Guest Blog (Ethical Healthcare Consulting): Why user experience should be a primary driver of transformation success in digital healthcare
Virtually every aspect of modern life has been, and will continue to be, radically reshaped by innovation and technology. Healthcare is no exception. However, the NHS still struggles to overcome barriers to new technology adoption.
What about user experience (UX)?
Evidence tells us employees that are happy with their digital tools are likely to be motivated to stay within an organisation, be more productive and efficient. However, when designing and delivering digital transformation, the human factors aren’t factored enough.
The Wachter Review was a seminal report reinforcing the criticality in taking a people-first approach. The review tells us “industry after industry has demonstrated that just installing computers without rethinking the way people work does not allow the system and its people to reach its potential; in fact, technology can sometimes get in the way.”
National NHS entities and UK Government departments have embraced user centricity. This journey was triggered by the Martha Lane Fox Review (2010) that examined how Government should interact with its citizens, followed by the introduction of the UK Government Digital Service (GDS) in 2011 and subsequent Technology Code of Practice (TCoP) and the Digital Service Manual. Behavioural insights, a discipline that combines psychology, cognitive and social science with empirically tested results to discover how humans actually make choices, has been embedded in health care policy teams.
What does this mean for providers or Integrated Care Boards (ICBS)?
Digital is synonymous with most transformation efforts; it’s the enabler that can provide the catalyst for change. All too often we hear about costly transformation programmes that don’t deliver transformation. In many instances, this is because the people capital - an organisation’s ability to invest the thought, time and energy needed to change their activities - is lacking.
NHS England set a target for 90% of NHS trusts to have an Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system in place by December 2023 and 95% by March 2025. Sourcing, designing and deploying an EPR is one of the most complex digital transformation processes a healthcare organisation can undertake. This surge in EPR demand provides an opportunity for organisations to invest the time and capacity to rethink how their service provision can be improved for service users and their workforce.
It's also a chance for leaders to ensure UX becomes a primary driver of transformation success. This is a serious undertaking that cannot be tokenistic; it requires the workforce and service users to get involved and lead the design and delivery of new solutions with a personalised approach to learning a new system and processes.
In 2021/2022, NHS England commissioned a nationwide user-led survey that measured and compared how well EPR systems supported frontline clinicians. Results revealed that improvements to learning and addressing digital and data literacy needs led to higher user satisfaction.
In addition to meeting EPR targets, ICBs have a statutory duty to consider how to reduce inequalities in access to and outcomes from health services. Several interdependent factors lead some groups to face a higher risk of being digitally excluded; these groups also generally face a higher risk of health inequalities. Adopting a more personalised, inclusive approach to transformation will help ICBs and their localities address population health risks and needs.
NHS delivery organisations are under tremendous pressure to stand up a service, respond to staff shortages, reduce waiting lists and health inequalities, whilst attempting to transform. Given these environmental factors, transformation activities can be rushed, corners cut to deliver on time and to budget. However, the risks associated with not taking a user-centric approach to transformation will become a problem for future endeavors and return on investment.
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