5 focuses for the healthcare C-suite under Trump
The Trump administration has brought a lot of uncertainty to the healthcare industry, especially given the prospect of repeal of the Affordable Care Act with replacement the American Health Care Act. In response, C-suite leaders are shifting their priorities.
According to a recent Premier survey of healthcare executives, key focal points under the new administration are:
- The shift from meaningful use into meaningful insights
- Patient engagement and satisfaction
- Population health, risk and scale
- Managing costs, especially drug spending
- Quality and cost differentiation
More than half of those execs polled plan to increase initiatives to integrate data from disparate systems, in addition to investing in analytics, according to Premier. Another 50 percent will increase interoperability efforts, and 47 percent will increase the use of technology to bolster risk-based contracts.
Interestingly, only 45 percent intend to look into increasing patient engagement and expanding post-acute care service. But more than half of respondents will increase patient access through telehealth.
[Also: Trump's budget: 5 healthcare winners and 8 losers]
Further, 40 percent will increase expanded healthcare team structures that include, clinical pharmacists, care coordinators, nurse practitioners and other healthcare extenders.
About 65 percent of healthcare leaders will increase cost control efforts for care management, the report found. And no respondents planned to reduce investments in this area. Further, 61 percent will work toward managing rising pharmaceutical costs.
Only 36 percent will increase the use of quality reporting systems for commercial payers.
"In this period of great uncertainty and concern, healthcare leaders are understandably focused on managing costs," said Premier Chief Operating Officer Mike Alkire in a statement. "They’re also clearly working hard to make sense of all the data they have, most of which remains in silos."
"Making sense of that data has clearly become a priority for leaders as has the movement toward a more consumer-centric and accountable care delivery system," he continued.
Twitter: @JessieFDavis
Email the writer: jessica.davis@himssmedia.com
