Dive Brief:
- A new report by the Brookings Institute examines the role of medical campuses in innovation districts — areas where "leading-edge institutions and companies cluster, connect with startups, [business] anchors and accelerators."
- That kind of setting, Brookings concludes, allows medical facilities to better train and supervise staff members in using IT.
- These workers, who receive advanced training, can help streamline care by doing screenings and simple tests, providing immunizations and coaching patients with chronic diseases, Brookings says.
Dive Insight:
If lower-level employees are trained to take on more routine tasks, doctors and nurses are freed up to devote more time to help patients needing specialized treatment. This is very important as hospitals work to improve care coordination and take a more central role in improving patient and physician engagement. More engaged care, in turn, lets healthcare facilities expand their brand to attract new patients. All told, training lower-level staffers in basic IT seems to have many benefits.