Healthcare Administration

Current Trends in Healthcare

February 16, 2017 |

AdventHealth University

5-Advantages-of-Health-Information-Systems-for-Healthcare

The healthcare field is constantly evolving, adapting to industry reform, demographic change, new technology, and other trends. One of the most significant current trends in healthcare is the increasing demand for healthcare professionals and medical experts as the U.S. population continues to age. By 2030, the number of people older than 65 is expected to be greater than the number of children, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Jobs for nurses, doctors, and healthcare administrators are projected to grow faster than most occupations between 2019 and 2029, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). In fact, the BLS predicts that the job outlook for medical and health service managers and administrators will grow by 32% during that time period, eight times faster than average. Individuals interested in pursuing this in-demand career can consider earning a bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration.

What Are Current Trends in Healthcare?

Effectively meeting the needs of patients requires healthcare providers to be flexible, nimble, and adaptable. Healthcare administrators must be prepared to address the current trends in healthcare.

Technology Trends in Healthcare

Like other industries, the healthcare sector is being impacted by new technology. Many advancements and innovations are pushing the industry forward; among the most significant technology trends in healthcare are artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and remote care.

Artificial Intelligence

With Accenture predicting a health AI market of $6.6 billion in 2021 (up from $600 million in 2016), the healthcare industry had already been looking to AI to help improve patient care while relieving some of the burdens of understaffed facilities. The technology can be used in performing robotic-assisted surgery, scanning images, and detecting dosage errors, among other activities. The COVID-19 pandemic has only hastened the embrace of AI as healthcare organizations have employed the technology to more quickly understand the virus and accelerate the development of drugs.

Big Data

The healthcare industry has always been flush with data, and all the more so with the increasing popularity of smart home devices and apps, at-home testing, and wearable technology. That being the case, data analytics, data access, and data security are all significant issues for the industry. Healthcare providers must be able to gather and accurately analyze the data available to them to improve patient outcomes. They must also use technology to make this data easily accessible to medical professionals and patients themselves. That accessibility, however, can’t come at the expense of security. Healthcare organizations are particularly vulnerable to hackers and data breaches; Definitive Healthcare reported on a record-breaking 2019 that saw 500 healthcare data breaches impact some 41 million records.

Remote Care

Telehealth is another technology trend in healthcare that COVID-19 has accelerated. Once an emerging alternative to in-office visits, remote care has become much more common as patients follow the social distancing guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). FAIR Health, which tracks telehealth claims, reports a rise in telehealth claims of more than 3,500% from 2019 to 2020.

The accelerated adoption of telehealth by providers and patients is expected to continue, along with other forms of remote care, such as remote monitoring and automated communication. The creation of a virtual care environment not only meets patients’ needs but also cuts costs for providers and opens up access to health services for rural patients and others.

Addressing Healthcare Reform

The Affordable Care Act (ACA; former President Barack Obama’s healthcare law) was the most recent significant change in U.S. healthcare as it increased healthcare accessibility while reducing the uninsured rate by 43%. New payment models pressed into service by the reform allows healthcare providers to focus more on patient outcomes rather than fiscal performance.

Healthcare reform has remained a hot topic politically and culturally, particularly during the 2020 presidential election. Special interests will continue lobbying to retain profits and slow reform. Therefore, current and future healthcare professionals must exercise increased diligence when advocating for patients to ensure continued improvements for healthcare access.

Shifting to Personalized Healthcare

Another current trend in healthcare is that providers are maximizing the utility offered by pharmacological data to study consumers. By shifting from population to personalized healthcare, providers improve patient outcomes. Currently, most U.S. healthcare providers still deliver uniform services to all consumers. The practice, called the population model, delivers the same treatment to all individuals based on best practices. Conversely, personalized healthcare offers customized solutions for consumers. By employing preventive medicine and customized services, physicians increase positive outcomes and offer consumers the best chance of overcoming illnesses.

Insurers and pharmacy benefit management plans are pressuring providers to improve outcomes and decrease expenses. Pharmacies are in an especially advantageous position to produce this result through value-based reimbursement to providers. Successfully transitioning to this model requires collaboration among insurers, providers, and consumers.

As the next generation pours into the U.S. healthcare system, sustaining traditional payment models is no longer viable. U.S. healthcare expenses are twice those of many developed countries. The shift to value-based payment models is a fortunate circumstance for American consumers as patient outcomes now correlate to care provider profit.

Help Lead Healthcare Into the Future

AHU Online believes healthcare can be provided for more people as more individuals take on leadership roles in the medical field. Today, AHU Online offers cutting-edge education and experienced faculty dedicated to helping individuals interested in pursuing online healthcare degrees.

If you’re interested in becoming a healthcare administrator, hospital manager, or manager at another kind of medical facility, consider AHU Online’s Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration (BSHA) degree. Learn how the program can help you understand current trends in healthcare and prepare for a leadership role in the field.

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