Health Organizations Battle with Technological Change

Health care organizations are seeking strategies to address a growing shortage of health information technology (IT) workers that could slow industry progress. These are the latest findings of the PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC; London, United Kingdom) Health Research Institute.

A significant and growing shortage of health IT workers appears greater than previously estimated. As a result, the healthcare industry is vying for a limited number of IT professionals, with many companies scrambling to fill the talent void by recruiting technology specialists from other industries. According to the report, nearly 80% of global healthcare CEOs surveyed expect to increase technology investments in 2013, yet 51% fear their staff cannot keep up with the pace of technological change; 75% say they are revisiting their hiring and promotion strategies to address gaping holes in health IT.

According to the report, the pressure to meet requirements for electronic health records (EHRs) and avoid penalties, hospitals, physicians, and other caregivers have the greatest need for IT specialists in the health sector. Three-quarters (75%) of providers, such as hospitals and physician groups, are hiring new employees to support their IT priorities. Providers believe clinical informaticists—specialists who transform data into information used to improve care delivery—will have the most important skills for achieving their IT priorities.

Organizations are also discovering they must work with industry counterparts to achieve common goals for healthcare quality. One of the results is that 54% of insurers surveyed have acquired another organization in the past 12 months. This industry consolidation has created the need to integrate systems and data from newly acquired companies. Not surprisingly, insurers ranked systems and data integration skills as most important to meeting HIT priorities; 75% of insurers said it will be very important for new hires to have informatics and data analytics skills over the next three years.

The, competition for talented HIT professionals has also intensified as the industry works to meet new regulatory requirements and business goals. The ongoing challenge in HIT is finding people who understand the movement to an integrated health system, as well as the needs of providers, insurers, and drug and device makers. And the demand for a new set of technology skills is emerging to support more collaborative approaches to research and to demonstrate both clinical and economic benefit.

“The challenge for healthcare is not just a shortage of people with technical skills. It’s also a shortage of people with the skills to marry technological savvy with business strategy as healthcare becomes more connected, coordinated and accountable,” said Daniel Garrett, PwC's health IT practice leader. “Despite billions of dollars spent investing in HIT, the lack of qualified professionals could slow progress toward quality and efficiency.”

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