Are you a trend-watcher? At ThedaCare, we follow changes in our society and in our industry because we want to understand what they mean for our patients, our communities and our business. Not paying attention to change can be a high-risk proposition.
Healthcare has always been a field in flux. The nature of science itself is to discover and learn, and in healthcare, to prompt change toward better prevention, treatment and cure. Add to that changes in healthcare policy, regulations that seem to grow ever deeper and wider, changes in payment models and reimbursement structures, new technologies and their applications, growing transparency around cost and quality, and even how patients engage their own health.
It often has me asking, “What’s our future look like?”
When we at ThedaCare consider how we might achieve our mission of improving the health of the communities we serve in five, 10 or 25 years, here are some of the trends we’re paying attention to.
- The largest group of people we serve is seniors. They’re a population with specific health, social, cognitive and emotional needs. They also may rely heavily on the advice and insight of their children. A greater emphasis on all kinds of populations – from those with chronic health conditions to those with acute needs – means we need new strategies for communicating, delivering and monitoring care. It means we need to think differently about our brand, our customer service, our business.
- In an age of instant everything, people expect everything to be faster – and yes, more accurate. That includes healthcare. We are always moving toward better, and it’s worth asking, what else do we need to do?
- Our country and our community need us to transform the healthcare system. How do we migrate from a healthcare focus to a health focus? After all, none of us wants to get sick!
- Fewer and fewer people are being admitted to the hospital. Those who are, are sicker. What does that mean for hospitals?
- More people are getting care at home, at work and in the community. Do you offer an onsite healthcare clinic? A health coach? Other at-work health services? You’re part of the positive trend that’s changing our business. More people are also getting virtual care – care online, over the phone and through home-based technologies that offer remote monitoring and other services. We believe this kind of care will grow. Who wouldn’t like to be cared for at home?
- We are increasingly accountable for the cost and quality of care, which means we need to reduce costs and expenses. Additionally, our industry is moving away from payment based on the volume of care we deliver, and toward payment based on the value we deliver to the customer. It’s changing everything – and will continue to do so.
There are many other trends we’re watching and learning about. All help us and challenge us as we look ahead. What do you see when you look into your crystal ball? I’m interested in hearing from other business and nonprofit leaders about your perspective on your organization’s future. Please drop me a line and share a few ideas. Ultimately, we’re going into the future together.
By Dean Gruner, MD, president and CEO of Appleton-based ThedaCare
