PLX Academy · Personal Experiences · 27 April 2022
digital innovation
A survey found that 72 percent of patients said they want more personalized care that is specifically tailored to their individual clinical needs — and most believe that technology is the answer.
The digital revolution had been well underway even before COVID-19, but disruptive technology needs to be widely adopted before society adapts to it. By adopting advanced tech solutions, hospitals can significantly improve personal experiences of the staff and patients as well, enhance patient care, and allow more precise and faster diagnoses. Digitalization in healthcare contributes towards healthcare institutions which also enables them to get the agility required to optimize operational processes while reducing costs.
Digitizing the healthcare sector is now the top priority for healthcare leaders as they seek to build resilient and future-proof healthcare systems.
Here are four long-term trends fueling this transformation:
1. Chronic diseases are on the rise
Chronic diseases are placing an increasing burden on healthcare systems worldwide. Sixty percent of U.S. adults have a chronic diseases such as heart disease, chronic kidney disease, or diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many people have two or more chronic conditions, increasing the complexity of successfully managing them.
According to a recent article in Forbs, the rate and cost of chronic diseases continue to increase, despite there being effective drugs available today and general knowledge when it comes to healthy choices. Adding in the indirect costs of lost productivity, total costs for chronic conditions are $3.7 trillion, or 19.6% of the U.S. GDP.
Thus, to keep healthcare systems sustainable, there is an urgent need to utilize digital solutions in healthcare that can help detect and treat diseases faster and effectively – or, better yet, prevent people from developing chronic diseases in the first place.
2. Patients expect more personalized care
The data-driven healthcare landscape has created the demand for personalized, patient-centric care. In fact, a survey found that 72 percent of patients said they wanted more personalized care that is specifically tailored to their individual clinical needs — and most believe that technology is the answer.
The pandemic has further caused a huge shift in patient expectations. For instance, as per a survey, around 40% of consumers said they will continue to use telehealth in the future as well – up from 11% of consumers using telehealth prior to COVID-19.
3. Healthcare providers are facing staff shortage
As demand for care is significantly increasing, healthcare providers are facing staff shortages in many parts of the globe. The WHO estimates that by 2035 there will be a global deficit of 12.9 million skilled healthcare professionals.
A 2021 survey by Medscape reveals that 42% of healthcare providers reported feeling burnout, with the COVID-19 pandemic adding to the strain for many. Thus, protecting the mental and physical well-being of healthcare professionals has become more important than ever. Utilizing digital solutions can help simplify workflows and automate routine tasks.
4. Healthcare providers are seeking efficiencies to reduce costs
One of the major challenges for healthcare systems is that costs of maintaining health systems and infrastructure keep increasing while reimbursement is under pressure.
Global health spending is expected to rise at a 3.9% rate annually between 2020 and 2024, up from 2.8% recorded in 2015-2019. However, spending more money does not necessarily translate into better outcomes. Reducing waste and improving operational efficiencies has become a key priority for healthcare leaders, and for this, they need data-driven insights to figure out where the biggest gains are to be made.
Taken together, these four reasons show the urgent need for digital transformation in the healthcare industry to enable new ways of matching supply and demand. It is no understatement to say that the future of healthcare systems depends on digital innovation.