After saying “goodbye” to 2022, there’s no time to rest on our industry’s laurels. Instead, it’s time to look ahead to see what trends are expected to have the biggest impact in healthcare IT in 2023 and beyond—and continue to address the upcoming challenges and opportunities. Here, we share three trends—as well as an ongoing challenge.
Artificial Intelligence
According to Forbes.com, the incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI) is front and center. We had taken an in-depth look at AI and healthcare last summer, and so we agree with the prediction that this is a crucial topic for the industry. Benefits, overall, of adopting digital technologies include reduction of healthcare costs while enhancing patient care quality. AI and machine learning help healthcare professionals to identify diseases earlier in their progression, as just one example, to proactively provide better quality care.
Growth in AI in healthcare is projected to be quite significant. By market size in the United States, it was estimated at $11.06 billion in 2021; by 2030, it’s expected to be more than $187.95 billion. AI-based technologies already embedded into healthcare applications include natural language processing, computer vision, and pattern recognition algorithms. It’s already leveraged to predict potential side effects of new medications, analyze medical images, and incorporate patient wearable data.
Significant growth is expected with virtual nurse assistant software. Current applications allow nurses to save relevant information about patients while receiving guidance from the software—and it’s predicted that these technologies will grow in 2023. AI in the applications can analyze a specific patient’s behaviors to help in relationship building. This information can be leveraged, for example, to determine when that patient might be most receptive to hearing health-related information.
Smart Autonomous Devices
Self-moving devices, which can also be called autonomous nursing robots, can provide significant support to medical facilities and staff. They can help medical teams reduce their risks of infection, for example, by monitoring patient conditions remotely. In one Italian hospital, when the COVID outbreak was severe, these robots monitored patient blood pressure and oxygen saturation levels. A quick drop in either would indicate that a patient needed rapid assistance, which the healthcare staff could then provide.
Device-based health monitoring can make a significant difference for patients who are at home and find it difficult to travel: the elderly or people with disabilities. Personal emergency response systems can be true lifesavers for people who are living alone.
Data can be incorporated into a healthcare facility’s electronic health records (EHR), so that medical professionals can have a single source of real-time data about a patient’s current condition and history.
Social Determinants of Health
To address population health concerns and patients’ chronic conditions, it’s crucial to understand their social determinants of health (SDOH): economic stability, education access and quality, health care access and quality, neighborhood and built environment, and social and community context.
Technology has the potential to address SDOH issues in real time by considering options and recommending actions to healthcare teams. Machine learning can power predictive models that can more quickly address and improve patient health outcomes.
Developing incentive programs that use patient inputs can increase adherence to healthcare recommendations made, according to an NIH study, which has the power to improve patient health outcomes.
Attracting and Retaining Healthcare IT Professionals
This last one is a real challenge with today’s shortage of IT talent. As Cigna notes, “ We must find people who are adaptable, open, and trained in test-and-learn methodology—and then do everything possible to engage them, empower them to learn continuously, and create a culture of trust and belonging.”
This is where HealthTECH Resources can help. We have an in-depth network of experienced healthcare IT professionals who continue to expand their knowledge as they keep up with cutting-edge technologies.
As a seasoned healthcare IT consulting firm, we have the ability to enhance your in-house team with specialized staff augmentation, including helping you to analyze where it’s best to use in-house resources and where it makes sense to supplement your team with outsourced talent. Having a keen understanding of your in-house team’s skill sets and bandwidth can lead to greater efficiencies as skills gaps are strategically filled.
We help healthcare facilities across the country to expand opportunities through the synergy achieved by providing just the right healthcare IT consulting experts that will collaboratively work with your staff. Our industry is rapidly evolving, so you need your vendors to stay current on their knowledge and skills. Fortunately, that’s our approach and promise: the very heart of our healthcare IT solutions.
HealthTECH Resources provides project managers with experience in overseeing projects, technology-wise and human resource-wide. We also offer experts with multiple niches and specialties, including these:
- EHR Implementations and upgrades: Implement or upgrade your new technology with the guidance of our IT consultants. They are skilled in keeping projects on time and within budget.
- Integration and optimization: Our consultants can optimize the integration of your new technologies with those already used by your healthcare organization.
- Trainers/process documentation pros: Helping your end users to maximize their usage of your technologies can allow you to most efficiently reach ROI goals.
- Go-live and post-live support: Our consultants will double-check go-live punchlists before seamlessly cutting over, providing support to your teams throughout the process and beyond.
- Data cleaning and migration: When you’re migrating from one application to another, the integrity of your data is crucial to maximize your technology going forward.
Contact HealthTECH Resources Today
To get started with our healthcare IT services, contact us online or call (602) 903-7961. We offer customized solutions that mesh with your unique goals, challenges, human resources, and more. HealthTECH Resources is the fastest and most knowledgeable provider of healthcare IT solutions in the industry. Our boutique-style agency offers staff augmentation services for roles such as: consultants, contract to hire professionals, and permanent placements. No matter the specifics of what you need, we have the professionals who will provide top quality support.
PRESIDENT/CEO AT HEALTHTECH RESOURCES
Larry has specialized in building strategic healthcare relationships for over 25 years, helping the nation’s top payors and providers solve some of their most pressing business challenges through an intelligent mix of staffing services, training, and consulting.