Healthcare organizations are facing significant challenges in securing the right healthcare IT (HIT) talent. As organizations are increasing their adoption of technologies—from EHR solutions to emerging technologies like AI, cloud, and cybersecurity solutions—the demand for skilled professionals is outpacing supply. In response, many organizations are turning to HIT staffing firms for expertise, speed, and culture to address these critical skills gaps.
To better understand the current state of this market, KLAS’ HIT Staffing 2025 report explores:
- Common pitfalls and best practices for avoiding them
- Validated areas of engagement and the firms most often used
- How usage is expected to change over the next two years
Common Pitfalls & Best Practices for HIT Staffing Engagements
Most KLAS-interviewed healthcare organizations report positive experiences with their HIT staffing firm and are able to achieve desired outcomes from their engagements. However, about 9% of respondents express dissatisfaction with their staffing firm. Technical skill alone is not enough—firms need to be able to bring operational understanding and seamlessly integrate into the client’s culture. Common challenges that can hinder success during HIT staffing engagements include:
- Unclear expectations for the firm
- Insufficient expertise from the provided resources
- Lack of clarity around pricing
- Poor communication or disruptions from staff turnover
- Failure to deliver desired outcomes
To help organizations looking to engage HIT staffing services, KLAS gathered best practices for mitigating these challenges based on feedback from highly satisfied healthcare organizations. See the best practices for the above challenges in the full report.
Where HIT Staffing Is Most Utilized
EHR-related work (e.g., implementations) remains the dominant staffing need for healthcare organizations. Revenue cycle work is second-most common, mentioned by respondents about half the times as EHR work. Other software being supported by HIT staffing services include data and analytics, ERP, infrastructure, security, AI, and cloud solutions.
Having an established relationship with a firm is beneficial when organizations are trying to quickly access needed expertise. As such, many healthcare organizations maintain relationships with two or three go-to firms. Partnering with several firms allows for diversification and increases the likelihood of finding specific subject matter expertise to meet different needs. This approach also enables organizations to get the most competitive price. However, managing multiple partnerships can require more administrative oversight and may not result in the desired economies of scale.
A smaller subset of respondents report having a staffing arrangement with one firm. These clients find value in having a deeper relationship with their go-to firm and knowing that firm understands their needs. Further, these respondents say that managing multiple projects and consultants is easier when dealing with only one firm.
The Future of the HIT Staffing Market
Looking ahead, the majority of respondents expect that their staffing usage will remain steady over the next two years, citing current stability or lack of budget. About a third of respondents anticipate increased usage of staffing services; these respondents say using these services allows them to be flexible and more easily meet the demand for new technologies like AI and cloud solutions. Other respondents report plans to decrease their use of staffing services to accommodate budget constraints, changing priorities, or efforts to build internal capabilities.
Regardless, the need for HIT staffing services will remain high as healthcare technology keeps evolving and workforce challenges persist. Firms that combine deep expertise, transparent practices, and strong client relationships will be best positioned to help healthcare organizations with their staffing challenges.
Read the full HIT Staffing 2025 report to better client experiences with using these services. KLAS will continue to monitor the HIT staffing market and share client feedback on firm performance and outcomes achieved. To see the latest insights into client satisfaction with HIT staffing firms, see the KLAS website.
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