Through the inaugural KPMG Healthcare CEO Future Pulse, 200 health leaders from Australia and around the world were surveyed on a number of topics that include:
- the impact of COVID-19
- workforce concerns
- leadership
- digital health use
- partnerships
- shifting paradigms in patient centricity, care and delivery models.
All these leaders oversee medium-to-large hospitals, health systems, and care provider networks that span privately and publicly funded systems. These insights were further elaborated on through in-depth interviews with luminary leaders who share stories of success, reflect on obstacles, reveal their thoughts on future plans and how to get there.
If there is one common thread in the results, it is that healthcare executives globally expect and welcome reform – with 80 percent of CEOs believing that healthcare needs disruption and change, with 79 percent expecting that all aspects of care delivery models will be transformed within the next three years. Below are some insights from the Australian respondents.
Key insights from health leaders
Globally, 97 percent of healthcare CEOs say that the pandemic “significantly accelerated” their transformation efforts. 93 percent of Australian healthcare CEOs agreed.
Globally, the most concerning workforce issues are the ability to meet demand, the impact of new operating models on staff, supporting workforce wellness and recruiting new talent.
Many executives said it’s important to shift delivery of care out of hospitals and into community settings. 33 percent of Australian healthcare CEOs think that shift is extremely important.
83 percent of Australia’s CEOs have confidence that patients/customers will increasingly self-manage their healthcare.
Around the world, 79 percent of executives believe customer/patient experience at their organisations needs improvement. In Australia, that percentage is higher at 88 percent.
While many healthcare executives globally believe their organisations to be on the forefront of transformation, nearly two thirds (65 percent) identify the risks of technological change as their top barrier to innovation.
67 percent of CEOs globally believe healthcare organisations will, in the future, face the same expectations for customer service, quality and accessibility that are seen in other consumer-focused sectors such as retail, entertainment and banking.
No matter if we are in a crisis situation or in steadier times, the future of healthcare will continue to involve complex challenges that will require holistic, forward-looking, and flexible leadership. We welcome the opportunity to work together to turn our collective dreams for the sector into the reality of tomorrow.
