On September 9th through the 11th, healthcare executives and champions of transforming the healthcare system met in Boston, MA for the 31st Annual Forum of the HealthCare Executive Group. As has been the case for over a decade, forum participants discussed and defined the challenges, issues, and opportunities facing their organization. These items were then ranked by participants to create the 2020 HCEG Top 10 list as noted in this press release.
Preliminary Insight on the 2020 HCEG Top 10 List
In this post, we’ll share an overview of the items on the 2020 HCEG Top 10. Some insight on new entrants on the list, items rising or falling in perceived importance – or falling off the list. And information on what many forum participants feel are foundational or ‘table stakes’ items for today’s healthcare organizations.
New Entrants – And the Marriage of Previous Entrants
As Ferris Taylor, HCEG’s executive director shared with Jacqueline LaPointe of xtelligent Healthcare Media in this recent article on the 2020 HCEG Top 10: “The Top 10 list recognizes that we’re starting to merge or to recognize that some of these top ten priorities are actually very intertwined. They connect with each other.” 
Accordingly, this year’s Item #3 “Delivery System Transformation” was discussed as a combination of last year’s Item #3 “Population Health Services” and Item #7 “External Disruption.” Participants felt that meaningful transformation will not just come from external entities but also through scalable partnerships that address both medical and non-medical services.
Similarly, Item #7 “Holistic Individual Health” was considered a subset of last year’s Item #2 “Total Consumer Heath.”
Previous Entries Rising or Falling in Importance
“Value-based Payments” – ranked #4 on last year’s list was replaced with Item #7 “Next Generation Payment Models” and dropped a few spots to #7. Participants felt that the label ‘value-based’ was too narrow and becoming an insufficiently defined, worn-out phrase.
Last year’s Item #9 “Opioid Management” did not explicitly rank on this year’s 2020 HCEG Top 10. While clearly a major issue and challenge for healthcare organizations, substance use disorders were considered to be addressed in Item #6 “Holistic Individual Health.”
Table-Stakes/Foundational Functionality on the 2020 HCEG Top 10 List
Participants in developing the 2020 HCEG Top 10 list felt that several items from previous years should really be considered as foundational to addressing all their challenges, issues, and opportunities. These include the following:
Data & Analytics – Previously Ranked #1 on the 2019 & 2018 HCEG Top 10 lists
As Ferris Taylor, HCEG’s executive director shared with Jacqueline LaPointe in the above-referenced article :
“We’re seeing a much larger focus on digital technologies and taking advantage of the analytics, data, and the technology that is out there. Those have changed quite dramatically in the last five years or so. Data is much more readily available and it’s broader than just administrative data. We now have clinical data, lab data, social, economic, and demographic data. The analytical tools also are much more sophisticated.”
Privacy & Security – Ranked as #10 in 2020 and 2019
This item received a lot of discussion with many participants feeling it should be ranked #1. Like “Data & Analytics,” the majority of participants felt that addressing privacy and security are table stakes for today’s healthcare organizations.
RELATED: The 2019 HCEG Top 10 List of Healthcare Challenges, Issues & Opportunities
What’s Next for the 2020 HCEG Top 10 List?
The 2020 HCEG Top 10 list drives the physical and digital events and content produced by HCEG throughout the year. This includes our Executive Leadership Roundtables, webinars, conference presentations, blog posts, and other content. Stay tuned to this blog and consider subscribing to our eNewsletter for more information on the challenges, issues, and opportunities facing today’s healthcare leaders and champions.
10th Annual Industry Pulse Research Survey
Perhaps the most noteworthy use of the HCEG Top 10 is that it serves as the basis for a research survey – The Industry Pulse – produced in conjunction with Change Healthcare – one of HCEG’s long-time sponsor partners. The results of the Industry Pulse can provide valuable, relevant data-driven advice and end-to-end industry insights. Healthcare leaders can use the list to identify opportunities to navigate our rapidly evolving healthcare system.
This research survey is currently being developed and will be available to industry champions next month. See last year’s Industry Pulse survey here and stay tuned for more.
RELATED: The Pulse of the Healthcare Industry for 2019
Session at 2019 AHIP Consumer Experience & Digital Health Forum
HCEG members will be presenting a session at the upcoming AHIP Consumer Experience & Digital Health Forum in Chicago on December 10-11, 2019, at the Swissotel. The session titled “Top 10 Challenges, Issues, and Opportunities as Identified by Healthcare Executives” will expound on the 2020 HCEG Top 10 and provide the following audience takeaways:
- Additional insight on what a group of health plan leaders considers to be their top challenges, issues, and opportunities for 2020 and beyond.
- Understand how challenges facing health plan leaders have evolved over the last ten years.
- An overview of some of the ways other health plan leaders are transforming and innovating their organizations.
- An understanding of challenges, issues, and opportunities health plan leaders may be facing but are not aware of
Stay tuned for more information on this event.
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