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Staffing Shortages and Electronic Health Records Top List of Major Concerns for U.S. Hospitals and Health Centers

Poll of physicians, nurses and hospital administrators reveals concerns about recruitment and retention; Cites Google and Microsoft personal health records portals as pre-cursor to nationwide EHR

WAKEFIELD, Mass. — Aug 18, 2008 — As hospitals and health centers continue to struggle with a range of challenges, including long wait times in the emergency department (ED), increasing regulatory pressure and the rise of patient-driven healthcare, Picis recently conducted a poll of more than 300 physicians, nurses and hospital administrators to gain further insight into the most critical factors affecting today’s healthcare climate.

The Picis poll revealed “physician and nurse recruiting and retention” as the most pressing concern for hospitals during the next 12 months – ranking higher than both the impact of the economy and Medicaid/Medicare reimbursement cuts. “The rollout of electronic health records (EHRs)” ranked as the second biggest concern and raised additional questions about how the role of government-funded EHR initiatives and the joint ventures from companies such as Google and Microsoft will affect the future of hospital technology systems.

“Working closely with the people who serve on the ‘front lines’ of healthcare today — from ED physicians to operating room (OR) nurses to hospital CIOs and business managers — has afforded us tremendous insight into the challenges they face, and we took this opportunity to further probe into the issues that are really keeping these folks awake at night,” said Todd Cozzens, CEO and vice chairman of Picis.

Hospital technology systems: A key driver of recruitment and retention
The United States. is currently facing a shortage of 400,000 nurses and, as cited in a 2006 report “Physician Supply and Demand: Projections to 2020,” the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration projected a shortfall of 55,100 physicians by 2020. A May 2008 survey by physician recruiting firm LocumTenens.com also indicated that nearly 20 percent of physicians would leave the field with the potential implementation of universal health coverage. According to Picis'  poll, 47 percent of respondents believe technology systems that allow staff to spend less time on administrative tasks will help staffing recruitment and retention.

“Today’s caregivers are under intense pressure and are forced to do even more — more regulations, more paperwork, more direct patient care — but without the manpower to support it,” said Lorna Prutzman, 20-year veteran registered nurse at University of Colorado Hospital in Denver, Colo. “These poll results emphasize the critical need for hospital systems that will improve quality of work life for both physicians and nurses.”

• View staff polling results
• Lorna Prutzman, R.N., registered nurse and director of emergency/stroke services at University of Colorado Hospital, Denver, Colo., speaks about past nursing shortages – and why this one is more cause for concern.
• Mark Crockett. M.D., attending physician at Morris Hospital in Morris, Ill. and president of Picis’ Emergency Care Division, discusses how technology can improve the user experience, improve clinician satisfaction, and help hospital retention.
• Todd Cozzens, Picis CEO at Picis, discusses the causes of the staffing shortage and his predictions for the years ahead.

“This poll provides us with insight into the kinds of information and solutions hospitals will need going forward, particularly in the high-acuity areas (ED, OR and ICU), as they manage their way through the coming challenges of our evolving healthcare system,” adds Cozzens. “We confirmed that helping hospitals improve patient and staff satisfaction, quality of care, departmental efficiency and financial health are the four areas we will continue to focus on going forward.”

Conflict of interest: EHR a cause for confusion
Nearly 90 percent of poll respondents believe that EHRs are going to revolutionize the healthcare system, but the majority predict it will be at least 10 years before EHRs are used in the majority of U.S. hospitals. Additionally, only 55 percent said that patients would be more likely to visit a hospital using an EHR system, versus one that used paper systems. Close to 90 percent said government-run EHRs are not the answer, but many expressed interest in joint funding from the private and public sectors.

• View EHR polling results
• Neal Sikka, M.D., emergency physician at George Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.C., talks about patients’ response to physicians who work with EHRs.
• Mark Crockett, M.D., attending physician at Morris Hospital in Morris, Ill. and president of Picis’ Emergency Care Division, talks about the role of Google and Microsoft in the future of EHRs.
• Geoffrey Brown, senior vice president and chief information officer at Inova Health System in Falls Church, Va., talks about the challenges of an EHR implementation.
• Kevin Baumlin, M.D., emergency physician at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, N.Y., talks about funding for EHR initiatives and the disparities among hospitals.
• Todd Cozzens, Picis CEO at Picis, discusses the confusion surrounding EHRs for consumers.
• Hear more EHR predictions from:
  Justin Chang, M.D., emergency physician at Exempla St. Joseph Hospital in Denver, Colo.
  Dan Goulson, M.D., anesthesiologist at University of Kentucky Hospital in Lexington, Ky.
  Janet Burke, OR systems manager at Lahey Clinic Medical Center in Burlington, Mass.
  Lorna Prutzman, R.N., director of emergency/stroke services at University of Colorado Hospital in Denver, Colo.

Methodology
This live poll was conducted by Picis on June 15-18, 2008 at its annual Picis Exchange customer conference in Palm Beach, Fla. among 325 attendees who are employed as physicians, nurses, IT technicians or hospital administrators in hospitals and health centers across North America. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in the conference, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. Findings from these polls and complete results and related industry reports on the top concerns facing U.S. hospitals today can be found at www.picis.com/news/healthcare-buzz.cfm.

About Picis
Picis is a global provider of innovative information solutions that enable rapid and sustained delivery of clinical, financial and operational results in the acute care areas of the hospital. These high-acuity areas include the emergency department, operating and recovery rooms, and intensive care units. Picis offers the most advanced suite of integrated products focused on these life-critical areas of the hospital where the patients are the most vulnerable, the care process is the most complex and an increasing majority of hospital costs and potential revenue are concentrated. Headquartered in Wakefield, Massachusetts, Picis has licensed systems for use in more than 1,700 hospitals in 19 countries. More information is available at www.picis.com.

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