Healthcare Changes in 2020: An Overview

The healthcare industry in the US is often criticized for its dehumanizing environment. Many compare the current healthcare setting to prison, with little attention to the comfort of patients. Little or no choices are given to patients about their healthcare plans. But, the demand for quality patient care has forced the US healthcare industry to […]
By admin
Jul 22, 2020, 1:41 PM

The healthcare industry in the US is often criticized for its dehumanizing environment. Many compare the current healthcare setting to prison, with little attention to the comfort of patients. Little or no choices are given to patients about their healthcare plans.

But, the demand for quality patient care has forced the US healthcare industry to implement changes. Healthcare institutions are now focusing more on patient wellness as part of the value-based care system. There’s also a shift in focus from disease treatment to patient-centric holistic care, which has resulted in a move towards creating a novel healthcare ecosystem.

1. Private Rooms

A big trend in the healthcare sector is the construction of private rooms. Hospitals are building private rooms due to its various benefits for patients and caregivers, including:

·      Reduced risk of infection

·      Patient privacy

·      Better communication between patient and caregivers

·      Social support in terms of overnight stay by relatives and friends

·      Fewer sleep interruptions due to noises

Scientific evidence suggests a strong link between private rooms and patient satisfaction. The change in the model from shared to a single room requires changes in the workflow, staffing models, and patient population changes.

2. Patient-Centered Care

Patient-centered care is an offspring of evidenced-based care. Various studies indicate that patient-centric care can lead to improved outcomes in terms of enhanced patient satisfaction, physical well-being, and social well-being.

The approach involves safeguarding the privacy of patients and treating them with respect. The patient care approach also involves keeping all the patients informed about the progress, prognosis, and results of their treatments.

In patient-centered care, patients are seen as partners rather than clients. They are consulted with in making decisions about treatment and care provisions. The patients are also offered more options in the form of complementary therapies and practices.

3. Holistic Care

Healthcare institutions are also focusing on holistic care that focuses on the mind, body, and spirit. Clinics and hospitals are being constructed based on an evidence-based healing environment, with a focus on enhancing the well-being of patients instead of just treating the disease.

Integrative care can contribute to the feeling of personal well-being among patients. They are helpful in the management of chronic diseases. Creating a welcoming environment, providing cooked to order food, and offering alternate care options – Reiki, aromatherapy, massage, and acupuncture –can improve the perception of patients about quality care at a healthcare institute.

4. Technology-Based Care

Technology has come to play a strong role in offering quality care to patients. Investment in healthcare tech in the last five years has been more than $80 billion. Technologies like IoT, health apps, telehealth, virtual care, and others have created the perfect environment for a patient-centered, personal, and integrative healthcare ecosystem. 

Hospitals are facing increased competition and cost pressures nowadays. Many are looking for new ways to offer quality patient care. This has prompted changes in the healthcare sector that will have a beneficial effect on both the patients and the profitability of healthcare institutes.

Sources

1.    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK274426/

2.    https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1937586718755110?journalCode=hera

3.    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6996619/


Muhammad Siddiqui Healthcare CIO| CISO | Digital Transformation | Health Futurist | Drives Enterprise Transformation that Aligns IT to Business Priorities via Expert Insight into People, Processes + Customers


Show Your Support

Access the report

Read the full report

Want to keep reading? Subscribers get exclusive access to DHI's extensive library of content, covering top-of-mind issues and trends for today's healthcare executive.


Featured Insights