Updated on October 29, 2024
The World Health Organization (WHO) highlights the value of resilience in healthcare systems. But how do you enhance healthcare resilience with support staff as a healthcare provider?
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare institutions have faced unusual challenges daily, from natural disasters to public health emergencies.
As these situations put immense pressure on medical staff, crisis management became more challenging for them.
Well, it’s not only doctors, nurses, and other licensed professionals who play pivotal roles during these challenging times.
Non-licensed staff play a vital role during emergencies, helping strengthen healthcare resilience.
In this post, we’ll explore how support staff can help bolster the healthcare sector during crises and how healthcare business process outsourcing (BPO) companies provide the necessary personnel and services to support this effort.
The Role of Non-Licensed Support Staff in Healthcare Resilience
When we think of healthcare resilience, we often focus on medical professionals’ abilities to perform under pressure.
We don’t see resilience as a team effort, even though many non-licensed staff roles are just as crucial during emergencies.
When you examine the system, you’ll see the following support staff:
- Administrative workers
- Janitors
- Medical assistants
- Other non-clinical roles
These people are the backbone of any healthcare institution during a crisis, playing indispensable roles in maintaining smooth operations despite the chaos.
Their contributions can distinguish between success and failure in responding to emergencies.
During crises, non-licensed support staff are often on the frontlines, handling tasks that enable healthcare professionals to focus on their primary responsibilities. These tasks can include:
- Ensuring that facilities are clean.
- Managing patient information.
- Assisting in communications between departments.
Critical Functions of Non-Licensed Staff in Crisis Management
Non-licensed staff perform a variety of roles that contribute to crisis management in healthcare, including:
Facility Maintenance
Clean and sterile environments are non-negotiable in healthcare settings, especially during emergencies like pandemics. During the early months of the COVID-19 outbreak, everyone needed to wear masks and PPE and follow other strict protective measures.
Non-licensed staff, including janitors and maintenance workers, ensure that patient areas remain safe and sanitary.
Patient Information and Data Management
Administrative staff are usually responsible for managing patient information, checking in patients, and organizing essential paperwork.
They ensure that medical staff can focus on patient care and give patients the best treatment they need. When that happens, patients will most likely come back.
Logistics and Supply Chain Coordination
Non-licensed personnel may manage the supply chain of essential items like personal protective equipment (PPE), medications, and medical devices.
Without their diligence, healthcare providers could face dangerous shortages during critical moments.
Patient Support
Non-clinical staff, such as care aides or patient transport personnel, play essential roles in patient care by ensuring individuals are comfortable and where they need to be at the right time. Patients can lean on these staff members for emotional or moral support.
The number one role of non-clinical staff is to happily and willingly reduce stress on patients, nurses, and doctors.
Learn more about our healthcare support services.
The Importance of Crisis Preparedness in Healthcare
Some countries’ preparations during COVID-19 weren’t comprehensive enough to prevent the spread of the virus. Hence, the outbreak was significantly worse for their population, resulting in healthcare crises.
Learning from those experiences, many healthcare facilities today have implemented comprehensive plans, safety protocols, and extended measures.
As a decision-maker, you can contribute to crisis preparedness by building healthcare resilience with your support staff.
Train your team and communicate with them to ensure each member understands their role during an emergency and how they can contribute to the broader effort.
Non-licensed staff will only be successful during emergencies if they are well-prepared for the tasks they must perform under pressure.
To be prepared for a crisis, you must practice regularly, have an up-to-date plan (that you review and improve periodically), and ensure everyone knows what to do.
Leveraging Outsourced Support To Boost Healthcare Resilience
Many healthcare organizations partner with BPO providers to enhance their operational capacity, especially during crises.
BPOs enable healthcare facilities to focus on delivering high-quality patient care. Outsourcing non-clinical yet essential tasks to a trusted third-party service provider allows healthcare organizations to create better and safer spaces for their patients.
Outsourcing administrative roles, logistics coordination, and even IT support can significantly enhance healthcare resilience by ensuring healthcare organizations have access to a large pool of skilled personnel ready to step in during emergencies. This will lessen staff stress, giving them enough time to rest and be productive.
Healthcare BPO providers can supply trained, non-licensed staff that play critical roles during crises. By investing in outsourcing, healthcare providers can concentrate on patient care without becoming bogged down in operational difficulties.
How BPOs Can Enhance Crisis Management in Healthcare
According to data, the healthcare BPO market will experience a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.82% from 2024 to 2029.
Asia is expected to grow faster than anywhere else, but the US will still be the biggest market.
By leveraging BPO services, healthcare providers can build a more agile and resilient system that is well-prepared for crises.
The adage, “Prevention is better than cure,” is true and applies to strengthening healthcare resilience and improving crisis management with outsourced support staff.
Healthcare BPO services can extend beyond administrative tasks and include workforce management solutions that ensure facilities can access staff with the necessary skills and training during emergencies.
So, what can healthcare BPOs offer?
Call Center Solutions
During a crisis, a well-staffed call center can handle patient inquiries, schedule appointments, or provide information on services.
ClearSource can provide this support, enabling medical professionals to focus on treating patients rather than handling high call volumes.
Telehealth Support
The ideal healthcare BPO partner can help you manage telehealth systems. Your outsourcing partner ensures smooth communication between patients and healthcare providers, even during crises.
Back-End Support
BPO services help with back-office tasks such as billing, claims processing, and record keeping.
Outsourcing specific tasks can help you keep things running smoothly, even when you have a lot of patients to look out for.
Building Healthcare Resilience for the Future
Building healthcare resilience is more valuable than ever in an unpredictable, post-COVID-19 future.
By incorporating non-licensed staff roles during emergencies and partnering with a reliable BPO partner, healthcare institutions can effectively manage crises and maintain positive patient outcomes.
Whether they’re ensuring facilities remain clean and operational, managing patient data, or handling logistics, support staff are vital to maintaining the integrity of healthcare services during emergencies.
Strengthen Your Healthcare Resilience With ClearSource
Healthcare resilience doesn’t happen by chance—it requires careful planning, preparation, and suitable support systems, like those offered by an outsourcing partner.
At ClearSource, we provide tailored solutions that help healthcare organizations confidently prepare for and manage crises.
By partnering with us, you can access a pool of talented teams and trained professionals who understand the vital role of non-licensed staff members during emergencies.
Contact us today to learn how our ClearSource can improve your healthcare organization’s resilience and prepare you for challenges!
