Nearly all U.S. health organizations advancing tech initiatives, EY survey finds
Health organizations are already taking steps to self-disrupt, according to a new nationwide poll released by Ernst & Young LLP (EY). Nearly all U.S. health organizations surveyed (91%) have or are planning to undertake a technology adoption initiative in the next 12 months, citing improving patient experience (70%), clinical outcomes (58%), and customer relationships (58%) as the key factors driving these initiatives.
The report also indicated companies that have already taken steps to self-disrupt believe they are benefiting. The more tech initiatives an organization has undertaken, the more likely they are to rate themselves ahead of the competition. This was particularly true for organizations advancing efforts related to clinical excellence and patient experience. Similarly, healthcare organizations that have adopted technology to improve the patient experience in the past 12 months are significantly more likely to feel well prepared for the future.
While only 43% of executives have leveraged analytics to inform performance improvements in the past, the report found that it is the most planned initiative (50%) for health organizations over the next 12 months. Other key planned initiatives include capturing patient experience metrics (47%), competitive benchmarking (46%), improving patient experience (45%), and implementing digital health initiatives (44%).
Although the report highlights increased optimism among executives, some concerns continue to persist, most notably insufficient funding (46%), fear of the unknown (35%) privacy issues/concerns (32%), and lack of expertise internally (29%). However, overall, executives surveyed say they feel prepared to face the disruption ahead. Eighty-five percent feel very well or somewhat prepared to provide quality care amidst a changing industry regulations and growing patient expectations.
This is the second in a series of surveys conducted by EY on the future of health in the U.S.