Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Healthcare Industry Trends 2015



The new year is in full swing.  Keeping up to speed on industry trends will help your business succeed in our times of dynamic change.  Various sources and highlighted the following trends that will shape healthcare arena this year.

Healthcare supply chain
Bigger can be better.  Supply chains will try to scale growing in sizes.  They will build partnerships with manufacturers; distributors will de-verticalize the supply chain driving a faster and more direct sourcing of products. 

Outsourcing with Home Care
We will continue to see the trend of care moving into the home especially post-acute care.  Better patient outcomes are found when patients recovery in the comfort of their homes.  Most hospital cost structures aren’t set up to profitably offer home care.  Formal partnerships will be formed with outsourced providers in the home care and hospice space. Providers working are smart to seek out this partnerships early lock in relationships now.

Wellness Programs
Insurance reform and high deductible health plans are driving increase in employer driven wellness programs.  These programs offer discounts with insurance costs by tying them to an employee's healthy lifestyle choices.  The rise of digital tracking methods are being adopted by consumers and help increase program participation and tracking.

Standardize data
Beyond "Big Data", the real trend is improving the quality of data to be more accurate and normalized.  Standardize data allows information to be easily shared and understood across systems and partners within in the supply chain.  Better data will equate to better care, better patient outcomes, and improved cost savings.

How does your business fit into these trends? Now is the time to take steps to be part of these solutions and maximize your growth.