Beginning in March 2020, the majority of non-emergency care was done virtually, and three-quarters of doctors reported that they were able to deliver “high-quality care” remotely, according to an American Medical Association survey. Just two years later, only 38% of patients reported making a telehealth visit in 2022.

Physicians, in particular, have soured on telehealth, citing a lack of effective and integrated digital tools. Only 41% of doctors say that technology available to them can deliver telehealth seamlessly, according to a 2021 McKinsey survey. Workflows and systems don’t integrate effectively with electronic health records, and audiovisual glitches disrupt virtual appointments.

But even if some physicians are resistant, healthcare providers are embracing hybrid work models for non-patient-facing staff such as administrators and finance and billing, IT, and human resources professionals.

The Cleveland Clinic, for one, has migrated 8,000 administrative employees to hybrid work, about a tenth of its 72,500-person staff. The results: Hybrid workers report higher engagement, less burnout, and greater employee satisfaction compared to their non-hybrid colleagues.

Northwell Health, New York’s largest healthcare provider, has experimented with an even more novel hybrid work solution: It has created 10 “Workwell Hubs” spread across New York City, Long Island, and Westchester County with technology-rich workstations, conference rooms, and “café zones” where hybrid workers can gather close to home for in-person collaboration and social interaction.

“In healthcare, as a starting point, the mindset from an executive perspective is that the work should always be in person,” notes PwC’s Youden. But, she says, “we’re seeing leaders spending time listening to employees. The most successful ones are being more agile. Innovative ideas are coming from the employees themselves. It’s not just a top-down conversation.”

Youden’s point is a valuable reminder that as hybrid work models evolve, not only in these three sectors but across all industries, it’s not just about designing what leaders think will work for employees. The smartest move of all may be bringing employees into the discussion to create new models that truly work for them.