This year’s data comprises responses from 233 healthcare executives in U.S. health systems, gathered by symplr®, a leading healthcare operations software company, for its 2024 Compass Survey. As such, while advancements have been made towards creating IT/operation and clinical/IT synergies, barriers still exist in the logistics of their collaboration. Based on the report, the usage of more than 50 software solutions in hospitals has gradually reduced – from 55% in 2023 to 60% in 2022, down to 51% of current hospitals. Regarding productivity improvement, most respondents agreed that software, workflow, and operations should be simplified to a large extent, as indicated in the figure below 82%.
“Healthcare operations technology provides an opportunity to enable progress toward the ultimate goal of enhanced patient care,” said BJ Schaknowski, symplr CEO. “But to achieve these goals, we must unify IT, administrative, and clinical teams around a connected and efficient approach to software. One that addresses healthcare’s pressing challenges from staffing shortages and low margins to cybersecurity and inefficient systems.”
“Technology has the power to restore precious moments that are often lost due to the heavy demands of administrative tasks,” said Susan Brown, Ph.D., RN, Senior VP of Patient Care Services & Chief Nursing Officer at City of Hope. “One hour or more back each day would make a world of difference in the patient care experience as well as the clinician’s work-life balance. Every minute saved is a minute more spent at a patient’s bedside or with friends and family.”
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Key insights from the 2024 Compass Report include:
- Conflicting Priorities: 40% of IT respondents identify cybersecurity as their current top issue, while burnout and staffing issues are top of mind for clinicians (51%) and operation leaders (43%).
- Administrative Wastes: Most clinicians (85%) and more than half of leaders across all these different areas (53%) spend more than an hour in a day on calculated non-productive time.
- Software Fragmentation: According to a survey, 40% of IT leaders are informed that 150+ software solutions are used in hospitals, including 49% who mentioned that there was no audit last year. The majority (80%) expressed an opinion on the possibility of system consolidation.
- Shadow IT Risks: Pirated software is standard, and 81% of IT managers reported “shadow IT” as a common type.
- Buying Influence: While 72% of clinicians want more input in software purchases, only 57% feel current software supports optimal patient care, revealing differing opinions on purchase involvement.
The findings, developed in collaboration with CHIME, were based on responses from 280+ healthcare leaders. They provide a roadmap for more integrated healthcare technology solutions.
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