Healthcare Industry Trends for 2015: What Healthcare Industry Trends Can We Expect in 2015? As the new year is quickly approaching, now is the time to start looking to the future and strategizing for the continually changing environment of the healthcare industry. This next year will bring many continued initiatives that the industry has been moving toward in recent years, but possibly at a quicker pace than weve been used to. Its hard to be certain what to expect in 2015, but weve gathered some helpful insights to project what trends we may see continue on in the new year. Value-Based Contracts Many reports show that more than 70 percent of organizations are making a transition into value-based contracts with payers as a way to reinforce positive behaviors in patients, physicians, and health systems. When care provided to a patient stays within the budget and patients are still receiving quality care, this model rewards such behavior--thus motivating patients and providers to work together. Such collaberative efforts might include: Including the patient as an active part in their own care Further reduction in operating costs Encouraging improvements at every level of employment Improved Technology As more information becomes managed through electronic mediums, the next question becomes, How do we safely execute this data exchange along the continuum of care? Getting technology to work seamlessly amongst a patients many different health providers continues to be a key priority in improving efficiency and eliminating redundancies in the healthcare industry. Brand Loyalty Customer service becomes more important than ever as many Americans sign up for healthcare for the first time. When organizations can capture those first-time buyers, retention rates are expected to increase if high quality service remains a top priority. Accreditation More providers are seeking a seal of approval from accreditation organizations to boost their likelihood of gaining new contracts while ensuring the highest level of quality. Wether its URAC, TJC, CARF, or NCQA accreditation, these types of certification are proving to be worth their weight in gold. Accreditation also helps to: Gain a higher level of expertise within the community Increase trust with current partners Offers a marketing opportunity to showcase Aging Population Baby Boomers continue to grow older and are projected to be the longest living generation thus far. As this aging population continues to require ongoing healthcare, some of the best work in the healthcare industry will be focused on preventative initiatives that keep older Americans healthy. Mergers Smaller, independent health systems will still find themselves stranded in a sea of continued healthcare mergers. Larger entities are stepping in to buy up these small organizations at a fast pace, and are expaning their reach into areas they didnt have access to before. With all of these anticipated shifts in the healthcare industry--you can expect more of the same. These changes are not necessarily new, but are important to factor into your big-picture strategy as we enter 2015. What changes do you anticipate within the healthcare industry next year? Anything we havent mentioned already? Wed love to hear your input on the issue.
Posted on: Tue, 02 Dec 2014 12:01:51 +0000