Member Article

Top Healthcare Trends of 2017

With the installment of a new administration, the healthcare industry also looks forward on how the president-elect can address certain issues on healthcare in the country and across the globe. Aimed to deliver high-quality care while keeping eye on cost, quality, and customer satisfaction, healthcare provider executives thrive to meet the demands, leading to the possible transitions that may happen this 2017:

1. The rise of telehealth

Various demographics may be utilizing technology at different approaches, but it is predicted by managed care executives that many patients will start looking for telehealth services this year.

With Telehealth, physician and patient may discuss treatment topics such as the use of ECG cables, medication dosage, or physical therapy, among other health issues via secure patient portal or a live video chat even when both are miles away

With present consumers being more attuned to technology than ever before, patients want convenience to be on top of their healthcare needs. Mitch Morris, MD, who is a vice chair at a consulting firm, suggests that 2017 may be telehealth’s “breakout year”, as the need to access real-time information on chronic diseases rises among healthcare providers.

2. The boom of consumer-facing technologies

Morris bets that there is greater demand for cost information tools because of two reasons. First, today’s consumers mostly rely on online retail where they can compare shops across a number of online vendors in a span of a minute. Second, consumers want to be more in control of their healthcare spending and, as much as possible, get a good bang of their buck.

An example of such cost-providing tool is the MyHealthcare cost tool by UnitedHealthcare. Developed about five years ago, this tool provides members access to individualized estimates of 875 different services and their costs of care.

With this tool, UnitedHealthcare members are more likely to save on costs and to receive high-quality care more than non-users and giving them more resources like ECG placement guide according to certain studies.

3. The pressure to improve on EHR

Electronic health records seemed like a promising tool in healthcare, yet it is still questioned whether EHRs can truly deliver the needs of current healthcare providers. It is oftentimes assumed by policymakers and healthcare authorities that EHRs will be able to support the technology requirements in certain healthcare mandates, with MACRA being an example. However, this isn’t always the case.

For instance, not all EHRs are able to deliver the rate of reporting required in the utilization of pay-for-performance programs. Aside from this, EHRs do not have the capacity to allow sharing of clinical and financial information among providers. With this, they won’t be able to keep track of a provider’s percentage of responsibility in a particular episode of care.

4. The development on population health management solutions

Since payers across America continuously move forward with new care models, Morris suggests that providers might eventually feel more pressured to utilize data in driving decision-marking on pristine payment models, consumer engagement, and lower unit costs.

Unfortunately, these types of platforms lack the required capital investment for them to prosper. Although vendors can make valid arguments leading to investments in these healthcare solutions, a survey by the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions suggest that the spending for healthcare IT this year would be flat.

What’s more is that providers may also eventually be under pressure when it comes to measuring performance on advancements in population health. With great expectations from both customers and analytics teams, lengthy report requests and outdated information will all be a thing in the past.

5. The reorientations in the pharmaceutical business

With America’s new presidential term, more of regulatory and reimbursement programs in pharmaceutical businesses is to be expected. With the current situation, pharmaceutical companies often ensure that their patients are engaged and given the best possible value, all the while sharing information within themselves and with their costumers.

It has been observed over the years that pharmaceutical companies have increased their advertising budget, leading to an increase in sales as well. Furthermore, the current federal administration has promised several drug reforms as well as their import. With the need of health insurance companies and healthcare providers to establish trust among their patients, pharmaceutical businesses may slow down on increasing drug prices.

There is a bright future ahead of us, and the healthcare industry has to keep up with the world’s fast-paced nature to realize its possibilities. The industry needs to adapt to certain changes and establish new building blocks for possible healthcare changes. With the million opportunities available, the best in healthcare is yet to come.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Connie Simpson .