A report featuring candid conversations with 24 industry leaders from a variety of healthcare subsectors shows broad agreement on six themes that should drive healthcare convergence and an improvement of the patient experience.
To win, these subsectors must learn to collaborate, says the report. Authored by by privately held real estate firm Transwestern and IMEG, a design and consulting firm, the report features collected responses from a discussion among thought leaders at 24 healthcare-related organizations.
Some broad themes emerged from the discussion, including:
- The growing use of technology to drive down costs: “Access to care being at fingertips or down the street is significant for healthcare. Telemedicine and its adoption will continue to push the boundaries of provider and patient; moreover, it will challenge the payment schemes in healthcare,” said Spencer Seals, director of construction facilities planning at Chicago’s Cook Children’s Medical Center.
- An intense focus on patient-centered care: “Healthcare by 2020 will be forced to be more patient-centered with an emphasis on convenience,” said Amy Waer MD, vice dean of education and academic programs at the Texas A&M College of Medicine.
- The importance of being nimble andtransparent: “Healthcare in general is becoming more and more transparent and consumers are recognizing that they have a choice. The issue is making sure consumers can make an informed choice,” says Seals.
- The solidification of the value-based healthcare model: “Value-based care is here to stay…As we see more large-scale vertical integration, we’ll see employers, insurers, and governmental agencies demanding cost and quality outcomes, and at scale,” said Ryan Walsh, MD, chief medical information officer at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston.
- The rise of personalized medicine, outpatient care and home healthcare: “Customers are looking for personalized support and optimal results. They expect access, convenience, and connection that companies like Amazon, Apple, CVS and others provide,” said Wayne Baswell of Robins & Morton, a construction and engineering company.
- The significance of generational differences: “Millennials and Gen Xers expect comprehensive management of health; quantified, self-developed data; transparent understanding of the data and what to do with it; answers anytime, anywhere, etc. Personally, as a Gen Xer with children, my complaint is that these things are not happening fast enough in healthcare,” said Abigail Clary, principal and director of the health practice at CannonDesign.