Capitalize on these three top healthcare trends in 2023

The overall mood in healthcare this year is one of optimism when assessing the state of the technical solutions side of the industry in 2023. Most physicians and healthcare IT leaders agree that technology could assist both individual providers and large healthcare systems in addressing the challenges and opportunities presented by trends in healthcare consumerism, health equity and hospital at home.

1. Great strides in responding to healthcare consumerism:  There is a fundamental shift happening in healthcare. Many patients are shopping for care just like they would for any service. They are, in effect, becoming active and informed consumers, and they’re focusing on quality and value. Healthcare providers have a unique opportunity to help enhance the patient experience by providing tools and information necessary to help empower the consumer, which can lead to better outcomes for patients, providers and payers alike. According to a Journal of Patient Experience study published in the National Library of Medicine, “In modern American medicine, the patient-provider relationship had historically been characterized as paternalistic that is whereby physicians would make decisions for their patients and patient autonomy was mostly lacking. However, the movement toward patient-centered care has reframed the patient–provider relationship as a shared partnership and the more recent advent of healthcare consumerism has further influenced this relationship. In healthcare consumerism, patients make their own healthcare decisions based on their knowledge acquired through literature, the internet, and direct-to-patient advertising.” Healthcare consumerism supporters claim that this trend can both improve the quality of care and reduce costs. Analysts at McKinsey & Company heartily agree, writing “Providing consumers with the experiences they increasingly expect and demand at every stage of the healthcare journey could substantially improve care and cost outcomes.” Several solutions exist today that can help providers share more information with patients, help patients more easily communicate with healthcare staff, and help providers cut costs —all while offering patients a more engaged and satisfying customer experience. For health systems and physician’s practices, solutions exist to improve care, lower costs and relieve physicians from some of the more burdensome administrative tasks.   
2. Health equity can advance using technology and modernized networks: According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, “Health equity means the attainment of the highest level of health for all people, where everyone has a fair and just opportunity to attain their optimal health regardless of race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, geography, preferred language, or other factors that affect access to care and health outcome.” Deloitte warns that inequities across the healthcare system cost Americans $320 billion annually. In that same report, they assert that unless progress is made, the costs could grow to $1 trillion annually by 2040.  Dr. Jay Bhatt, Managing Director of the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions and the Deloitte Health Equity Institute, explained these findings in an interview with Chief Healthcare Executive: “Everyone’s paying for health equity, whether it’s premiums, increases, uncompensated care, taxes,” Bhatt says. “We’re in crisis and health equity is everyone’s business. Virtual and digital has tremendous opportunities to advance health equity. It is one component in a continuum of care delivery that leads us to equitable health outcomes.” Digital solutions, in particular telehealth and remote patient monitoring, can improve patient outcomes in currently underserved populations. There is a sizeable opportunity for practices that address health equity challenges with digital innovation, and the economic, financial, and health benefits for society are significant, according to McKinsey & Company. 
3. Hospital-at-home: Digital and virtual care can be a win-win for patients and providers: Hospital-at-home care treats acute and common medical conditions at home to avoid hospital admission. This method of delivering care aims to save costs, improve health outcomes, and deliver a better experience for patients. Many healthcare systems are creating hospital-at-home programs to benefit underserved populations while also conserving healthcare resources. All across America,  an increasing amount of hospitals are offering acute care at home, and doctors leading those programs say they are impressed by how patients are responding. Key technologies that enable this include remote patient monitoring, telemedicine, and support for enhanced clinical team coordination and supply chain management. We’re helping make Hospital at Home a reality for more patients every day. Stay Connected allows healthcare IT leaders to offer high-speed, cable broadband internet access direct to patients, providers and staff in their homes so that care, advice, reminders, education, intervention and monitoring of patients are uninterrupted. In fact, we provide technology solutions to 80% of the largest health systems in the US, and we can help individual providers as well. 

Learn more about how we can help your healthcare organization address the challenges and opportunities presented by trends in healthcare consumerism, health equity and hospital at home.