With the increase in the adoption and use of health information technology, the demand for skilled workers in the field has increased exponentially. The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that more than 50,000 health IT-related jobs have been created since the enactment of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act in 2009, according to a fact sheet released in April by CMS and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.
However, there aren't enough people with the requisite experience and skills to take on these jobs, says Dan Garrett, U.S. healthcare IT practice leader with PwC. Sixty-seven percent of healthcare providers report experiencing IT staff shortages in their organizations, according to a report by PwC's Health Research Institute released in March.
This shortage of health IT talent is not only slowing down the basic adoption of electronic health records and other technology, but is also leaving the industry lagging with respect to data analysis. According to Paul Browne, CIO and senior vice president of applied clinical informatics for Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare, most healthcare providers are just scratching the surface as far as analyzing data is concerned, and the industry hasn't reached the value proposition of health IT systems as quickly as it had anticipated.
The issue at present
According to Mr. Browne, part of the problem of filling health IT-related positions is that every healthcare organization is fishing from the same talent pool. Healthcare is a complex industry, and it is difficult to take people with no prior experience in the field and train them in the workflow of health IT systems. "There is no substitute for having worked in a hospital, physician office or a long-term-care facility," he says. "You can train or mentor them, but part of their skills and expertise is simply the seasoning that comes from working in a healthcare facility."
Another issue is that healthcare organizations need skilled professionals to maintain the IT systems that are already in place as well those who can update and upgrade those systems. The industry "needs workers with a wide variety of skills," says Mr. Browne. The government's meaningful use requirements will continue to focus on demonstrating how the technology is being used, and how the technology is impacting certain quality measures, he says.
The four most important skills to achieve healthcare providers' IT priorities are clinical informatics, systems and data integration, technology and architecture support and data statistics and analytics, according to the report by PwC released in March. "We need people who can who can unlock data and create value from that data," says Mr. Garrett. "We need people who can help increase positive outcomes."
What healthcare organizations can do
The need for skilled professionals who can help healthcare organizations meet their goals of improving quality and meeting regulatory requirements is going to increase. Healthcare organizations need to find a way to mitigate the lack of skilled IT talent. Here is a two-pronged approach that organizations can take.
1. Create a talent development team. Mr. Garrett says that putting together a talent development team — that fosters partnerships with outside institutions and engages in IT talent transfer — is key.
This is the tactic that Tenet is employing, says Mr. Browne. "We are looking to third-party organizations, such as Cerner and Dell, to help provide talent to us, and we have an active dialogue with them to find the right people to meet our needs," he says.
2. Retain current health IT talent. Given the fact that most healthcare organizations are fishing for talent from the same pool of limited professionals, it is essential that they hang on to the IT staff that they have. The primary thing is to continue to stress the importance of their work, and how their work has an impact on patients and their families, says Mr. Browne. Mr. Garrett also says that connecting the work that IT professionals do to the mission of delivering healthcare helps generate a more rewarding role for them. "People want the opportunity to make a difference," he says. "If you give people that opportunity you will see the results in your retention."
Another way to retain health IT talent is to create an environment where they can learn and grow, says Mr. Browne. At Tenet, health IT professionals are given the opportunity to have different experiences in different facilities so that they can build expertise. Tenet has also created a structured development program for its clinical informaticists, which includes career progression, skills identification and skills development. Also, ensure that health IT talent is compensated appropriately, adds Mr. Browne, so that employees feel valued for the work that they put in.
With the healthcare industry rapidly aligning itself with health IT, the need for professionals with IT-specific skills is at an all time high. While the lack of skilled talent is a problem at present, it is not an insurmountable one, provided that healthcare organizations work at building teams of health IT professionals and retaining those they have at present.
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However, there aren't enough people with the requisite experience and skills to take on these jobs, says Dan Garrett, U.S. healthcare IT practice leader with PwC. Sixty-seven percent of healthcare providers report experiencing IT staff shortages in their organizations, according to a report by PwC's Health Research Institute released in March.
This shortage of health IT talent is not only slowing down the basic adoption of electronic health records and other technology, but is also leaving the industry lagging with respect to data analysis. According to Paul Browne, CIO and senior vice president of applied clinical informatics for Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare, most healthcare providers are just scratching the surface as far as analyzing data is concerned, and the industry hasn't reached the value proposition of health IT systems as quickly as it had anticipated.
The issue at present
According to Mr. Browne, part of the problem of filling health IT-related positions is that every healthcare organization is fishing from the same talent pool. Healthcare is a complex industry, and it is difficult to take people with no prior experience in the field and train them in the workflow of health IT systems. "There is no substitute for having worked in a hospital, physician office or a long-term-care facility," he says. "You can train or mentor them, but part of their skills and expertise is simply the seasoning that comes from working in a healthcare facility."
Another issue is that healthcare organizations need skilled professionals to maintain the IT systems that are already in place as well those who can update and upgrade those systems. The industry "needs workers with a wide variety of skills," says Mr. Browne. The government's meaningful use requirements will continue to focus on demonstrating how the technology is being used, and how the technology is impacting certain quality measures, he says.
The four most important skills to achieve healthcare providers' IT priorities are clinical informatics, systems and data integration, technology and architecture support and data statistics and analytics, according to the report by PwC released in March. "We need people who can who can unlock data and create value from that data," says Mr. Garrett. "We need people who can help increase positive outcomes."
What healthcare organizations can do
The need for skilled professionals who can help healthcare organizations meet their goals of improving quality and meeting regulatory requirements is going to increase. Healthcare organizations need to find a way to mitigate the lack of skilled IT talent. Here is a two-pronged approach that organizations can take.
1. Create a talent development team. Mr. Garrett says that putting together a talent development team — that fosters partnerships with outside institutions and engages in IT talent transfer — is key.
This is the tactic that Tenet is employing, says Mr. Browne. "We are looking to third-party organizations, such as Cerner and Dell, to help provide talent to us, and we have an active dialogue with them to find the right people to meet our needs," he says.
2. Retain current health IT talent. Given the fact that most healthcare organizations are fishing for talent from the same pool of limited professionals, it is essential that they hang on to the IT staff that they have. The primary thing is to continue to stress the importance of their work, and how their work has an impact on patients and their families, says Mr. Browne. Mr. Garrett also says that connecting the work that IT professionals do to the mission of delivering healthcare helps generate a more rewarding role for them. "People want the opportunity to make a difference," he says. "If you give people that opportunity you will see the results in your retention."
Another way to retain health IT talent is to create an environment where they can learn and grow, says Mr. Browne. At Tenet, health IT professionals are given the opportunity to have different experiences in different facilities so that they can build expertise. Tenet has also created a structured development program for its clinical informaticists, which includes career progression, skills identification and skills development. Also, ensure that health IT talent is compensated appropriately, adds Mr. Browne, so that employees feel valued for the work that they put in.
With the healthcare industry rapidly aligning itself with health IT, the need for professionals with IT-specific skills is at an all time high. While the lack of skilled talent is a problem at present, it is not an insurmountable one, provided that healthcare organizations work at building teams of health IT professionals and retaining those they have at present.
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