We’ve already laid out the first two healthcare trends from the HIMSS annual report. A rise in technology and consumer-driven impact will shift the industry to a more personalized medicine approach. Now, let’s dive into the final two trend predictions.
Financial and Demographic Challenges: HIMSS predicts that challenges on financial and demographic fronts will spark innovation for new methods of care delivery. The report states that “Financial pressures on care providers will continue to increase as organizations are expected to do more with fewer resources and reduce costs while providing higher quality and safer care.” What makes this financial pressure worse? The silver tsunami, also known as those approaching the age of 65, really aggravates the situation. Consumers will be looking to understand how increased costs leads to high-quality care. It’s no secret that healthcare providers will have to remain transparent about this moving forward.
Demographic challenges such as accessibility in rural and urban settings will push providers to find creative solutions. Digital health tools will be able to provide round the clock access to care without having to worry about location. Analytics will also help bridge this gap by looking at ways to solve health problems that face specific demographics; including gender, location, income, and genetics. If 2018 taught us anything, it’s that traditional healthcare won’t solve problems with rising costs and demographics.
Data Governance and Policy: The rise of technology and data breaches will ultimately drive changes in governance and policy in 2019. As hackers continue to target healthcare providers, policymakers will look for ways to prioritize cybersecurity. According to HIMSS, “ Healthcare organizations the world over are struggling to provide the right information about the right patient to the right provider in a secure and timely manner because of the actions of bad actors – and they’re looking to policymakers to help them.” Policymakers will help the industry by concluding what changes should be made to best protect information sharing.
Overall, consumers are looking for a personalized healthcare experience that is transparent and technologically advanced. 2019 challenges providers to develop policy and plans that keep consumers at the forefront of providing excellent care.