As we move into 2025, “access to care” has become a significant challenge for healthcare leaders across the United States. The buzz around artificial intelligence (AI) and digital innovation remains. Still, the conversation is shifting to a more foundational issue: how to ensure patients can actually receive the care they need. This isn’t a problem that has a single solution. While technology offers powerful tools, healthcare executives and physician leaders must also focus on non-technical strategies to address systemic and operational barriers to access. The most effective approaches will combine the best of both —technology to enhance efficiency and non-technical solutions to address the human and organizational aspects of care delivery.
Tackling workforce shortages
One major challenge is workforce shortages. With too few doctors and nurses to meet growing demand, exacerbated by clinician burnout and an aging healthcare workforce, staffing shortages have become a top concern for health systems nationwide. On the technical side, tools such as AI scribes can reduce administrative burdens, allowing clinicians to focus on patient care. Virtual care models, including telehealth and remote monitoring, enable clinicians to extend their reach and care for more patients.
However, non-technical solutions are equally critical. Redefining clinical roles to optimize each team member’s skillset (i.e., working at the top of license) can maximize efficiency; for instance, empowering medical assistants to manage routine tasks frees up nurses for higher-level responsibilities. Additionally, focusing on improving workplace culture, offering competitive compensation and other benefits, and providing robust mental health support can help retain existing staff and attract new talent. Community health worker programs, which employ trained laypeople to conduct outreach and education, further reduce the burden on clinical staff while improving patient engagement and outcomes.
Addressing geographic barriers
Geographic barriers to care present another persistent issue. Patients in rural or underserved areas often face significant challenges accessing nearby healthcare providers, leaving many without timely care. Telehealth services bridge geographic distances, connecting patients with specialists who might otherwise be hours away, while virtual-first care models integrate remote monitoring and digital consultations to deliver care where patients live. Disparate rural communities can come together to share resources and learn from one another.
Yet technology alone isn’t sufficient. Mobile clinics staffed with clinicians can provide rotating in-person care in remote areas, ensuring access to critical services like vaccinations, screenings, and primary care. Collaborating with local organizations to establish temporary care sites or address logistical barriers like transportation can further improve access. Financial incentives, such as student loan forgiveness or housing subsidies, can also encourage clinicians to practice in underserved regions.
Expanding hospital capacity
Limited hospital capacity is another critical challenge, as overcrowded emergency departments (EDs) and insufficient inpatient capacity create bottlenecks, delaying care and reducing the quality of the patient experience. AI tools for bed management and predictive analytics can optimize capacity planning and help anticipate patient surges. Virtual ED triage systems can reduce in-hospital traffic by directing non-urgent cases to more appropriate settings like urgent care.
On the non-technical side, building (or repurposing) outpatient facilities to handle non-urgent cases can divert traffic away from overcrowded hospitals. Multidisciplinary teams that expedite discharge planning can free up inpatient beds more quickly while standardizing protocols for patient intake, care delivery, and discharge can reduce delays and improve overall efficiency. Boston Medical Center’s success in reducing inpatient stays by 0.4 days through daily multidisciplinary discharge rounds and staff huddles demonstrates the impact of combining operational efficiency with patient-centered planning.
Streamlining care delivery systems
Disjointed care delivery systems also pose a significant barrier to access, leading to delays, redundancies, and poor patient outcomes. Digital platforms for real-time communication among clinicians improve care coordination, while AI-driven analytics can identify and address care gaps, ensuring timely interventions.
At the same time, integrated care models such as patient-centered medical homes or accountable care organizations streamline care delivery and improve continuity. Empowering nurses and care coordinators through training and involvement in decision-making enhances workflow and accountability while educating patients to manage chronic conditions reduces unnecessary ED visits and hospitalizations.
Improving post-acute care coordination
Finally, fragmented post-acute care remains a challenge, with many patients struggling to access follow-up care after hospital discharge, leading to readmissions and poor long-term outcomes. Remote patient monitoring and telehealth enable clinicians to track patients post-discharge and intervene early, while digital care plans integrated into EHRs facilitate seamless care transitions.
Non-technical strategies also play a vital role. Assigning dedicated care transition teams to follow up with patients ensures continuity and adherence to care plans. Expanding home health services allows patients to recover in a familiar environment. At the same time, community outreach programs engage patients through local health workers or peer support networks, encouraging follow-up care and adherence.
A call to action
Health systems must embrace a hybrid approach that balances technology and non-technical strategies to address these challenges effectively. Policymakers should advocate for funding and incentives supporting technical innovations and human-centered solutions. Communities must also partner with healthcare systems to advocate for and implement initiatives that address local needs.
Improving access to healthcare isn’t just about deploying the latest AI tools or building new facilities. It requires a thoughtful combination of technology to enhance efficiency and non-technical strategies to address systemic and operational barriers. As healthcare leaders plan for 2025, the most successful initiatives will be those recognizing the power of complementing technological advancements with human-centered, community-driven approaches. Doing so can create a more efficient and sustainable healthcare system for all.