How can digital technology improve acute care?

Before making the case for how digital technology can improve acute care, we need to understand the context in which healthcare systems are operating. In many advanced economies, acute care is facing unprecedented challenges due to an ageing population, the rising burden of chronic diseases, and the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. These factors have increased the demand for hospital services, strained the capacity and resources of healthcare systems, and exposed the limitations and gaps in the current models of care.

In the UK, this is manifesting itself through record breaking NHS backlogs. In February 2024, there were almost 6.3 million people on NHS waiting lists for consultant-led elective care.¹ The picture is similarly bleak for cancer treatment, with only 62% of patients meeting the cancer treatment target in 2022-3.2 The pandemic effects are compounded by the long-term challenges the NHS faces, which are multifaceted — workforce pressures, growing demand for care and inflationary challenges just to mention a few.

At an organisational level, this has meant a focus on optimising theatre capacity and efficiency to deliver more for less, while seeking to continuously improve patient outcomes. However, there are record numbers of patient admissions, which is placing a growing strain on fixed resources. This is having an effect on patient care, as they find themselves waiting far beyond the four-hour A&E target or on a waiting list stretching into many months. When patients are finally admitted to hospital, clinicians are finding they have deteriorated and developed more complex conditions during their wait, meaning healthcare professionals are fighting against the odds to deliver excellent outcomes. Furthermore, when it comes to recovery and rehabilitation, delayed discharge is having a knock-on effect on admissions capacity and re-admission compounds this problem further. This is particularly true for those who are frail and who do not have adequate care in the community. This means it is more important than ever to think about how we can focus on preventative healthcare as part of a multi-pronged strategy.