Mastering Practitioner Efficiency in Senior Care: Strategies from Industry Experts

Today’s clinicians face mounting administrative burdens that can detract from their ability to provide quality care, particularly in senior care settings. Recently, our own Laurie Bergeron, Vice President of Product Management for Senior Care at PointClickCare, and Darcy Koehn, Chief Population Health Officer at Peak Healthcare, sat down with McKnight’s Long-Term Care News Market Leaders podcast to explore how technology and collaboration are transforming the way practitioners work.

Together, they explored key strategies and tools designed to streamline workflows, reduce documentation time, and enhance collaboration across care teams.

The Administrative Burden: A Persistent Challenge

One of the greatest challenges for clinicians is the overwhelming amount of time spent on documentation and administrative tasks. According to Koehn, some clinicians spend over half of their working hours on charting and paperwork. To alleviate this burden, many practices are turning to solutions like speech technology and AI-driven note-taking tools.

“We’ve seen significant time savings by implementing these technologies,” Koehn explained. “For example, AI tools can record patient visits and generate SOAP (subjective, objective, assessment, and plan) notes for review. This allows providers to spend more time with their patients and less time typing behind a computer.”

Leveraging Technology for Greater Efficiency

Bergeron also emphasized the importance of designing software based on real clinician feedback. By observing clinicians during their daily rounds, PointClickCare has been able to develop features that prioritize ease of use and efficiency — leveraging tools like single sign-on access to critical data, automated care workflows that simplify documentation, and dictation tools that streamline note-taking.

“We’re also experimenting with AI to surface critical information in real-time,” Bergeron noted. “This helps practitioners quickly assess patient risk, prioritize visits, and optimize their time on-site — particularly in geographically dispersed or rural areas.”

Collaboration Across Care Teams: A Key Driver of Outcomes

Effective care coordination hinges on strong communication and collaboration among all stakeholders, including clinicians, pharmacists, nurses, and facility staff. Bergeron highlighted how integrated communication tools enable care teams to stay connected and aligned on patient needs. For example, real-time alerts and chat functions allow clinicians to be notified when a patient’s condition changes, clarify medication orders with pharmacists, and coordinate discharge planning and other transitions of care.

These tools not only improve efficiency but also enhance the quality of care by ensuring that all team members always have access to the most up-to-date patient information.

Balancing Efficiency and Quality Care

Both Koehn and Bergeron stressed that while efficiency gains are essential, they should never come at the expense of care quality. The two emphasized the importance of monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs), such as rehospitalization rates, to ensure that streamlined workflows do not inadvertently lead to poorer outcomes.

“If we see a decline in quality, we revisit our processes to identify and address any gaps,” Koehn said. “Efficiency measures must always support the ultimate goal of delivering exceptional care.”

Looking Ahead: Preparing for a Value-Based Care Future

The episode rounded out with a discussion on how the integration of technology in healthcare is not just about addressing today’s challenges but also positioning clinicians to succeed in value-based care models. Bergeron encouraged practice groups to seek technology partners that offer both immediate solutions and a clear roadmap for future growth — one that emphasizes coordinated, outcomes-driven care.

“Ask your technology provider about their vision for the future,” she advised. “Understanding their long-term strategy will help you ensure that your practice is prepared for the shift towards risk-based care.”

Key Takeaways

As healthcare continues to evolve, clinicians and care teams must embrace both technology and collaboration to drive efficiency and improve outcomes. By adopting a few simple strategies — like implementing time-saving technologies, leveraging integrated communication systems, monitoring KPIs, and partnering with the right technology providers — clinicians can take better care of themselves and their patients.

To learn more, listen to the full podcast episode here.