The Future of Agency Nursing: Technology Enabled Homecare
Technology has long been heralded as the future of healthcare, set to revolutionise the industry as we know it. Rather than perhaps being the solution to many of the issues that the healthcare industry faces, it’s important to consider Technology as a means of enabling better healthcare. Equally, demand for homecare nursing is on the rise, and by embracing the latest tech and digital systems, there is scope to dramatically transform the way care can be delivered at home.
Increased Productivity
“Teleheath” refers to the distribution of healthcare services or information, via technology or mobile devices. By using mobile technology to support their work, homecare nurses can manage caseloads, update patient records and complete administrative tasks, from various devices. This in turn will reduce the need for paper based systems, meaning less time in the office is required. It’s well documented that technology can facilitate increased productivity, and alleviate certain staffing pressures.
Empowering Patients
Alongside the potential logistical benefits of using technology to enable homecare, it has the potential to improve the lives of homecare nurses, individual patients and their families. By embedding technology within care practices, home care nurses can empower patients to take control of how their care is planned and delivered. Moving forward, these changes will encourage more patient centred homecare.
Better Care: Tech vs. Touch
Technology can be used as a means of sharing knowledge, coordinating services and facilitating communication. A secure, dynamic flow of data will introduce homecare nurses to an entirely new way of working. It’s widely understood that a cultural shift must also occur for tech to be accepted, and for the powers of technology to be fully realised, as it is often misunderstood that technology is impersonal and detached. In truth, by combining tech with the touch of hands-on care, the standard of care delivered has the potential to be much better.
Tech Supporting Practice
The homecare sector could soon be regularly using technology to remotely diagnose and monitor patient conditions. This ongoing evolution will allow the homecare industry to be agile and adaptive. As the digital transformation continues, we can maximise the value of tech - making it convenient, accessible and cost effective. In the future, perhaps we can expect tech to be not only responsive but also predictive, using data and analytics to ensure care if given where it is needed most.
If you’d like to find out more about our current agency homecare jobs, including homecare nurse jobs, homecare assistant and homecare manager positions, get in touch today.
