Provider burnout and disengagement among healthcare professionals and the resulting staff shortages are the most potentially disruptive forces facing hospitals and health systems in the next three years, according to the 2021 Healthcare Trends Survey Report released by AMN Healthcare (NYSE: AMN).
The 551 healthcare executives surveyed also identified restoring elective procedures deferred by the Covid-19 pandemic as their primary growth strategy for systems in 2021. The survey further indicates telehealth management will be the most important skill healthcare executives will need to develop in the coming year.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has created a wave of challenges for healthcare executives, with workforce burnout and loss of revenue being key among them,” said James Taylor, AMN’s group president and COO, physician and leadership solutions. “Their first goal is to restore elective procedures, which so many hospitals and health systems depend on for their financial survival. While there are many talent retention, technology, safety and diversity challenges to be addressed, most healthcare executives are optimistic about 2021. It’s going to be an interesting year that all stakeholders in healthcare should be prepared to navigate.”
Key findings of the survey include:
- Burnout and disengagement among healthcare professionals (and resulting provider shortages) are rated as the most potentially disruptive forces hospitals and health systems face, followed by financial pressures and government regulations.
- Restoring deferred elective procedures, expanding service lines and expanding telehealth are the top three strategies hospitals and health systems will use to grow in 2021.
- Even with deferred elective procedures, 83% of hospitals and health systems are experiencing nursing shortages, 30% physician shortages and 14% executive shortages.
- 82% of healthcare executives say that filling executive positions remains challenging.
- Telehealth management, quality and safety management, and clinical leadership are the key skills healthcare executives need to develop.
- The remote healthcare workforce is here to stay — 78% of hospitals and healthcare systems with remote personnel will retain remote staff, while only 12% will restore all on-site staff.
- Full telehealth reimbursement is the potentially most impactful regulation that could affect hospitals and health systems in 2021.
- Despite the pandemic, 63% of healthcare executives are optimistic about the direction of healthcare in 2021.
The survey was conducted by AMN Healthcare’s Leadership Solutions division, which includes AMN Healthcare and national search and consulting firms B.E. Smith and Merritt Hawkins.
