5 Major Trends You Should Expect in Healthcare System in 2018

Healthcare trends are different inclinations that influence various positive or negative changes in health settings.  For instance, the current young generation has many and different expectations to access effective and advanced healthcare services using technologies with less or no trips to see doctors (Elsevier, 2016). The current healthcare trends include high demand for care, technology, increased partnership & collaborations, the community of care, and focus on wellness & prevention.

1.      High Demand for Care

Current generation seeks treatment and care with high-quality from different providers rather than visiting a primary care physician. Therefore, hospitals need to offer patient-centered services and products, and they should also involve patients in decision making to satisfy the demands. Also, there should have services in a way that is comfortable, convenient, and flexible to improve clinical outcomes. (Elsevier, 2016). For example, many people use smartphone and can access information easier to increase the multiple choices in health products and services

      2.       Advanced Technology

Medical technology should be involved in this digitalized generation especially Electronic Health Records (HER) because technology-based care is a demand. Therefore, would be the software and devices to promote comfort and convenience alongside improving clinical outcomes in scheduling and bill payments (Elsevier, 2016).

     3.       Increased Partnership & Collaborations

Partnerships and collaborations in healthcare, presenting the importance of working together to provide quality and advanced care is a critical issue.  It can be achieved through along with joint ventures, mergers, acquisitions, strategic alliances and clinical affiliations as well – with a joint goal to shift from pay-for-service to pay-for-performance. This will facilitate hospitals to get enough funds, resources, skills, and man powers through collaborations, and increase the quality improvement and high performance for health equity (Shashank, 2017). For instance, Global NCD Alliance and UN WHO are encouraging the organizations including INGO and NGO to join the hands in multi-stakeholders’ collaboration to improve the health outcomesCommunity Care

  

    4. The Community of Care

The health and wellbeing of our people is more dependent on cultural, social, economic and educational issues than it is on our ability to rescue them from death near the end of life. The communities must be able to support and promote healthy lifestyles, behavioral health and chronic illness care that enable people to function and contribute to the family, work, and community. Therefore, the community care will easier the work of hospitals in chronic illness management, and It will also reduce infants and maternal deaths from preventable diseases at a hospital. 

    5.  Focus on Wellness & Prevention

Wellness focuses on the overall wellbeing of a person including the influence of surrounding environment and people, and it includes a physical, emotional, social, occupational, intellectual, spiritual, and environmental wellness. The following tips would help in wellness & prevention. There are many health and wellness tips such as eating healthy and balanced diets include enough fresh fruits and vegetables, doing physical exercise aerobically (in a place with sufficient oxygen) at least four times weekly. Also, reducing and eliminating tobacco use, excess alcohol and sugar, animal fats, cholesterol, and saturated fats in the diet. Therefore, focusing on wellness and prevention will reduce emergency care in hospitals, and it also facilitates hospitals in control and risk factors management of diseases.

 Reference

• Elsevier. (2016, October 24). Trends in healthcare defined by millennials. Retrieved from https://www.clinicalkey.com/info/blog/trends-healthcare-defined-millennials/
• Shashank, A. (2017, January 9). 7 Key Healthcare Trends to Watch in 2017- HIT Consultant. Retrieved from http://hitconsultant.net/2017/01/09/7-healthcare-trends-to-watch-in-2017/