Demand for different care models and emerging technologies are changing how healthcare is delivered in 2022. These are the trends to watch this year.
More Medical Technology Integration
Integrating medical technologies to broaden available data and improve patient outcomes will continue to impact the way hospitals, healthcare centers, and care providers operate. These new tools and integrations will allow healthcare professionals to use more efficient workflows thanks to better APIs and less data silos.
Integration means collecting more data with new remote monitoring and Medical “Internet of Things” devices. This data can then be centralized for patients and doctors with with cloud-based electronic health record platforms. It also means better patient education with consumer mobile apps, automated care-team emails and text messages, and digital therapeutics. These integrated tools will continue making it easier for doctors to collect and access more precise and detailed patient data than ever before.
As more technology works together, providers can identify and solve medical issues faster and more accurately. Further, patients are given opportunities to become more involved in achieving their healthcare goals and taking part in preventative measures.
Telehealth Continues to Grow
Today, many providers offer telehealth options to patients who prefer to meet with their doctor via phone or video. This option is one of the fastest growing in healthcare and will be an increasingly popular way to access healthcare in the coming years.
Telehealth can be beneficial for both providers and patients by lowering costs and increasing availability. Telemedicine allows healthcare providers to reduce their overhead and pass on those savings to patients by removing the need to visit a physical office. In addition, telehealth capabilities have made rural access easier by giving Americans a broader range of providers in different specialties. Traveling for healthcare can be expensive in terms of money and time. Virtual care offers lower costs, greater access to primary care for those in rural areas, and better public health.
The option to meet with a provider by phone or video is also a great tool to bring in and retain new patients. Lowering barriers to entry and establishing relationships via video or phone can be a great way to provide quality care initially and preserve that patient over the long term.
Healthcare consumerism was slowly growing before COVID, and patients see technology as a way to improve their mental and physical well-being. Telehealth will play a major role in those consumer expectations.
Home Health will Become More Popular
As more baby-boomers hit retirement age, demand for home health nurses and services—which were already seeing a surge in demand with COVID-19—will only continue to increase. As home health monitoring technology becomes increasingly available, states and private equity increases funding for these programs, and many seniors opt to return home instead of a skilled nursing facility, the trend towards home health is clear.
Medicare data reflects this trend as well with the Medicaid Innovation Accelerate Program reporting continued growth in home and community services.
Emerging technologies and care models are driving the way forward in 2022. These innovations will provide new ways for providers to deliver better care and more value to their patients.
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