01 Jan WHAT ARE THE TOP HEALTHCARE TRENDS OF 2024? A fUTURIST KEYNOTE SPEAKER’S TAKE
Sure, you think you know the top healthcare trends of 2024, but according to medical futurists and leading hospital consultants, pros might beg to differ. We’re not saying that several aren’t top of mind for members of the general public, rather that there’s lots percolating beneath the surface of the industry that not everyone will already be aware of. To that extent, it would appear to make sense to discuss a little bit more deeply what medical futurists say is happening out there in the field, and will soon be popping up on the radar come the next few months ahead.
- Telehealth becomes mainstream – Telehealth adoption saw rapid growth during the pandemic. This momentum will continue as more insurers expand coverage and patients get used to remote consultations. Blending virtual and in-person care models is likely to become the norm.
- AI and automation gain significant traction – Healthcare providers will increasingly leverage AI for improved diagnostics, robotic process automation for administrative tasks, chatbots for customer service and predictive analytics to anticipate risk. AI implementation is expected to nearly double.
- Focus on preventive and personalized medicine – With healthcare costs rising, payers and policy makers will push preventive care and hyper personalized treatment plans tailored to individuals’ genes, lifestyles and risk levels. Community-based wellness programs may also emerge.
- Aggressive innovation in digital health tech – Investments in developing sophisticated health apps, wearable devices and sensors, remote patient monitoring platforms and digital therapeutics will see massive growth. Over 50% of healthcare innovation is likely to focus on digital advances.
- Data security and ethics take center stage – As healthcare grows more tech-enabled, data privacy, health information security and ethics related to emerging tech like AI will gain more emphasis. New protocols and regulations concerning electronic health records management are expected to emerge.
With consumerism, staff shortages and chronic diseases on the rise simultaneously, a technology-human partnership approach is imperative for the healthcare industry to transition. Policy, regulations and risk management will play catch up with the innovation pace. It will be a transformative decade ahead!
