Computer Skills Needed by Healthcare Executives

Abstract

In anticipation of health reform in the 1990s, the business of health care is rapidly changing. These changes are pushing hospitals toward even smaller operating margins than resulted from the introduction of prospective payment in the 1980s. In order to remain viable, hospitals and other healthcare organizations must focus on the business of business. The collection and manipulation of the data required for sound decision making are growing increasingly complex. Even though the number of hospital beds is shrinking, many healthcare organizations are expanding as they attempt to increase their referral base and their market share. This expansion is leading to a greater need for data and the ability to process those data. For example, the information that forms the basis for a managed care contract or the purchase of an office practice cannot reasonably be derived in a competitive market from estimates or insufficient data.