Hospitals Are Facing a Perfect Storm – How Do We Navigate It?

Imagine you’re a pilot flying through turbulent skies. The weather is unpredictable, visibility is low, and multiple systems are feeding you different pieces of information — radar, air traffic control, engine diagnostics, and fuel levels. You have all the data, but without a coordinated flight system connecting the dots, making the right decision becomes exponentially harder.

That’s the challenge hospital leaders face today.

They are juggling financial pressures, workforce shortages, and regulatory changes, but the disconnected nature of healthcare technology forces them to piece together fragmented data to make critical decisions.

Now, imagine a system that gathers key inputs, synthesizes them, and presents clear, actionable insights to help plan the safest, most efficient route forward.

That’s what a well-integrated approach to cardiovascular care should be.

At Terumo Health Outcomes, we’re supporting hospitals with data-driven decision support solutions like ePRISM, designed to enhance the cardiovascular care continuum by improving patient care and operational efficiency.

Three Challenges That Demand a Smarter Approach

(1)   Financial Pressures: The Cost of Inaction

Hospitals today are operating with razor-thin margins. Much like an airline trying to optimize fuel efficiency to remain profitable, hospitals must refine their operations to stay financially viable.

According to Vizient’s 2025 report, labor costs now account for 83.9% of hospital expenses, while CMS penalties for avoidable heart failure (HF) and PCI readmissions continue to rise.

What’s at risk?

• 10-15% revenue declines due to avoidable readmission penalties.
• Unnecessary inpatient stays reducing bed capacity and limiting reimbursement potential.
• Medicare site-neutral payment reforms shifting financial incentives away from hospitals.

A More Strategic Approach

Instead of reacting to financial losses, hospitals need proactive strategies that allow them to:

• Identify at-risk patients sooner to reduce readmissions and protect reimbursement.
• Optimize inpatient stays to maintain both revenue and bed capacity.
• Align cardiovascular workflows with CMS benchmarks to maximize value-based payments.

(2)   Physician Burnout & Decision Overload: A Hidden Crisis

Pilots rely on automation and streamlined decision support to navigate complex conditions without being overwhelmed.

Doctors aren’t short on data — they’re short on time.

With physicians spending nearly 50% of their time on documentation and software systems, hospitals are struggling with:

• Clinical variability, leading to inconsistent patient outcomes.
• Delayed care decisions, impacting overall efficiency.
• Physician dissatisfaction, contributing to growing workforce shortages.

The Role of Clinical Decision Support

Hospitals don’t need more data — they need the right insights at the right time.

That’s where ePRISM fits in — not to replace clinical judgment, but to assist by surfacing patient-specific insights to help clinicians make informed decisions.

• Standardizing care pathways for PCI and HF to help reduce variability
• Enhancing workflow efficiency, helping physicians focus on delivering care, not searching for data.
• Providing timely insights, supporting more informed, proactive decision-making.

(3)   Compliance & Quality Metrics: Staying on Course in a Shifting Landscape

Pilots must navigate constantly changing air traffic regulations to ensure safety and compliance. Similarly, hospitals are navigating an ever-evolving regulatory landscape — and failure to adapt comes at a cost.

CMS isn’t just changing regulations — it’s tightening them.

Hospitals that fail to meet new value-based care benchmarks risk financial penalties and reduced reimbursements.

Yet, 82% of hospitals report that manual compliance tracking isn’t scalable, and many still rely on outdated, labor-intensive methods.

A More Scalable Approach

Hospitals need automated, scalable solutions that:

• Track compliance against evolving CMS & payer benchmarks.
• Improve HF and PCI outcomes, unlocking financial incentives.
• Enhance value-based reimbursement potential by demonstrating quality-driven care improvements.

A Smarter Future for Hospital Decision-Making

The future of healthcare isn’t about one single solution — it’s about a coordinated approach that supports the cardiovascular care continuum with timely, actionable insights.

Hospitals need a flexible, scalable system that works alongside existing clinical workflows, providing decision support while improving resource management.

Is Your Hospital Ready for Takeoff?

Just as pilots rely on coordinated flight system to navigate safely, hospitals need a structured approach to clinical decision-making and resource management to stay ahead of financial, operational, and clinical challenges.

Ready to navigate the complexities of modern healthcare? Discover how the ePRISM platform can serve as your co-pilot, providing the insights needed to enhance patient care and streamline operations. Contact us today to embark on this journey.