How the Health Care Labor Shortage Affects Clinical Data Management

Labor shortages have ravaged nearly every industry over the past few years, and the health care system has been no exception.

Between February and June 2022, more than 2.7 million health care and social assistance workers left their jobs—leaving hospital executives in a bind. One recent survey of hospital leaders found that more than 90% of respondents said their facility experienced challenges related to staffing or labor within the past few years.

While labor shortages have a plethora of obvious implications on the health care industry and the quality of patient care, they also significantly impact clinical data management, an increasingly crucial component of hospital operations.

The Need for Clinical Data Management

Clinical data management has steadily risen to prominence within the health care industry, serving as the key to unlocking the knowledge embedded in patient medical records and other unstructured data.

In fact, in 2018, Scott Gottlieb, the former commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), identified leveraging clinical data as a “key strategic priority for the FDA.” The FDA has also recognized the value of real-world data within clinical data registries, which has the potential to support medical product development. This is largely a result of the insights that can be gathered on a defined patient population, including a patient’s disease history, complications, and medical care.

The Labor Shortage’s Impact on Clinical Data Management

Yet, because of impending retirements from health care workers, an aging national population, and heightened burnout due to the pandemic, the prioritization of clinical data management is at risk. These pressures have contributed to a significant labor shortage that may threaten the hospitals and health systems’ ability to maintain sufficient staffing levels for tasks outside of administering care, such as capturing and interpreting clinical data to inform decision-making, support regulatory compliance, and improve outcomes in care. Without sufficient staff, clinical data management cannot be supported.

A survey conducted earlier this year revealed the extent to which the labor shortage has affected clinical data management practices and staffing levels. In the survey, nearly 9 in 10 respondents said labor shortage challenges changed how they managed their clinical data.

Furthermore, the shortage has also impacted the number of experienced clinical data management staff; about one-third of respondents reported that less than half of their team had more than 5 years of clinical data experience. As a result of the shortage, hospital leaders are often unable to hire staff with all the skills and experience desired and, instead, may need to train less experienced staff to compensate. This adds additional strain to staff who are already experienced, as they now must spend considerable time training new staff to perform their duties.

Although some hospitals and health systems have seen relief from the labor challenges, more than one-quarter of respondents said they have not experienced any relief, demonstrating that difficulties still lie ahead for some. 

Solutions for Health Leaders

Despite current operational limitations, the future of clinical data management presents many opportunities for enhanced organizational and societal value. There are several steps hospitals and health system leaders can take to mitigate the impacts of health care staffing shortages.

One large cause of staffing shortages is due to burnout; hospital executives can improve their culture of teamwork and open communication, increase access to mental health care, and reduce the administrative burden on health care workers to minimize fatigue.

In addition, hospitals can conduct cost assessments to determine inefficiencies and reallocate funding to better use clinical data. Hospital leaders must use these assessments to determine which clinical data management programs are most valuable and how efficiently their investments are being used.

Lastly, investing in innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence platforms can assist clinical data management staff and curb the implications of fewer employees.

Conclusion

As the use of clinical data broadens, the health care industry will become more reliant on quality data to improve patient outcomes and inform treatment modalities. Consequently, as hospitals and health systems continue to grapple with labor shortages and their consequences, prioritizing clinical data management will be imperative for the future of health care.

With the right measures, hospital executives can help health systems invest in value-added, quality-focused registries, streamline operational management for greatest efficiency, and remain focused on advancing patient care.