KLAS: HIE/ACO Work Draws Consultant Flock

Providers are voicing a need for outside resources to help them as they launch new HIEs or navigate their inclusion in existing HIEs. However, hospital executives and clinic administrators are struggling to differentiate between the 13 firms offering HIE consulting in this emerging market. That’s the latest finding according to the KLAS Brief HIE Consulting Services: Leveraging Third-Party Expertise for HIE Success.

“HIE consulting firms are being chosen based primarily on providers’ prior relationships with the firms, the firms’ reputation for having high healthcare and regulatory expertise, or the HIE vendors’ recommendations,” said Erik Westerlind, author of the report.

Engagements with firms such as Accenture, CSC, CTG, Deloitte, Harris, Impact Advisors, J2, maxIT, Peer Consulting, PwC, Orchestrate, Vitalize, and Xerox are examined in the research.

Providers explain the type of work their consultants perform for them, including strategic, operational, regulatory, hosting, and IT outsourcing work, as well as how the vendors perform. According to KLAS, the scope of the services and specialization offered, and the breadth of HIE experience, set some vendors apart from others.

Additionally, providers are engaging third-party consulting firms in public HIEs more often than in private HIEs. That could partially be the result of the complexity of navigating government regulations and bringing public HIE stakeholders to a consensus, states KLAS. Vendors are looking to accelerate their involvement in HIE and accountable care organization planning by aligning into partnerships.