Rethinking care productivity. 

In the healthcare and social care sectors, the default response to rising demand and staff shortages has long been the same: hire more people. However, recent insights from TNO (the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research), highlighted in the Financieele Dagblad, suggest that this approach is no longer sustainable.

According to TNO, current productivity policies are overly focused on deploying more labour, an strategy that will fail to deliver meaningful productivity growth within the next five years. For the care sector – already grappling with high workloads, administrative burdens, and workforce retention challenges – this is a critical wake-up call. It is time to work smarter, not just harder.

---

The core problem: the “more FTEs” fallacy

While the Netherlands maintains a high absolute level of labour productivity, its growth is lagging behind other European nations. TNO points out that since 2014, the economy has increasingly relied on flexible, low-productivity labour models.

In care settings, this often translates to fragmented teams, high reliance on agency staff, and insufficient time for continuous training. When staff are constantly rotating or stretched too thin, investing in their long-term development becomes difficult, ultimately stifling innovation and efficiency.

---

Key takeaways for care

1. Prioritise continuous skills development over paper qualifications

TNO emphasises a shift from focusing solely on formal diplomas to actively developing practical, future-proof skills. In care, this means investing in continuous digital upskilling. For instance, training care professionals to efficiently use electronic health records (EHRs) or AI-assisted documentation tools (e.g. speech-driven reporting) can drastically reduce administrative friction, freeing up time for direct patient care. (As rehabilitation principles remind us: skills must be used regularly to be retained and refined.)

2. Shift from flexible to sustainable employment

To truly harness the benefits of new technologies and care methodologies, including AI, organisations need stable, cohesive teams. Moving away from hyper-flexible, short-term contracts towards sustainable employment allows care providers to build institutional knowledge, foster psychological safety, and implement quality improvements effectively.

3. Smart innovation requires redesigned workflows

A common misconception is that simply introducing new technology (like AI or automation) automatically boosts productivity. TNO’s research warns that this is not a given. Technology only yields productivity gains if the work itself is reorganised around it. In care, this means redesigning workflows so that technology handles repetitive administrative tasks (e.g., automatic transcription or predictive scheduling), rather than just layering new digital tools on top of outdated, paper-based processes.

4. A call for co-intelligent investment

Achieving this “trend break” requires a joint effort. Care institutions, health-tech SMEs, educational bodies, and the government must collaborate to increase R&D investment and ensure that innovations are practically applicable on the care floor, not just in theory.

---

The Care IQ perspective: redefining productivity in care

In the care sector, “productivity” should never mean rushing through patient interactions or compromising on quality. True productivity in care means eliminating waste – specifically, the unnecessary documentation burden and bureaucratic hurdles that drain professionals’ energy.

By reorganising work to leverage technology responsibly (and in strict adherence to EU data privacy and security guidelines), we can create an environment where care professionals spend less time behind a screen and more time doing what they do best: delivering high-quality, compassionate care.

---

Looking ahead

The message from TNO is clear: throwing more labour at a systemic problem is a short-term fix with diminishing returns. The future of resilient, high-quality care depends on our willingness to fundamentally rethink how work is organised, prioritising sustainable teams, continuous skill development, and smart, workflow-integrated technology.

What are your thoughts?
Is your organisation still relying on “more heads” to solve capacity issues, or are you actively redesigning workflows to work smarter? Share your experiences in the comments below, or explore how Care-IQ can help streamline your care documentation and quality processes.

Stay informed, stay innovative, and maintain care at the centre of everything we do.

---

About Care-IQ: We are dedicated to advancing quality, efficiency, and innovation in healthcare and social care settings, with a strong focus on reducing administrative burden and empowering care professionals through smart, secure solutions.