Healthcare Executives Scramble to Fill IT Talent Void
The shortage of healthcare information technology (IT) professionals appears to be bigger than previously thought—something that could lead to intense competition among providers, health insurers, drug and device makers, and healthcare IT companies for top talent, according to a new report from PwC’s Health Research Institute.
The report, titled Solving the Talent Equation for Health IT, finds great concern among healthcare executives about incorporating IT into daily work activities, especially without the personnel they require. Roughly 80% of healthcare chief executive officers said they expect to increase technology investments this year, but 51% said they didn’t think their staff could keep up with the pace of change.
With the federal government’s push for electronic health record (EHR) adoption, the lack of qualified professionals poses a big problem in terms quality and efficiency. But it’s more than just a lack of people with the required 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, principal and PwC’s Health Information Technology practice leader, in a prepared statement.
Healthcare leaders also face other challenges, according to the report, including high IT leadership turnover; middle managers who have been promoted based on longevity and are unable to identify innovative technologies; and hiring freezes as a result of recent mergers that prevent new employees from coming on board.
Hospitals, doctors, and caregivers have the greatest need for IT specialists because of EHR requirements. Indeed, 75% of providers said they are looking to hire employees to support their IT priorities.. Some institutions are turning to other industries for IT experts; however, this process has proven difficult, as they have been unable to offer competitive compensation packages seen in other industries.
Drug and device companies face a similar situation as they compete with academic institutions for potential IT talent. “Right now, academia seems to be offering more attractive compensation packages for health informaticians,” noted Andrew Gaughan, director of payer and real world evidence informatics at AstraZeneca, in the report. “We need to ensure we can compete as our needs ramp up.”
The report offers some solutions, including widening the talent pool by offering training to those without a healthcare background, and grooming potential successors to replace retiring executives.
Information incorporated in the PwC report comes from 20 in-depth interviews with IT and human resources executives from all healthcare sectors, health IT educators from universities and community colleges, and administrators from federal health organizations. It also includes data from a telephone survey of 130 executives conducted last fall.
Posted: March 13, 2013