and labor-intensive tasks such as patient transfers, caregivers can dedicate their expertise to critical medical decisions, leading to enhanced patient outcomes. As the healthcare industry continues to evolve, solutions like the ALTA Platform®, reminds us of the incredible potential of technology to bridge gaps, and enhance the lives of our healthcare heroes. The magnitude of the HHR crisis necessitates innovative and transformative solutions to assist in tackling long standing problems that have been persisting for years.
FAQ's
What is the health human resources crisis? It refers to critical shortages and distribution problems of healthcare workers globally.
How does the crisis impact healthcare delivery? It leads to lack of access, long wait times, high costs, staff burnout, lower quality of care.
How can technology assist with the crisis? Tools for training, diagnosis, care delivery and coordination reduce demands on the existing workforce. Dealing effectively with pressing health human resources issues is essential.