Understanding Clinician Concerns About Digital Care—and How to Address Them

“Digital care is no substitute for my clinical expertise and judgment.”

“It won’t help my patients get better.”

“My patients won’t want to use it.”

“It’s just one more thing to learn on top of an already full schedule.”

If your organization is working to implement a hybrid MSK care program but is hearing objections like these from your clinicians, you’re not alone. As digital care tools continue to rise in adoption and popularity, clinician hesitation remains one of the most significant barriers to adoption.

These concerns are valid and often rooted in clinicians’ genuine care for their patients, but they’re frequently based on misconceptions about how digital care tools work and what they’re designed to do. In fact, hybrid care models can better engage patients of all ages, improve outcomes, and assist—not replace—clinicians. 

In this article, we’ll explore common clinician concerns about digital care and share practical strategies that leaders can use to address them, paving the way for smoother adoption and long-term success. As you implement these strategies, be sure to validate your clinicians’ concerns. Digital care is a cultural shift, and acknowledging that change can be hard helps build trust. When clinicians feel heard, they’re more likely to be receptive to the solutions outlined below. 

Common Clinician Objections to Digital Care: Addressing Myths and Providing Practical Solutions 

Objection: Digital Care Undermines My Clinical Expertise and Identity

The concern: Clinicians worry that virtual tools will replace their role or reduce their value. Many entered the profession because they value hands-on care and one-on-one interaction.

Reality check: Digital care doesn’t replace clinical expertise; instead, it complements and extends it. Hybrid care enables more frequent touchpoints, keeps patients engaged and accountable between visits, and makes it easier for clinicians to track outcomes and tailor interventions more effectively.

What leaders can do:

• Position digital care as an opportunity to improve continuity of care and patient engagement between visits.

• Reinforce that clinicians remain in control. Digital care is a tool meant to extend their oversight outside the clinic and provide the right level of care at the right time for each patient, rather than replace their judgment and expertise . 

• Share examples of clinician champions successfully using hybrid care models.

Objection: I Don’t Have Time to Learn and Implement Digital Tools

The concern: Clinicians feel overwhelmed by their existing workloads and resist learning new systems.

Reality check: Properly integrated digital care streamlines workflows rather than adding extra tasks. With the right hybrid care solution, clinicians can offload routine administrative work and save valuable time, which they can then dedicate to patient care.

What leaders can do:

• Allocate time for onboarding and clinical training (for example, through the Medbridge Digital Health Academy).

• Implement care coordinator roles or designate specific time blocks that clinicians can use for digital care tasks, especially as they’re getting up to speed.

• Use pilot programs to demonstrate efficiency, identify any issues, and gather clinician feedback for smoother implementation.

Objection: My Patients Can’t or Won’t Adopt Digital Tools

The concern: Clinicians might assume that older adults or patients with lower digital literacy won’t engage with digital care. 

Reality check: Both internal Medbridge data and external research show that when patients are given access and support, they engage. In fact, older adults are enthusiastic users of digital care tools when they’re introduced effectively. Solutions like Medbridge Pathways are designed to be intuitive, accessible, and engaging for patients of all ages and abilities, including those with limited tech experience or lower health literacy.

What leaders can do:

• Provide clinicians with clear data showing that patients—especially older adults—are ready for digital care. For example, in a recent Medbridge user study of patients 65 and older, patients demonstrated high engagement levels and excellent outcomes: 

  • 92 percent reported being highly satisfied with their overall experience using Pathways.

  • 98 percent said they would use Pathways again in the future.

  • Self-rated activity level increased by 26.7 percent over the course of the program.

  • 90 percent said the program fit easily into their daily routine.

• Train clinicians on effective patient onboarding techniques.

• Share case studies demonstrating high patient satisfaction and adoption rates with digital care solutions to challenge biases and build confidence.

Objection: Digital Care Leads to Lower-Quality Patient Outcomes

The concern: Clinicians are skeptical that digital or hybrid care models can achieve comparable results to traditional methods. 

Reality check: Multiple studies, including the 2024 Peterson Health Technology Institute (PHTI) Virtual Musculoskeletal Solutions Health Technology Assessment show that hybrid care can produce equal or better outcomes than fully in-person care, especially when it’s supported by clinician oversight.

What leaders can do: 

• Present relevant research and real-world success stories in clinician meetings and during training sessions.

• Emphasize that digital care is one tool among many and can be tailored to meet individual patient needs. 

• Encourage pilot programs to demonstrate outcomes within your organization.

Objection: This Will Disrupt My Workflow and Add More Work

The concern: Clinicians often see digital care as disruptive or an additional burden rather than as an opportunity that can help them save time. 

Reality check: Hybrid care does require a new approach to workflows, but it also offers long-term benefits for workflow efficiency and patient satisfaction. Organizations that treat digital care as an add-on are more likely to experience problems with implementation. 

What leaders can do: 

• Approach digital care as a foundational shift in practice management.

• Engage clinicians early and often in co-designing workflows and making adjustments. 

• Incorporate change management best practices such as regular feedback mechanisms and continuous iteration. 

Objection: My Patients Are Different—This Won’t Work for Them

The concern: Some clinicians believe their patient population is uniquely unsuited to digital care.

Reality check: Every patient population has variation, but the key is to match the right care delivery method to the right patient at the right time. Digital tools are just one part of a broader tool kit that includes in-person-only care and hybrid care. 

What leaders can do:

• Encourage clinicians to think of digital care as one option in a flexible, hybrid model.

• Emphasize that digital care for lower risk patients can free up time for more complex or hands-on cases.

• Reframe the conversation around clinical judgment and patient needs, rather than technology as a one-size-fits-all replacement. 

Are Your Clinicians Opting Patients Out Due to a Perceived Technology Barrier?

According to internal Medbridge data, 12 percent of clinicians opt patients out of digital care due to perceived technological barriers. In fact, these barriers are often based on assumptions rather than actual patient capability. 

What leaders can do:

• Clearly differentiate between genuine lack of access versus clinician discomfort with technology.

• Set organizational expectations for opting patients out only if the patient has no access to technology.

• Reinforce training that builds clinician confidence in facilitating patient technology use.

• Provide continuous support to clinicians for troubleshooting common patient technological issues.

Final Thoughts: A Mindset Shift Starts at the Top 

Digital transformation in healthcare is about more than just the technology itself. It’s also about evolving how care is delivered—and that change starts with proactive leadership. While clinician hesitations are understandable, they’re often based on misconceptions. To bring your clinicians on board: 

• Develop and communicate a clear top-down vision to clinicians. Clearly connect the digital care initiative to benchmarks that matter to clinicians, like patient satisfaction, improved outcomes, smoother workflows, and time savings.

• Regularly provide evidence-based insights to clinicians, correcting myths and encouraging adoption.

• Practice effective listening, which helps clinicians feel validated and supported.

• Set clear expectations for your clinicians about using digital care, and set metrics you can measure and revisit regularly. Commit resources to training, clearly defined workflows, and continuous feedback loops.

• Champion clinician buy-in by leveraging influential clinical leaders to advocate for the change.

Want to learn more? Explore how Medbridge Pathways can help your organization integrate digital care in a way that supports your clinicians and engages your patients.

Ready to take the next step? Request a demo.