There is no doubt that healthcare’s multifaceted structure prompts challenges throughout the care continuum. Meanwhile, patients increasingly expect the convenience of a seamless, quality healthcare experience from clinic to the hospital, to post-acute care environments, and ultimately to their home. So, healthcare industry partners must work together to determine how to best employ technology to improve the patient's experience, accelerate care delivery—no matter where it happens—and lower costs—all at the same time. Novel care models have the potential to deliver integrated patient care across the continuum that results in positive quality outcomes and an outstanding experience for all involved.

While big tech layoffs make headlines, healthcare is struggling to maintain adequate staffing levels–not enough people, lack of training, rising labor costs, succession planning, and the list goes on. It’s time for technology to step up and be a catalyst in supporting our workforce. What can automation, AI, virtual care, voice recognition applications, virtual assistants, and robotics do for us? Or better question- where and how is this technology being implemented and yielding results right now? Health organizations are leveraging technology to optimize staffing, address burnout, improve retention, guide workforce planning, and restore the joy in the practice of medicine.

Digital health funding in the US totaled $6.1 billion in the first six months of 2023, a big number, but still low when compared to the pandemic-fueled surge in 2020 and 2021. Experts are forecasting acceleration in technology adoption by providers and payers to $81 billion for healthcare services and technology by 2026, and the healthcare AI market to reach $188 billion globally by 2030. With such trends, financial experts are bullish that such digital health intellectual property will seed the bounty for a growing future. Investment into novel technologies, platforms and models will drive the pursuit of innovation and desire to address the evolving healthcare needs of a global population. Let’s make sense of the dollars and cents fueling health’s future!

The ongoing transformation of healthcare towards a patient-centric model requires the collaborative efforts of healthcare providers, technology leaders, and patient advocates. Patients want care that is kind, convenient and fair. They want to be known, heard, and provided a plan that reflects and includes their values. In addition, they expect emotional support, technology-driven convenience and accessibility, and assurance that their data will be protected. While payers demand high quality outcomes and value for the care they are supporting, patients want access to care at a price they can afford. As telemedicine, wearables, and AI are enhancing patient engagement, how are healthcare organizations keeping in mind consumerism and care navigations? How can we improve every touchpoint in the patient journey?

With 30% of all data coming from the healthcare industry and having increased 5,000% since 2010, efforts to harness, normalize, and analyze the vastness of health information require innovation beyond traditional tools. Data is the lifeblood of modern medicine. What if any data imaginable were available to aid in the wellness, healing, and management of our patients in a secure, unbiased, and real-time way? Invaluable data is the resource that holds the power to transform healthcare delivery, research, and decision-making, ushering in an era of personalized medicine, improved patient outcomes, and data-driven innovations. Yet, as the digital ecosystem expands, the ethical, privacy, and security challenges surrounding healthcare data loom large, underscoring the need for responsible stewardship and robust governance to harness its potential for the betterment of society. Dive into the promises and perils of data in healthcare.

Healthcare providers are facing increasing expenses and flat (or even decreasing) reimbursement rates, creating a major challenge for healthcare providers as they try to provide the care their communities require. According to a report, hundreds of rural hospitals across the United States are teetering on the edge of closure, with their financial status increasingly in peril. More than 200 rural hospitals are at immediate risk of closure, and nearly 30% of rural hospitals nationwide are at risk of closing in the near future. Providers must work to both reduce the cost of providing care and employ mechanisms to increase revenue. Cost reduction can be accomplished by reducing staff, reducing the number of services offered, or reducing the amount of time spent with patients. However, these tactics seem diametrically opposed to improving revenue and building patient loyalty. The effort is underway to come together to determine how providers can employ solutions that will keep our health systems intact for the future.

Breakthrough technologies are revolutionizing patient care and the business of healthcare at large. As computing and technology exponentially improve, it seeps steadily into our everyday lives, creating momentum in drug discovery, diagnostics assistance, process automation, and personalized care. The digital shift is no longer a novel concept but rather a strategic imperative for all healthcare stakeholders. Utilizing cutting-edge technology to shift from traditional care delivery models and long-established systems to virtual, data-driven, and outcomes-based models is happening in all corners of the health ecosystem. Health leaders have shifted their priorities to embrace new technology and take a few risks with the potential reward being a fully transformed patient experience.

As we work to shape healthcare policy for a healthier tomorrow, we explore the US healthcare ecosytem’s critical and ever-evolving regulatory landscape. From data security and interoperability to AI ethics, data transparency, and global health, there is ample policy change on the horizon to allow our health system to keep pace with digital health, a seismic shift in consumer demands and a heightened focus on our declining life expectancy compared to other developed nations. People are fed up with the US healthcare system and pleading for change, it’s time for the industry to respond with action. Experts, policymakers, and industry leaders are coming together to foster insightful dialogue, challenge the status quo that got us here, and chart the new course to reshape the future of healthcare as we know it.

Yes, we know healthcare is ripe for disruption, but has it actually been disrupted yet? Outside entrants are becoming primary players, patient value expectations continue to increase, workforce challenges are driving new models of care, and payers are expecting value from the financial investments they are making. The use of technology has already assisted in driving this healthcare revolution, but what can we expect in the next year? 3 years? 5 years? How will AI, wearables, robotics, and virtual care change the way we deliver patient care? What is on the horizon that we have not even imagined? Disruption can create a shift in mental models, creating opportunities for improvement in caring for our communities. Whatever may be next, let’s be ready to embrace it!

AI in medicine has existed for over 60 years, so why is it dominating headlines at this point in time? Well for one, the emergence of LLMs like ChatGPT and Med-PaLM have blown the doors open for more use cases of this technology in a healthcare setting to rush in. There are still a ton of question marks around the ethical considerations of applying this technology at scale, but that is not necessarily stopping organizations from diving in head first. AI is certainly not a perfect fix, but it can begin to help solve some of healthcare’s biggest challenges in the near future. Let’s shine a spotlight on the many ways AI can enhance the patient care journey from admission to the point of discharge.