What You Should Know:
– FTI Consulting’s inaugural Hospital Operations Outlook Survey paints a picture of a healthcare industry navigating a complex post-pandemic environment. While hospitals strive to meet the evolving needs of patients and communities, they grapple with significant challenges, including workforce shortages, financial pressures, and the ever-present threat of cyberattacks.
– The FTI Consulting survey unveils the multifaceted challenges and opportunities facing hospitals today. By acknowledging these challenges, embracing innovative solutions, and prioritizing effective communication with stakeholders, hospitals can navigate this complex environment and continue to deliver high-quality care to their communities.
Key Concerns for Hospital Executives:
- Workforce Shortages: Nearly half (49%) of hospital leaders surveyed acknowledge their institutions are understaffed to handle current patient volumes. This highlights a critical need for innovative solutions to address the growing healthcare workforce shortage.
- Financial Performance: Financial considerations remain a top priority for hospital executives, with heightened scrutiny on costs and value-based care models.
- Cybersecurity Threats: Despite recognizing the potential consequences, over half (55%) of respondents admit their hospitals are not fully prepared for a cyberattack. This underscores the urgent need for robust cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive patient data.
Adapting to a Changing Landscape:
The survey also reveals how hospitals are adapting to the evolving healthcare landscape:
- Value-Based Care: Nearly all hospitals surveyed (99%) have adopted value-based care models, emphasizing patient-centered care (44%) and quality improvement initiatives (40%). This shift signifies a growing focus on delivering effective and cost-conscious care.
The Importance of Strategic Communication:
FTI Consulting emphasizes the importance of effective communication for hospitals navigating this complex landscape. With reputations hinging on how they address challenges and implement new technologies, hospitals need to:
- Engage with Regulators: Open communication with regulators is crucial to ensuring compliance and navigating potential policy changes.
- Inform Elected Officials: Advocacy and communication with elected officials can help secure necessary resources and support legislative initiatives that strengthen the healthcare system.
- Build Trust with Communities: Hospitals must foster trust with the communities they serve by transparently addressing concerns and keeping them informed.
- Prioritize Patient Communication: Effective communication with patients is essential for ensuring informed decision-making and building strong patient relationships.
“A multitude of factors are impacting hospitals’ ability to recruit and retain talent, but the good news is, hospital leaders can influence effective change if they have targeted insights from their people,” said Alexandra Priola, a Managing Director in the People and Transformation offering within the Strategic Communications segment at FTI Consulting. “Long gone are the days of taking broad approaches to nuanced challenges. The winners will be the ones that prioritize customization — in messaging, programming and experiences — that speaks to the specific needs of their audiences, and in the process, channels resources into areas that enable engagement, growth and commitment.”
