Key Insights on Health Care's Top Consulting Needs

When it comes to improving performance in their most pressing business, clinical and operations areas, health care leaders often turn to management consulting firms for analysis and guidance. A recent Modern Healthcare poll of 31 health care consulting firms identified the most common areas hospitals and health systems are seeking help.

Here Are Some Other High-Level Findings

• Operational improvements remain a top focus.

  Four out of five responding firms said their hospital and health system clients are seeking help in this area, including:

  

• Expanding home health care gets greater attention.

  Home health care models enabled by virtual care, digital front door systems and remote patient monitoring are gaining traction, one respondent noted. Another noted that greater focus on home health care delivery will meet the needs of patients and providers who are trying to minimize hospital visits.

• Cyber-risk management, threat detection need improvement.

  Despite working with clients in this area and improving readiness and resiliency, consultants said there is much to be learned. Despite an increase in breaches, training to reduce provider downtime and improve business continuity planning after an attack often are underestimated or neglected, one consultant said. Securing needed investment and authority for cybersecurity leaders remains a challenge, said another respondent.

Learn More

For information on how to improve your organization’s response to cyber threats, attend the AHA Leadership Scan “Navigating the Health Care Cybersecurity Storm: Strategies for Resilience and Risk Reduction.” The panel discussion, led by John Riggi, the AHA’s national adviser for cybersecurity and risk, will take place from noon to 1 p.m. CT on Sept. 26.