Major factors affecting healthcare as it evolves

The true importance of Health IT will be understood only when people start looking upon it as something beyond just electronic health records. Only then, will Practices understand the relevance and the need to invest and build up the required infrastructure to support its implementation. At the same time, a lot is left desired in terms of the pace and manner in which its adoption is being rolled out. Standards seem to be in a constant state of flux followed by emphasis on technologies whose benefits in a true sense have not been realized universally. This has compelled comments from eminent groups expressing concern over unintended consequences and additional costs for physicians. Infact, surveys done have clearly started indicating that it takes time to bring about changes in the infrastructure of a health system to support the Health IT efforts and to deploy the tools – that to expect results to start showing immediately is a tall order.

Healthcare has an industry has been experiencing significant changes across all the major dimensions, namely; regulatory, technological, medical and market. This has compelled the leaders of the industries to come together and collaborate so as to define the best ways of adapting to the changes. Of all the important ones some which stand out for the impact that they make have been shared below:

• More engagement and control for Patients: They are going to be more informed about the what’s and how’s of any treatment process that they undergo. On the insurance front, the availability of exchanges will allow then to make better buying decisions based on their need. Use of mHealth will help them to administer self-monitoring technologies. With general awareness of better living habits going up, they will be more involved in managing their health.

• Overhaul of Care-Settings: There will be a major shift of care delivery to homes and communities. Technological advancements will make it possible for patients to stay connected with their providers remotely and avoid unnecessary visits. In addition to that, informed and engaged patients will be better equipped to self-manage a lot of things, courtesy availability of data through electronic health records, smartphones etc.

• Move towards to Pay-for-Performance Billing: Every dollar spent will have to be justified in terms of the treatment offered. Quality, Outcome and finally Satisfaction will slowly become the mandatory deliverable for all providers. New methods of payments are expected to evolve to bring about more risk-sharing and accountability. The models are likely to become more team-based with Non-physicians providers expected to play an important role 

• Consolidation of stakeholders: Independent hospitals and stand-alone practitioners are going to find it tough to sustain the operations. With the focus shifting towards better efficiency, lowering costs and improving quality, all concerned stakeholders i.e. payers, hospitals, pharmaceutical suppliers etc. will see consolidation as means of sustenance.

This will result in a better integrated approach to delivery of care for physicians the most important shift would be that in the payment model. From affecting the financial status of the present breed of physicians in the short term, it would have a defining long-term effect on the career decisions of many interested to join the profession.

Many physicians today receive payments on a fee-for-service basis which provides no incentive for delivering high quality of expertise and which ironically would result in reducing the number of visits and thus the services they offer the patients. However, the changes taking place currently have altered the dynamics altogether. With an emphasis on lowering cost and improving quality, physicians are going to be put on a budget and expected to offer the best of outcome and care within it .Be it capitation and shared savings, withholds and rick pools, pay for performance or bundled payments the emphasis of payment models will be entirely towards risk sharing. All this just adds to the headache for the fraternity already bogged down by the burden of having to adapt to the technical interventions. The last thing that they want now is their profession not rewarding them financially enough.

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