Administrative overload is a system-wide risk. Miscommunication, delayed forms, and missed instructions increase when processes are strained. The World Health Organization and the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care have both highlighted that poor communication contributes significantly to adverse events. While no single intervention can resolve these systemic challenges, tightening up administrative workflows is an actionable place to start.
This article explores how patient engagement software is being used by hospitals to reduce administrative burden, improve communication, and deliver measurable efficiency gains — while enhancing both staff and patient experience.
Table of Contents
The Hidden Cost of Inefficient Admin
The visible impacts of inefficient administration — delayed intake, frustrated patients, staff turnover — are only part of the picture. Less visible are costs such as unnecessary duplication of testing, prolonged patient stays, and reduced throughput.
For example, the Grattan Institute (2022) estimated inefficiencies in the public hospital system could cost up to $1 billion annually. While not all of this is directly attributable to administrative workload, it illustrates the scale of waste hidden within hospital operations. Over-reliance on hiring additional staff or adding procedural layers is a blunt instrument.
A more targeted approach is to streamline existing workflows, reduce repetitive manual tasks, and ensure critical information flows smoothly. Doing so not only saves time and money but also gives nurses and administrators the breathing space to focus on patients rather than paperwork.
Patient Engagement Software: More Than Messaging
Healthcare administrators spend significant time on communication — confirming appointments, chasing paperwork, reminding patients of requirements. While simple messaging tools help, modern patient pathway platforms go further by embedding automation into core workflows.
Tasks such as pre-admission screening, appointment confirmations, patient preparation instructions, and risk monitoring can be digitised and partially automated.
When implemented correctly, this can:
- Reduce the volume of repetitive manual tasks
- Lower opportunities for clerical error
- Shorten delays in patient preparation
- Minimise the need for additional admin resources
- Free up staff to spend more time supporting patients directly
Importantly, automation is not a panacea. It reduces — but does not eliminate — risks of error, and outcomes depend on patient digital access, integration with existing systems, and staff training.
Outcomes from Real Hospitals: Metro North Health, Queensland
One example comes from Metro North Health, where staff faced significant administrative strain from the manual waitlist audit process. Each audit could take more than 30 minutes per patient, stretching across months and impacting admissions.
The Personify Care platform was deployed across five sites to digitise this process. Reported outcomes included:
- 4x faster waitlist audits, saving hundreds of staff hours
- 95% of patients reporting a positive experience with the digital pathway
- Significant reduction in manual data entry for nursing staff
- Cost savings of 53% compared to paper-based systems and 67% compared to a legacy contact system
Note: These figures are from Personify Care’s internal case study reporting. Results reflect specific deployment contexts and may vary in other settings.
This demonstrates how targeted digital solutions can ease administrative burden, empower clinical staff, and enhance the overall patient experience.
The C-Suite Case for Change
Hospital executives face constant operational pressure: ensuring throughput, maintaining workforce sustainability, protecting reputation, and meeting compliance standards. Administrative burnout has become a strategic risk, not just a staffing challenge.
When admin teams are stretched thin, frontline nurses and clinicians are often left to pick up gaps — raising risks of delays and errors. Addressing this pressure doesn’t necessarily require sweeping IT overhauls. In many hospitals, implementing a focused patient engagement platform has shown measurable improvements within weeks of rollout (depending on site readiness and scope).
Executives should consider:
- If additional admin hires are masking systemic inefficiencies
- Whether patients regularly arrive without required forms, delaying procedures
- If audit or compliance reporting consumes excessive staff time
These are system-wide opportunities where digital platforms can deliver meaningful gains — such as the 4x reduction in waitlist audit time at Metro North — without major disruption. And by strengthening workforce sustainability and patient preparedness, leaders also build resilience for the future of care delivery.
Trust Is Earned
Automation in healthcare has been overhyped before, and many solutions fall short of promised benefits. Trust requires transparent evidence, clear return on investment, and proven outcomes.
That is why Personify Care positions itself not as a “technology overhaul,” but as a clinical platform that integrates with existing hospital systems to replace paper forms, phone calls, and fragmented workflows. This allows hospitals to meet today’s operational pressures while preparing for tomorrow’s compliance, accreditation, and patient expectations.
Healthcare leaders should evaluate solutions carefully, request proof points from real-world deployments, and ensure that any platform adopted meets compliance, security, and staff adoption needs.
