With tremendous technological advancements and innovative healthcare trends in place, 2018 is poised to be a game-changing year for the healthcare industry. Earlier, healthcare was slated as one of the most ‘conservative’ industries, but with healthcare players embracing technological innovations into their operations it looks like they are finally ready to get rid of that tag. Several companies in this sector are redesigning old techniques and treatments to modernize healthcare and make healthcare facilities available even in most distant and rural areas. The positivity with which the healthcare industry will function in the coming years is expected to have a domino effect on some of the inter-related sectors such as the healthcare vendors and suppliers, the insurance industry, the banking industry, etc.
For detailed insights on the trends and technological innovations set to transform the future of healthcare, speak to an expert.
We have highlighted a few healthcare trends that are expected to bring in fresh innovations and improve healthcare facilities in 2018:
Unveiling New Drug Pricing Models
Though drug pricing has always been a sensitive topic, recent developments show consumers becoming more vocal in their opinion about the rising drug prices and high-deductible healthcare plans. As a result, we can expect to see an increase in governmental regulations to control the increasing drug prices. Recent surveys show that customers are more willing to pay dug prices in installments rather than paying them in one shot. Such healthcare trends would call for reforms in drug pricing models in 2018.
Artificial Intelligence Will be Your New Coworker
Bureaucracy and administrative duties have taken away time from personalized care in the healthcare industry. Incorporating artificial intelligence is expected to put the human touch back into healthcare, which would make it one of the most promising healthcare trends to watch out for. Healthcare companies are leveraging AI for administrative tasks such as screening drug candidates, streamlining finance processes, and adverse event reporting, etc. which makes tasks easier and quicker. Also, this gives the staff more time for dedicating to improve personalized patient care.
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Rise in Consolidation and Mergers
The past two years have seen several organizational agreements and partnerships in the healthcare industry. And this is expected to continue as one of the prominent healthcare trends in the industry in 2018 as well. Such collaborations between hospitals, clinics, and other and top and medium tier health systems will generate better services for patients. This trend is also expected to rapidly scale-up the use of modern technology used to serve the patients.
Cybersecurity Threats on the Rise
With technology adoption at its peak in the healthcare industry, the threat of hacking and insufficient security measures is also on the rise. Hackers gaining control over connected medical devices such as insulin pumps and pacemakers could cause significant chaos for healthcare companies. Hence, we can expect healthcare companies to become more proactive when it comes to securing medical equipment in the coming years. This also means that the top-notch network architectural services will have to become a norm rather than a requirement in the healthcare industry.
Focus on Low-cost Healthcare
Low-cost healthcare facilities are possibly one of the major healthcare trends we all have been looking forward to. As far as healthcare companies are concerned, the most prominent dilemma in front of them would be to deliver the best possible results while keeping the prices down. This year, the growing budget pressure on healthcare companies will prompt them to formulate ways to provide quality healthcare.