Technology and the organization of care
Healthcare teams are using digital tools to support appointments, clinical information, remote interactions and workforce coordination. The practical question is how each tool fits the care model and the people using it.
This guide examines those operating requirements, with a focus on care delivered across homes, clinics and community settings. Clinical technology needs its own evidence and governance; workforce software supports the planning and coordination around care.
"The healthcare organizations that will lead over the next decade are not the ones with the biggest facilities or the longest histories — they are the ones that invest today in flexible, interoperable, data-driven operations. Technology is the lever; workforce is the fulcrum."
Evan Hollonds — Head of Platform, Skedulo
1. Digital change in healthcare
Digital change can involve patient access, clinical systems or the way an organization runs its services. Each initiative needs a defined problem, an accountable owner and a way to assess the result.
Replacing a paper form or connecting two systems changes the workflow as well as the technology. Include the people doing the work in design and testing, and establish who maintains the process after launch.
Where technology can be applied
It is useful to distinguish three areas, while recognizing that they overlap:
- Clinical care: telehealth, remote monitoring and other clinical tools, evaluated for their intended use and evidence.
- Operations: workforce planning, scheduling, travel, work records and communication across care teams.
- Patient access: booking, registration, appointment information and follow-up, with accessible alternatives for people who cannot use digital channels.
Investment and implementation
In McKinsey's 2023 survey of 200 health-system executives, nearly 90% rated digital and AI change a high or top priority, while 75% reported insufficient planning or resources. Separately, HIMSS proposed $36.7 billion over ten years in its 2022 assessment of US public health data infrastructure. These are dated research findings, not current measures of every provider.
Skedulo's role: support scheduling, mobile work and the operational records around care delivery. Our Pulse Platform can extend those records and workflows while connecting the clinical and business systems a provider uses.
2. Patient access and participation
Patients need understandable information and a practical way to communicate with their care team. Digital access should reflect their preferences, accessibility needs and the support available to them.
Areas to consider
- Access to information: Provide appropriate access to records, appointment information and approved resources through the relevant patient systems.
- Communication: Make it clear how patients can ask questions, what response to expect and which channels must not be used for emergencies.
- Remote interactions: Evaluate remote monitoring or virtual visits for the intended patient group and clinical purpose, including the response to missing data or a failed connection.
- Participation in care: Support discussions with the care team and access to agreed instructions. Technology should not substitute for clinical explanation or informed decisions.
- Appointment access: Offer booking and registration options that fit the service, with alternatives for patients who need assistance.
"The providers who will win on patient experience in the next five years are not those building the flashiest apps — they are the ones making the boring parts frictionless: scheduling, reminders, billing, and follow-up."
Evan Hollonds — Head of Platform, Skedulo
3. Connecting health and operational data
Clinical, practice-management and workforce systems hold different parts of the service record. Identify what each team needs to read or update and how that information can be shared appropriately.
Usability matters
The Milbank Memorial Fund's 2024 primary-care scorecard reported that more than 40% of family physicians gave unfavorable EHR usability ratings, and more than a quarter reported overall dissatisfaction. The findings concern family physicians and should not be generalized to every healthcare role.
Integration requirements to evaluate
- Relevant information available across the participating care settings
- Access to existing results and history where authorized and clinically appropriate
- Supported interfaces for additional applications, with clear data ownership
- Update timing and a defined response to unavailable or incomplete records
- Data definitions and permissions suitable for agreed service or population analysis
4. Analytics for operational decisions
Start with the decision an analysis should support. Scheduling records may explain travel or capacity; clinical outcomes require appropriate clinical data and interpretation. Combining them needs consistent definitions and access controls.
Types of analysis
Descriptive analytics
Summarize recorded activity, such as scheduled and completed visits.
Diagnostic analytics
Investigate differences, such as recurring delays by work type or region.
Predictive analytics
Estimate future demand or other defined outcomes using a model tested for that purpose.
Prescriptive analytics
Compare possible responses against the agreed requirements and objectives.
Discovery analytics
Explore patterns that warrant further investigation, without treating an association as a clinical conclusion.
Related guides
5. Care across homes and community settings
Distributed care describes services delivered across homes, local clinics, community facilities and other settings. The care model determines which patients and services are suitable, along with staffing, equipment and escalation requirements.
