Five Questions All Healthcare Executives Should be Asking

July 2, 2018

If you’re not asking the right questions, your healthcare organization could be missing out. Here are five questions every healthcare organization should be asking.

If you’re not asking the right questions, your healthcare organization could be missing out. Here are five questions every healthcare organization should be asking

1. Should the customer experience we provide consumers really differ from the experience they receive from other businesses?

“Why would people treat interactions with their healthcare providers any differently than their other consumer-oriented interactions? Could they afford to manage those high-stakes healthcare interactions via the same convenient channels they used to handle oil changes and retail experiences? Would they be willing to try? They certainly would and have. As we’ve seen consumerism influence the direction of healthcare technology, a once potentially ‘dumb’ question has paved the way for an improved patient experience and outcomes.”
-Josh Weiner, COO of Solutionreach, a healthcare technology company

2. Do we need to redefine innovation?

“Incumbents start out as innovators, but as they grow and scale, they become comfortable with the status quo which ultimately leads to their demise. Every incumbent healthcare industry player should be asking whether they need to redefine their historical definition of innovation within the context of their industry to ignite future growth.”
-Ruchin Kansal, author of Redefining Innovation and leader of the digital business strategy group, healthcare, insurance and life sciences sectors, at Virtusa, a global provider of digital engineering and outsourcing services that accelerate business outcomes for its clients

3. What exactly do you mean by improved healthcare quality?

“I asked my team this question after a health plan CMO asked us to explain to them how our population health management services improve quality. This led to a robust discussion on the definition of quality, the detail of which we ultimately shared with the health plan. The prospect appreciated our clarifying this often-overused term and, eventually, awarded the business to us."
-Christopher Long, CEO, AxisPoint Health, a population health management company

4. What is our strategy for organic (vs. inorganic) growth?

“Most health systems are looking to M&A as a growth driver but many struggle to answer how they can drive sustainable growth through their existing services and footprint. This will typically require improvements in patient engagement and access and new approaches to service line and contracting strategies.”
-Liam Walsh, line of business leader for Healthcare & Life Sciences at KPMG, a tax, audit and advisory firm

5. How do you describe your “value proposition?”

“When we meet prospective clients, our first question is usually: 'Does your product work well and is it safe?' The response from company senior leadership is often convoluted and guarded. In some cases, there are concerns about overstating efficacy or safety benefit. But often there has been no focus on building a clear product value story. Without a strong value message, there can be considerable challenges in communications, marketing, patient and clinician education, engagement with payers, and other areas."
-Bill Berry, president, Berry & Company, a healthcare public relations agency