You might think: “Bring in fancy tech, wave a magic wand, boom, clinic of the future.” That’s like buying a Ferrari and never learning how to drive. The real power lies not in the tech, it’s in the team.

Mobile Is Bigger Than You Think

• 6.6 billion people worldwide have smartphones.
  
• 5 million people download a health app every single day.
  

According to ORCHA, only around 20% of those apps meet quality thresholds, with just one in five actually fit for purpose.

That leaves your patients and your clinic browsing through thousands of products of wildly varying quality. User ratings and stars tend to be unhelpful. You need trained staff who know where reimbursement is coming from, who understand the governance and clinical validation behind apps, and can guide decisions safely.

Essential Digital Tasks Remain a Challenge for Many

A 2024 report found that 52% of working-age UK adults cannot perform all 20 essential digital tasks needed in modern workplaces. 6% (around 2.3 million) can’t complete any of them.

Critically, 1 in 20 healthcare workers are completely digitally illiterate.

A lack of training in digital literacy is a recipe for cybersecurity vulnerability, inefficiency, and frustration.

Failing on Accessibility Means Exposing Your Clinic to Unnecessary Risk

Digital health and accessibility leader Clair Dellar says digital documents and forms should be “perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust”. This applies to both clinicians and patients. Non-compliance can mean wasted time and money, something every clinic wants to avoid.

Accessibility isn’t just a technical feature, it’s a behaviour. A well-trained workforce understands how to structure documents. They select appropriate digital tools. They maintain compliance with standards. The Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA) recommends WCAG 2.1 compliance for clinical portals, patient portals, and forms (including telehealth and e-health apps).

Confidence and Competence, You Need Both

The NHS Digital Academy suggests that successful digitisation hinges far more on training and education than on tech deployment. You can install the latest EHR system, but if your team feels overwhelmed, fear of error will paralyse adoption. Fear holds people back from using digital tools, even ones designed to make their work easier.

So your approach needs to be two-pronged:

• Build competence through structured, hands‑on training in real-world workflows.
  
• Build confidence through ongoing mentorship, peer support, and psychologically safe feedback loops.

Reduce risk. Improve efficiency. Empower your team.
Let’s make digital transformation work for you. Start the conversation today!