The survey incorporated open-ended responses from more than 220 healthcare executives from across the nation. Respondents included executives from managed care organizations, hospitals, physician groups, industry associations, government agencies, educational institutions, pharmaceutical companies, healthcare technology companies and other healthcare companies/providers.

Key Findings:

• The most important healthcare industry development of 1998 was the continued consolidation of the healthcare industry -- cited by 12.5 percent of the respondents. Increased government regulation and rising healthcare costs ranked second and third -- 11.5 percent and 8.2 percent, respectively.
• The most important healthcare industry concern for 1999 is complying with healthcare legislation/regulation -- cited by 17.7 percent of the respondents. Keeping consumers satisfied and increasing efficiency/profitability ranked second and third -- 13.7 percent and 12.6 percent, respectively.
• More than 62 percent of respondents said their company's performance in 1998 was "better" compared to 1997 -- almost 37 percent of these executives attributed the better performance to a "greater demand for services."
• Of all the different types of executives that responded, those in pharmaceutical companies were most likely to rate their company's 1998 performance better than 1997.