Healthcare workers lack capacity in key areas

One in four healthcare workers say they have felt overwhelmed frequently in the past year, according to PwC’s 2023 Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey. The number one reason, cited by half of all healthcare employees, is a lack of resources or capability, such as staff shortages, or the unreasonable timelines that can result from them. Such pressures—already exacerbated by the pandemic—appear likely to continue, given industry cost pressures and ageing populations.

And yet, the healthcare workers surveyed are somewhat less likely than other respondents to say they plan to change jobs or shift to gig work. Although this can reduce retention pressures on leaders, an overwhelmed and under-resourced workforce is sure to create problems for day-to-day operations, quality control, and risk management—and for future reinvention. Here’s how the C-suite can lighten the load:

1. Use analytics to allocate talent more accurately. Predictive technologies—which increasingly incorporate AI—can forecast when hospitals and health systems are likely to see greater patient flow. Use those tools to better ensure that you have sufficient talent for peak demand periods and don’t have people sitting idly during slow periods.
2. Understand where tech disruptions are likely. Some aspects of healthcare—from certain surgical procedures to administrative tasks like managing electronic health records—are ripe for disruption by technologies such as AI. Others, like everyday patient-facing care, are not. Get a clear picture of which segments of your workforce will be affected, and target tech-specific upskilling initiatives to those segments. A workforce that’s trained in the right tech and integrated with more efficient, data-driven systems can help distribute workload more equitably and help ease the burden on your people.