The healthcare industry just experienced its largest worker strike in history, with nearly 75,000 healthcare workers walking out across five states. More walkouts are planned over the next few weeks as workers demand improvements in job security, wages and benefits, and working conditions. The industry has been hit hard in recent years, with reports of burnout, understaffing, and increasing labor demands on healthcare professionals.
While exercising the right to strike puts needed pressure on hospital administrators, it comes at a real cost. The protest will have real implications for hospitals, resulting in canceled medical procedures, delays in patient care, and significant revenue losses.
So, how can hospitals work proactively with their staff to prevent future strikes? A data-driven strategic approach might just be the key.
Addressing burnout and improving work conditions
Data from the American Hospital Association reveals a staggering 30% increase in healthcare job vacancies in recent years. This void has put immense pressure on the remaining staff, with 60% reporting declines in mental health due to workplace stress. Consequently, many are resorting to strikes to voice their concerns about burnout and the taxing nature of their work environment.
Here are some ways hospitals can leverage data to ease burnout and improve conditions:
- Staffing optimization: To truly stand by their workers, hospitals should tap into predictive analytics to anticipate patient inflows and streamline staffing accordingly. Such foresight can be a first step in combating burnout.
- Real-time monitoring: Advanced analytics can play a pivotal role in maintaining an optimal patient-to-staff ratio, ensuring seamless operations and reducing staff strain.
- Streamlining administrative tasks: Employing automated, data-driven systems can minimize manual administrative tasks, allowing more focus on patient care.
Prioritizing well-being and safety
Recent studies show that the number of abusive incidents against healthcare workers is climbing at an alarming rate. The Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association reports that clinicians and healthcare workers are assaulted, threatened, or verbally abused every 38 minutes. Given this increasingly hostile work environment, ensuring the well-being and safety of workers is crucial. Here’s how data can help:
- Safety analytics: Scrutinizing incident reports through data analytics can uncover recurring patterns, helping hospitals to preemptively tackle potential risks.
- Standardized measures: Using analytics solutions to incorporate standardized safety measurements, such as AHRQ patient safety indicators (PSI), into safety monitoring and improvement programs.
Supporting fair compensation and professional growth
The demand for fair wages is a significant concern for the striking healthcare workers. Competitive pay, professional development, and growth opportunities are the cornerstones of employee satisfaction. Here’s how data can help hospitals meet these goals:
- Benchmarking compensation metrics: By examining pay scales industry-wide and across the organization, hospitals can ensure their compensation remains competitive and fair.
- Monitoring and rewarding performance: By leveraging data, hospitals can track performance metrics and implement incentives for outstanding workers.
- Skills and training analytics: With analytics, hospitals can gain insight into performance and productivity trends to identify areas for improvement. By using provider-level data, hospitals can identify skill gaps and tailor training programs that support professional growth.
Conclusion
The wave of strikes isn’t limited to the healthcare sector; industries ranging from entertainment to automotive are also feeling the heat. For all these industries to thrive, it’s essential for organizations to attune themselves to workers’ needs, equipping themselves with strategies and tools to wholly support their workforce.
The transformative power of data cannot be understated. By adopting a data-informed approach, healthcare institutions stand a better chance of cultivating a positive work environment and bolstering staff morale and satisfaction.
Additional Resources
- 3 Ways Analytics Can Help Fight Burnout in Healthcare
- Whitepaper: How Hospital CEOs Can Tackle Their Biggest Challenges Using Analytics
- Smarter Healthcare Podcast: EHR Usability and Physician Burnout
- Why We’re Best in KLAS—Again! - February 7, 2024
- Building a Greener Healthcare System with Data Analytics - January 22, 2024
- Hospital Finance Predictions for 2024 - January 8, 2024
