By Gihan Perera

Gihan Perera is speaking at the Digital Health Summit WA 7-8 November, Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre.

You don’t need a futurist to tell you that digital innovation is transforming healthcare. In fact, the healthcare sector has been at the leading edge of digital change for years – from AI-assisted diagnostics to electronic health records, and more recently to wearable health devices and telehealth services.

As a leader, you might be exploring, considering, and even implementing new technology. And it’s challenging – especially in healthcare. For example, you might face some of these challenges:

• Integration with legacy systems
• Data privacy
• Cybersecurity
• Interoperability issues
• Scalability concerns
• Usability and user experience
• Cost and resource constraints
• Training and support
• Data quality and standardisation
• Regulatory compliance
• Infrastructure limitations

You need careful planning, understanding the technology and the healthcare environment, and collaborating with IT professionals, healthcare providers, and other stakeholders.

But if you focus on the technology, you miss the most important factor: people. Successful change is less about the technology and more about bringing your people on the journey.

Change is difficult! We all know the two most important things we can do to stay healthy are a good diet and regular exercise. And yet, most people fail at these things – even when they know they matter to their health. There’s ample evidence that one of the biggest predictors of gaining weight is having been on a diet in the prior two years. And many people who have suffered from a heart attack or stroke revert to the poor behaviour that caused it soon afterwards.

If we know this is true for individuals looking after their own health – literally a matter of life and death – we shouldn’t be surprised the same applies in the workplace.

Healthcare is an inherently human-centred sector. Whether it’s doctors diagnosing patients, nurses providing care, or administrative staff coordinating treatments, people are at the heart of the process. Digital tools can streamline and optimise, but they only work if your people accept, use, and embrace them.

There are many reasons why people resist new initiatives – for example:

• Fear of Job Loss: Staff may worry the technology will replace their roles or make some skills obsolete.
• Lack of Understanding: People might not see the purpose or benefits of the change, especially if they perceive the current way of working as effective.
• Comfort with the Status Quo: People are often more comfortable with familiar processes, even if they’re inefficient.
• Perceived Increased Workload: Implementing new systems often comes with a steep learning curve, and staff may resist because they believe it will add to their already heavy workload.
• Lack of Trust in Technology: Some staff might be sceptical of new technologies, and concerned about data accuracy and reliability, especially when it affects patient care.
• Previous Negative Experiences: Past attempts at digital change that failed or made processes more difficult can lead to cynicism and reluctance to try new systems.
• Unclear Benefits: If the benefits, such as improved patient outcomes or reduced administrative burden, aren’t clear or don’t align with their priorities, they might see the change as unnecessary.
• Inadequate Training and Support: Without proper training or ongoing support, staff may feel ill-equipped to use new technology, leading to frustration and resistance.
• Fear of Loss of Control: Some people feel that digital systems reduce their autonomy, making them reliant on technology to perform tasks they previously managed themselves.
• Cultural Resistance: Some teams or organisations have a deeply embedded culture of resisting change. Changing these long-standing habits and beliefs can meet significant resistance from individuals or teams.

As a leader, you might know which of these concerns are valid. But whether a concern is based in reality or not, if somebody has that concern, it is valid in their mind. And that means you must address it.

Focus on the human aspect first. Understand why people might resist change, and help them take small steps on the journey. People need to know the change will help them – or at the very least, not harm them – and improve their working life. Only then will they be willing to adopt and embrace the change.

If you want to create meaningful change, ditch a “Digital first!” mantra. Instead, make it about people first, and then technology follows.