As healthcare leaders plan for a post-pandemic world, many find themselves yearning for a shift from reactive to proactive IT planning. There is no denying that advancements in IT and changing customer expectations are accelerating transformation across the healthcare industry. Developing an IT strategy can provide healthcare leaders with clarity and ensure that there is a focused path to achieving key business outcomes.
The 4 Basic Steps To A Healthcare IT Strategy
Technology plays a critical part in daily business operations. However, utilizing technology strategically and managing IT investments is not always easy. Creating an IT strategy that aligns with vital business goals is critical for long-term success. The primary goal of an IT strategy is to support the unique needs of the business. There are three basic steps to a strong healthcare IT strategy, including the following:
1. Analysis
The first step in developing a healthcare IT strategy involves understanding the business goals and identifying where the opportunities, risks, and gaps exist today.. An IT review or assessment is necessary to create a plan that helps an organization move from the current state to the desired future state.
2. Development
Once the review is complete, it’s time to develop a plan for improvements and initiatives that enable and drive the business. Start by outlining business goals and objectives, and ensure that they align with the IT strategy. The strategy should include specific and measurable outcomes, as well as a prioritized and sequenced plan of action.
3. Implementation
Effective CIO leadership is key to strategy implementation. A great leader will get the entire organization involved in the rollout of the IT strategy and create a partnership between the business and IT teams. Transformational leaders are individuals who help others embrace change and leverage IT to achieve better business outcomes. They excel at communicating the organization’s vision, encouraging employees and managing a high level of performance.
The Importance Of A Well-Defined Healthcare IT Strategy
Every modern business can benefit from having a comprehensive IT strategy. Healthcare organizations, in particular, depend heavily on technology to share, store and analyze health information in a way that improves interoperability and the continuum of care. Health IT helps facilitate communication between healthcare providers, improve tracking and recording, enhance medication safety and promote quality of care. Here are a few more reasons why developing a well-defined healthcare IT strategy is important:
Create A Competitive Advantage
Businesses are always on the lookout for ways to make themselves stand out amongst their competitors. With a comprehensive and forward-thinking IT strategy, your business will be better equipped to create new business models and services, improve the patient experience, increase productivity and establish better connections with staff, vendors and business partners.
Improve Technology And Processes
An IT strategy can identify opportunities to improve a wide range of technological processes and services, such as telehealth. Telehealth has made great strides over the last decade, most recently during the pandemic, as more healthcare organizations recognize the importance of making healthcare accessible to everyone. An IT strategy can help identify the role of telehealth and how technology can play a role in the delivery of care.
Measure ROI And Business Outcomes
Healthcare IT strategies should focus on performance and outcomes above all. To help drive strategy execution and performance improvement, leaders need to establish the right metrics and key performance indicators (KPI). Not only will this focus the team on what matters the most, it provides a way to determine if the strategy is working.
Build A Healthcare IT Strategy With Hartman Today
Developing a strong and well-planned IT strategy is essential for today’s healthcare organizations to succeed. But it doesn’t stop there. Executing the strategy requires effective CIO leadership. To learn more about how healthcare organizations benefit from an IT strategy or to speak with an IT consultant about developing an IT strategy, contact Hartman Executive Advisors today.