Healthcare Challenges for 2018
By Admin | January 10, 2018
It isn’t a secret that 2017 was full of political drama surrounding healthcare. And the uncertainty will definitely continue into 2018.
There will also be cybersecurity threats, social determinants of patients’ health, and focusing on the patient experience to face, according to Benjamin Isgur, leader of PwC's Health Research Institute.
For example, hospitals and clinics need to find way to make a patient’s visit easier, friendlier, and positive enough to warrant their return the next time they need healthcare. But this also means they need to improve outcomes as the industry shifts from a quantity metric to one of quality.
This also means looking outside of the walls of a healthcare facility and at social factors that affect patient health. Education, income, and housing are all directly related to health and wellbeing. Social workers, behavioral health specialists, and even nutritionists can have a major impact on patients, especially those who haven’t been exposed to some of the “common knowledge” that many of us take for granted, like what’s healthy to eat and what isn’t.
With the added benefits of technological advances comes risks. Ransomware and other security threats can put important equipment out of commission, lock up patient records, and render hospitals helpless unless ransoms are paid. Healthcare networks and individual practices will need to amp up their security on 2018 without question.
Changes to the ACA will also be coming, but instead of a complete repeal, it will most likely happen in several small adjustments, meaning a constant state of change will be the new normal.
For more, read “2018 trends to watch include ACA uncertainty, cyberthreats, patient experience: PwC” by Fierce Healthcare.
