The Seven Stages of Grief Adopting New Tech in Your Clinic - and How to Survive Them!
In the fast-paced world of allied health, adopting new technology can feel like a wild rollercoaster of emotions.
One minute, clinicians are excited about the possibilities, and the next, they haven’t even tried the tool before the trial period ends.
If that sounds familiar, don’t worry - you’re not alone!
Theratrak has supported hundreds of therapists to quickly and easily adopt new digital tools within their clinics. Change can be difficult and teams often have resistance to change.
The seven stages of grief are known as: shock, denial, anger, bargaining, depression, testing, and acceptance.
Inspired by the seven stages of grief, here we share a light-hearted take on the seven stages of adopting new tech in your clinic - with some helpful tips to make the journey smoother for all allied health teams.
The 7 Stages of Grief Adopting New Tech in Allied Health Clinics
Stage 1. Excitement (Shock)
“This is it! The game-changer we’ve been waiting for!”
You’ve done it! You’ve found the perfect new tool that promises to revolutionise your clinic. You and your team are brimming with excitement as you sign up for the trial, eager to dive in and unlock all its potential.
This stage feels like the dawn of a new era - admin can be streamlined, client engagement can be boosted, and therapy efficiency could go through the roof!
Stage 2. Forgetfulness (Denial)
“Wait, didn’t I sign up for something?”
A week or two goes by, and that initial burst of excitement fades as real life takes over. Between client sessions, paperwork, and meetings, you completely forget that you’ve signed up for this amazing new tool.
Time during this stage of the trial is ticking away, but your mind has shifted back to focusing on the day-to-day grind - forgetting about allocating time to adopt the new tool.
Stage 3. Scheduling Struggles (Anger)
“I really need to try that tech... but when?”
You finally remember you need to test out that new tool! But now you’re faced with the next hurdle: finding the time. You add a reminder to your calendar, but somehow, your day always fills up with other priorities.
In this stage, the pressure is mounting, but you tell yourself, “I’ll get to it really soon”.
Stage 4. Panic (Bargaining)
“Your trial ends in 3 days!”
Cue the panic! You receive the dreaded reminder email warning you that the trial is almost over. You haven’t had the chance to really explore the tool yet, and now you’re scrambling.
Is it too late? Should you extend the trial? Is this new tech really going to work for you?
This stage often causes unnecessary stress and concern in teams.
Stage 5. Last-Minute Scramble (Depression)
“Let’s test ALL the features in one day!”
In full panic mode, you and your team dive into the tech with only a couple of days left on the clock. You frantically click through every feature, trying to get a feel for what it can do. It’s overwhelming trying to absorb it all at once, and now you’re second-guessing whether it’s the right fit - only because you didn’t have time to explore it properly.
This stage can be very overwhelming for everyone involved.
Stage 6. Acquiesce (Testing)
“Okay, maybe there’s a better way...”
After the scramble, you start to realise that perhaps a last-minute rush isn’t the best way to evaluate new tech. You decide to take a step back, take a deep breath, and start thinking about how you can approach this in a calmer, more organised way next time. After all, tech adoption should be exciting, not stressful!
This stage allows for a bit of perspective and reflection on how to do tech adoption in a calm way that will last a long time.
Stage 7. Commitment (Acceptance)
“Time to embrace the future - on my terms!”
With the trial behind you, you’ve now got a better strategy for the next time. You make a plan to integrate new tech gradually and intentionally, allowing yourself the time to explore it fully and make it work for your clinic. And when you do, you’ll realise how much smoother things can be!
This stage enables teams to recommit to adopting new technology in clinics in a process driven way with clear steps and outcomes.
Avoiding the Panic: Five Steps for Seamless Tech Adoption in Allied Health Clinics
Let’s be honest, most clinics have experienced these stressful stages at some point when trying to adopt new tech.
But what if you could avoid the stress and get the most out of your new tech from the start?
Read the full blog on adopting new tech in clinics and see the steps to successful adoption below.
Identify Key Problems - understand what tools and key features will solve that issues at your clinic
Test and Trial - decide on the key tools to use and allocate time for your team to test the tools
Appoint a Champion - involve your team from the beginning and nominate an internal champion to lead the team’s adoption
Making Tech Adoption Easy in Allied Health
At Theratrak, we understand - adopting new tech can be overwhelming, especially when you’re managing a busy clinic. That’s why we’ve designed our platform to be easy to use and packed with features that streamline your workflow, save you time, and keep your clients engaged.
We’ve done our best to on-board clinics with ease, providing demos, team training and an online PD course so therapists can learn how to use the platform in under an hour.
Ready to skip the panic and start making the most of your new tech? Book a demo today and see how Theratrak can help your clinic thrive!
