With a new year on the horizon, aging services providers should look at their operations through a fresh, tech-savvy lens. That is the overarching message from the 14 aging services technology sessions at the LeadingAge Annual Meeting, which took place Nov. 5-8, 2023, in Chicago.
Scott Code, vice president of LeadingAge CAST, shared his top three takeaways: Embrace generative artificial intelligence (AI), business transformation, and data strategy.
1. Make Generative AI Top of Mind.
Not surprisingly, the top technology session this year focused on generative AI. “Generative AI in Aging Services: ChatGPT and Beyond” helped attendees consider whether AI has a role to play in their organizations. The session also covered ethical and responsible use of AI and pointers for stakeholder engagement.
Code shared his lessons learned:
- Embracing Generative AI will revolutionize the roles of our workforce in aging services. For example, Generative AI tools like Microsoft’s CoPilot can boost productivity by automating time-consuming and repetitive tasks like data entry, scheduling, and email responses, allowing staff to focus on more complex and creative tasks. To truly harness generative AI’s benefits, organizations must implement change management strategies for their processes and workflows.
- Encourage curiosity about these innovative tools and aim to establish a thoughtful framework for your AI strategy. For inspiration, consider this responsible approach to AI from Cypress Living, a LeadingAge CAST Patron.
- Do not delay. Now is the critical moment to incorporate generative AI into aging services. If you hesitate, you may miss the wave of technological progress and be left behind.
2. Truly Transform Your Business in this Digital Era.
In the current digital era, adapting to change is not just an option; it’s a necessity, said Code. You must shift your emphasis from the technical capabilities of new tools to the transformative impact they will have on your organization. Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and AI are poised to be at the forefront of tools catalyzing business transformation in the coming years.
In “The Future of Business: Transformation in the Digital Era,” speakers discussed how providers can remain competitive by embracing new technologies and trends, implementing new processes, adopting new business models—and transforming their businesses. A key LeadingAge CAST resource to aid in this transition is the Digital Transformation Guide, available to all CAST members.
3. Pursue a Data Strategy.
The high rate of technology adoption has unfortunately led to data silos, making information fragmented and less actionable. “Grow Revenues and Drive Efficiencies with Connected Data” discussed the ways a connected information and analytics hub can speed the hiring process, increase retention rates, optimize staffing, improve clinical outcomes, expand your strategic planning capabilities, and improve compliance.
A comprehensive data strategy is crucial to unify disparate data sources, ensuring that the insights gleaned are both accessible and meaningful, said Code. By prioritizing such a strategy, aging services can transform this isolated data into a powerful tool for decision-making and personalized care.
The LeadingAge CAST Data Analytics Selection Tool will help providers who embark on this journey to choose the best data analytics technologies to meet their needs.
Additional Meeting Highlights
Two HealthTech news articles highlighted other beneficial aspects of technology shared at the LeadingAge Annual Meeting.
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