What providers need to plan
- The staff, equipment and support available in each setting
- Which interactions are suitable for remote delivery and which require attendance
- The evidence and operational support needed for monitoring technologies
- The program approvals, funding arrangements and requirements that apply
- Patient suitability, preferences, accessibility and caregiver support where relevant
"Distributed care is where the operational complexity of healthcare truly reveals itself. You are no longer managing a building — you are managing a dynamic network of mobile workers, each carrying the entire care relationship in their hands."
Evan Hollonds — Head of Platform, Skedulo
6. Hospital-at-home programs
Hospital-at-home programs deliver inpatient-level care to eligible patients at home under a defined clinical service model. In the US, CMS's Acute Hospital Care at Home initiative applies to participating hospitals and has been extended through September 30, 2030. Providers must assess the current program and local requirements.
Operational considerations
- Clinically appropriate monitoring and reliable communication arrangements
- Clinical oversight, response and escalation defined by the care model
- Qualified staff, equipment and supplies available for the required visits
- Scheduling and dispatch processes for planned and unplanned attendance
- Transfer and emergency procedures established by the responsible clinical team
Related guides
7. Individual care requirements
Care planning takes account of a person's needs and circumstances. Operational systems can represent relevant visit requirements, accessibility needs, preferences and continuity arrangements. Diagnosis and treatment decisions belong to the qualified clinical team, using the appropriate evidence.
"The convergence of personalized care and precision diagnostics is the most exciting development in healthcare in my career. We are moving from treating diseases to treating people — and the technology to make that operational at scale is finally within reach."
Evan Hollonds — Head of Platform, Skedulo
8. Workforce capacity and experience
GE HealthCare's 2023 study surveyed 2,000 clinicians across eight countries and found 42% were considering leaving healthcare. This is a historical survey finding, not a current departure rate. Workforce planning should also examine local vacancies, workload and staff feedback.
- 42% - of surveyed clinicians considered leaving healthcare (GE HealthCare, 2023).
- 2,000 - clinicians participated in GE HealthCare's 2023 study.
- 40%+ - of family physicians reported unfavorable EHR usability (Milbank 2024 scorecard).
Technology requirements to discuss with staff
- Schedules that account for availability, working arrangements and relevant preferences
- Messaging and notifications appropriate to urgency and clinical escalation processes
- Authorized visit information that is practical to access on mobile
- Less duplicate entry and clear ownership of required documentation
9. Funding and service requirements
Payment arrangements differ across countries, payers and care models. Some link payment to measures of quality or outcomes as well as activity. Confirm the actual terms, documentation and reporting requirements before designing the operational workflow.
Services with different funding considerations
- Digital therapeutics (DTx): Confirm the product's intended use, clinical evidence, regulatory status and coverage rather than assuming software-based treatment is reimbursed.
- Group medical visits: Review the clinical model, patient suitability, privacy and billing requirements for the proposed service.
- Wellness and prevention programs: Establish the service scope, evidence and funding arrangements; downstream savings are not automatic.
- Mobile and community-based care: Confirm eligibility, visit records and payment terms for the specific home or community service.
10. Evaluating healthcare technology
These categories cover different uses and risks. They are not a list of Skedulo features or a recommendation that every provider adopt them.
| Technology | Summary |
|---|---|
| Artificial Intelligence | Separate operational assistance from clinical uses. Test the intended task, evidence, data quality, permissions and human oversight. |
| Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) | Assess the patient group, device, measurements and clinical response process. Missing or abnormal data needs an agreed handling procedure. |
| Telehealth & Virtual Care | Evaluate suitability, access, privacy and the fallback when a connection fails. Some care still requires attendance. |
| Digital Therapeutics (DTx) | Assess each product's intended use, clinical evidence, regulatory status and place in the care plan. |
| Extended Reality (XR) | Evaluate the specific training or clinical application, including evidence, equipment and safety requirements. |
| In Silico Methods | Computer simulation can support research and development. Its validity depends on the model, data and intended use; it does not by itself establish a clinical result. |
"The right approach is a staged pilot methodology — small, measured, with clear success criteria before scaling."
Evan Hollonds — Head of Platform, Skedulo
11. Planning a technology change
Select a specific service problem, involve the clinical and operational owners, and define how the result will be assessed. Test the workflow with staff and patients where appropriate, including access, connectivity and exceptions. Budget for training, integration and ongoing support as well as the software.
Related guides
12. Frequently asked questions
The following questions focus on operational technology. Clinical, privacy and funding requirements need review by the appropriate specialists.
