Technological advancements are transforming the landscape of health in the US. Technologies like AI, IoT, wearable devices, telemedicine, blockchain, etc., have opened a stack of opportunities for the healthcare industry to ensure smooth and best care delivery. The proper use of technology provides providers with quicker and more accurate diagnoses, enhancing patient care. Healthcare Professionals must leverage technology to care coordination, population health management, and patient education. This will result not only in improving care for the patient but also in the bottom line for the providers.
Read on to get familiar with modern healthcare trends in 2023 and determine your areas of improvement to turn your medical practice into a high-yielding, future-proof Best-care delivery system.
1. AI Role in Healthcare
The market size for AI in the healthcare industry is predicted to grow and reach USD 45.2 billion by 202
AI is gaining traction and transforming healthcare in various ways- from improving patient care via data-driven approaches to streamlining healthcare workflows. Artificial intelligence can rapidly review massive volumes of fragmented patient data and identify meaningful links for healthcare institutions.
AI impacts healthcare in several ways, such as:
- Allows to aggregate data from all possible patient sources
- It helps in improving patient care experiences.
- Assists physicians with improving their work performance and workflows.
- Supports in maximizing resources and delivering high-quality care.
- Real-time analytics to cut down costs
2. Personalized Healthcare Experience
This is another high-powered trend in 2023. In coming years, health care is expected to see more personalized solutions. Personalized healthcare will allow providers to give highly tailored and effective treatment based on multiple patient data points and insights derived from them., Patients will get access to their health data. They will be satisfied with personalized care as per their needs. This can enhance the patient experience and reduce waste and healthcare expenses.
As we move into 2023, Healthcare organizations cannot ignore the need to personalize the healthcare experience, as consumer satisfaction depends on it.
3. Health Monitoring Through Wearables
The use of wearable technology is waving through the healthcare industry as patients intend to get involved in their health. Deloitte reports 39% of individuals to use smartwatches. Recent studies show wearables are effective for exercise and cardiovascular and mental health monitoring. This modern-day technology enables remote patient monitoring and can be used for clinical trials to obtain real-time patient data remotely, leading to better health outcomes and patient engagement.
4. An Era of Virtual Health
According to reports, the cost of telehealth medical services might grow by 265% between 2020 and 2023, from $29 billion to $106 billion. According to research from McKinsey, virtual care utilization rates are already more than 38 times what they were before the pandemic, ushering in a complementary change in consumer and provider attitudes.
One of virtual care’s biggest strengths is improved access through multiple synchronous (video/phone) and asynchronous (messaging) touch points between in-person visits.
For people with chronic diseases, opportunities to connect synchronously via a live video visit or phone call for routine virtual follow-ups can be hugely beneficial for effective disease management and adherence to treatment recommendations.
As we look ahead to the future, healthcare delivery organizations and providers will model such approaches to care that focus on prevention and well-being rather than transactional medical interventions. They’ll do so by expanding virtual care applications to ensure interdisciplinary, longitudinal collaboration, which will improve the chronic disease lifecycle.
5. A Spotlight on Healthcare Disparities with Social Health Determinants (SDOH)
This involves non-medical factors influencing the quality of life and health-related risks leading to substantial health inequalities and disparities. SDOH affects people’s well-being, particularly those with limited access to safe and healthy alternatives.
Some factors of SDOH are highlighted below:
- Unemployment
- Income level
- Lack of necessities
- Early childhood development
- Access to affordable and high-quality care
- Literacy
To address the challenges of SDOH, CMS is keen on bringing programs that expand the horizon to underserved populations. With the help of data-driven programs, healthcare leaders are devising and implementing SDOH-focused strategies to cope with SDOH challenges rising among their patients and workforce.
6. Prioritizing Behavioral Health
Behavioral health is a fast-moving trend of 2023. Healthcare leaders are prioritizing behavioral health across several initiatives. However, telehealth visits have dramatically increased over the past few years. Nearly half of deaths in the US are linked to mental health. Behavioral issues cause many chronic conditions. Along with behavioral health, primary care has experienced a surge in investment and attention as the value-based care movement gains traction.
Approximately 70% of patients with mental health disorders also have other multiple physical conditions. Therefore, added investments are made to address behavioral health conditions.
7. On-Demand Healthcare is Making Headways
In today’s world, On-Demand services rule a Technology-Driven World. The healthcare business is undergoing tremendous development, inherently striving to improve service delivery in real-time. Nothing significant has changed in terms of health. Patients require a swift and immediate answer to their concerns, which is where On-Demand Healthcare comes in.
According to a US poll, patients must wait an average of 24 days in large cities and 32 days in medium-sized and small communities to make an appointment with a doctor.
According to the survey, appointment wait times increased by 30% between 2018 and 2022. This situation is troubling, particularly for people suffering from chronic illnesses who require continual monitoring, urgent care, and prompt attention. On-demand healthcare apps can help alleviate some of this annoyance by supporting patients in quickly making appointments, in the case of obligatory in-person visits, and seeing their doctors virtually in an instant with no lineups or waiting times. Urgent care facilities have seen remarkable growth as a healthcare industry sector.
Between 2013 and 2018, the number of urgent care facilities in the US increased by 44%. also observed at 4.6% in 2022.
Urgent care isn’t just booming because doctors are looking for a better work-life balance. Patient demand, convenience, and pricing fuel the industry’s expansion.
Urgent care isn’t just booming because doctors are looking for a better work-life balance. Patient demand, convenience, and pricing fuel the industry’s expansion.
Wrapping Up
As we roll forward to 2023, AI solutions, wearables, Telehealth/ Telemedicine, and other advanced technologies will take healthcare by storm. Healthcare organizations will be able to deliver better treatment at reduced costs, enhance patient outcomes, and boost operational efficiency primarily because of these digital innovations. Healthcare executives need to figure out how to make each patient’s experience secure, personalized, simple and empowering.
With the help of these forthcoming trends, we can work toward creating a healthcare system that is more proactive than reactive and more concerned with people than with profits.