Yet only 36% have a dedicated health equity agenda budget

New research from Accenture (NYSE: ACN) and HIMSS Market Insights reveals that 93% of U.S. healthcare executives believe that health equity initiatives are important and 89% agree that such initiatives are part of their core business strategy. However, only slightly more than a third (36%) have a specific budget dedicated to advancing their health equity agendas.

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Health Equity Initiatives: Making Plans a Reality (Photo: Business Wire)

“The pandemic awakened the world to the realities of inequality that have existed for generations in our health care system,” said Ankoor Shah, management consulting principal director and health equity lead at Accenture. “We saw firsthand how disproportionately the pandemic impacted vulnerable populations. Every health care leader should be asking themselves: ‘How can I be a force to reduce health disparities?’ Our research underscores that this huge challenge is moving front and center on health executives’ radar screens.”

According to the research, the top three health equity priorities are:

1. Reducing health outcome disparities among patient populations;
2. Understanding patient demographics including education, housing, access to transportation and other social determinants of health;
3. Improve the attitude, behavior, biases and approach of providers and support staff.

Lauren Goodman, senior insights director with HIMSS, said, “Addressing the disparities in health is essential to improving health outcomes. It’s encouraging to see that half of the healthcare leaders surveyed have a health equity plan in place, and more than 50% of them have a specific budget dedicated to advancing their agenda. It’s also important to note that another one-third of the remaining respondents say they will implement a plan within the next 12 months.”

"We need to close the gap between making health equity a priority and making it a reality," said Shah. "Market-leading healthcare companies understand that actualizing this agenda is not only the right thing to do but also grows their business. Technology, in concert with community partnerships, should be leveraged to catalyze health equity agendas in order to reduce disparities in care access, experience, and ultimately outcomes.”

Accenture Health harnesses the power of technology and human ingenuity to help clients improve access, experience, and outcomes in healthcare. With the help of our innovative, technology-enabled services, clients are delivering effective and personalized experiences that humanize healthcare for all. For more information, visit at https://www.accenture.com/ca-en/industries/health-index

About the Research

HIMSS Market Insights, on behalf of Accenture, surveyed 110 U.S. healthcare executives and senior leaders in December 2021 and January 2022 who have a decision-making or influencer role in health equity initiatives at their organizations. The research was conducted to understand the importance of health equity initiatives in hospital and health system settings. Forty-one percent of the respondents worked at multi-hospital systems, 30% at academic medical centers, and 29% at integrated delivery networks; 81% of all respondents worked at not-for-profit organizations.

About Accenture

Accenture is a global professional services company with leading capabilities in digital, cloud and security. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries, we offer Strategy and Consulting, Interactive, Technology and Operations services — all powered by the world’s largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. Our 674,000 people deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity every day, serving clients in more than 120 countries. We embrace the power of change to create value and shared success for our clients, people, shareholders, partners and communities. Visit us at accenture.com.

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