Why Workflow, Not Technology, Is Healthcare's Biggest Challenge: A Conversation with NextGen's G. Shah

On this episode of the MGMA Insights Podcast, host and senior editor Daniel Williams sits down with G. Shah, Chief Product and Strategy Officer at NextGen Healthcare, to explore why healthcare organizations need to redesign workflows around patients and providers rather than simply layering on more technology.
 
They discuss workflow debt, provider burnout, trusted data, interoperability, and how healthcare leaders can take a more strategic approach to AI adoption.

Episode Takeaways

• Healthcare's biggest challenge isn't technology, it's workflow design. Many organizations have accumulated layers of technology solutions over time without reevaluating the end-to-end experience for providers, staff, and patients.
• Broken workflows create organizational "debt." Administrative burden, staff frustration, provider burnout, and inefficient processes accumulate when organizations continue to build on outdated workflows rather than redesigning them.
• Technology should enable care, not dictate it. Shah argues that providers have spent years adapting to software workflows when technology should instead adapt to how clinicians deliver care.
• The best technology becomes invisible. Effective technology supports patient care in the background, allowing providers to focus on face-to-face conversations and meaningful interactions rather than screens and documentation.
• Patients experience workflow failures even when they don't see them. Delayed referrals, redundant paperwork, repeated questions, and disconnected systems all create friction that negatively impacts the patient experience.
• Trusted data is essential for better care and efficiency. Organizations need confidence in the accuracy, source, and provenance of information to reduce duplicate work, unnecessary testing, and repeated verification.
• AI alone won't solve broken processes. Applying AI to inefficient workflows may simply make broken processes run faster. Healthcare leaders should redesign desired workflows first, then determine where AI creates meaningful value.
• Evaluate AI through an end-to-end workflow lens. Before investing in point solutions, organizations should assess how AI tools integrate into existing workflows, share data, and support the broader patient and provider experience.

Resources

• Connect with G. Shah on LinkedIn
• Learn more about NextGen Healthcare
• Webinar discussed in this episode: Healthcare Has Normalized Broken Workflows: How High-Performing Practices Are Redefining What's Possible (on demand)
• Register or access MGMA webinars 

Email us at dwilliams@mgma.com if you would like to appear on an episode. If you have a question about your practice that you would like us to answer, send an email to advisor@mgma.com. Don't forget to subscribe to our network wherever you get your podcasts!