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Healthcare Leaders Reveal Uncertainties About Industry Direction

By HealthLeaders Media Staff  
   February 15, 2011

Dedication to mission is strong and getting stronger, but just how to accomplish that mission is less certain, according to results of the 2011 HealthLeaders Media Industry Survey. Of nearly 1,500 healthcare leaders, 88% said their organization’s dedication to mission is strong or very strong. That’s up from 80% and 79%, respectively, in the 2010 and 2009 editions of the survey.

But priorities are shifting. While quality/patient safety continues to rank at the top of the list, cost reduction has climbed to No. 2 on the list, up from third place last year and sixth place the year before.

And as leaders strive to deliver on their mission of quality, they are decidedly unclear on the best way to get there. Regarding the most dramatic changes to affect their industry in decades, 35% are neutral about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, 35% express positive feedback, and 30% are negative. Most (60%) say healthcare reform has weakened their organization's financial position, and 56% say it has weakened morale at their organization.

Indeed, only 24% say the healthcare industry is on the right track, although 72% report that their own organization is on the right track.

There is solid support for the accountable care organization model, as 55% say their organization will be part of an ACO within the next five years, and another 18% say they already have the components of an ACO in place.

This is just a sampling of the priorities and concerns of healthcare leadership that are revealed in this comprehensive multi-part survey. The overall report contains answers to common questions asked of every respondent. In addition, there are individual reports—with sector-specific questions crafted especially for leadership, finance, technology, physician, nurse, quality, marketing, and health plan leaders. Another report is based on rural and non-rural status, and another report assesses leaders’ expectations for 21 key service lines. In all, there are 11 reports that make up the HealthLeaders Media Industry Survey, and all are available for free download.

Key insights include:
  • 64% of healthcare leaders say the increase of insured patients will have a positive or strongly positive impact on their organization
  • 73% of healthcare leaders will expand outpatient services to fuel financial growth over the next five years
  • 49% of finance leaders have a positive or strongly positive financial forecast for 2011
  • 60% of technology leaders will spend substantially increased sums on clinical IT in the next five years
  • 40% of physician leaders say fear of lawsuits is a major influence regarding decisions to order tests or procedures
  • 78% of nurse leaders say physician-nurse relations have improved over the past three years
  • 43% of quality leaders have a positive or very positive assessment of the Patient Protection Act
  • 68% of marketing leaders describe patient experience at their organization as strong or very strong
  • 24% of health plan leaders say the healthcare industry is on the right track
  • 29% of rural leaders (vs. 2% of non-rural) say the nurse supply will have a strongly negative impact
  • 28% of service line leaders expect growth of 6% or more in the geriatric service line

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