Managing technical debt

For enterprises operating in the healthcare sector, technical debt is an anticipated and still, often overlooked part of any technology implementation. The longer a healthcare system is in operation, the more technical debt is likely to pile up. This quiet build-up of technical debt can be among the biggest threats to organizational efficiency and costs. Every quick fix and delayed upgrade adds another layer of cost, complexity, and risk. Over time, this hidden burden not only escalates expenses, but also slows down critical workflows and can undermine patient care.

Technical debt refers to the risks and costs that accumulate because of postponed or delayed IT upgrades, or quick fix solutions, resulting in fragmented and inefficient technology infrastructure over time. In the healthcare sector, this can be particularly risky as any technology inefficiencies could have a direct impact on patient outcomes.

The rapid pace of technology advancements in recent years has resulted in an increase in the volume of technical debt that organizations grapple with, with legacy systems becoming obsolete much faster. Sometimes, an IT solution could have been implemented as a short-term measure or to facilitate a specific process and has since outgrown its functionality, which also creates technical debt.

There are different types of technical debt that can accumulate over time. This includes architecture debt, build debt, code debt and defect debt, all caused by outdated or inefficient systems with poor scalability. There are also design debts, infrastructure and process debts, requirement and document debts which can impact the smooth functioning of the firm.

Not updating legacy infrastructure is among the biggest causes of technical debt, along with opting for quick fix solutions that meet short-term goals but are not scalable in the future. Trying to fix legacy systems with patchwork solutions or adopting separate systems for different functions adds to the fragmentation and the creation of data silos. The lack of clear documentation can also add to the technical debt by making it difficult to operate and maintain existing systems.

Dangers of technical debt build up

Irrespective of area of the healthcare sector a company operates in, it is essential to identify what’s adding to the technical debt and take active steps to mitigate it. The impact the build-up of technical debt can have in this sector is multi-fold. The most significant is the increase in expenses on account of continued spending on maintaining obsolete applications and infrastructure. Often companies continue using legacy systems by customizing add-on applications as per their growing requirements rather than replacing it with a newer technology. These customizations are expensive and require additional maintenance, resulting in an escalation in costs. Hospitals might end up using different systems for billing, scheduling and maintaining patient records, creating data silos and requiring costly interfaces for data transfer and privacy. This reduces operational efficiency and can result in sluggish workflows, impacting patient care and satisfaction. Productivity also gets impacted when valuable resources are spent on maintaining technology rather than focusing on how technology can enhance processes.

Mitigating technical debt

The best way to avoid technical debt is to actively prevent build-up in the system to the best extent possible. This means avoiding quick-fix solutions which may seem appealing in for cost or time considerations. Steering clear of solutions that provide rapid deployment but are not scalable goes a long way in preventing technical debt. Leaders who recognise that their legacy systems are obsolete and proactively embrace digital transformation put their companies at an advantage when it comes to long term sustainable success. An organization can spend between 23-42% of its development time addressing technical debt. Having a strategic plan for modernizing infrastructure and applications can help reduce this figure. As technical debt builds up, it can lead to compliance issues on account of outdated systems not being able to keep pace with evolving regulatory requirements.

A proactive modernization plan also reduces the potential risks that arise when companies opt for quick workarounds or postpone critical upgrades to save time. Safeguarding patient data is a priority, especially in situations when maintenance may be delayed or only certain fixes can be implemented. At such times, it’s prudent to consider cloud or network management services to tackle the technical debt linked with cybersecurity.

Postponing critical infrastructure upgrades or using quick-fix, patchwork solutions can seem attractive in the short term. However, this leads to increased risk of technical debt which impacts data security, patient safety and operational costs. Technical debt is a hidden cost that can have a deep impact on the enterprise, but which can easily be mitigated by having a digital transformation strategy in place. Working with an established service provider can enhance system optimization and expedite the upgradation process.

Red flags that may signal technical debt in your IT decisions:

Figure 1: Red flags that may signal technical debt in your IT decisions

If you find yourself answering “yes” to more than one of these questions, it’s time to take stock of your IT infrastructure and put in place a plan to tackle the organization’s technical debt.

Overhauling IT infrastructure can seem daunting but is essential to unlocking efficiency and long-term resilience. Working with a technology service provider to create a roadmap for phased system updates can help streamline the process with minimal disruptions. By prioritizing mission-critical upgrades and embracing cloud-based solutions, healthcare leaders can safeguard the future of their organization.