10 Thoughts on the Future of Healthcare
When it comes to healthcare, Nashville is a city like no other. Not only is healthcare our largest industry - but key industry thought leaders live and work here. I was reminded of that again this past week when I had the pleasure of leading a panel of healthcare executives in a discussion about the Future of Healthcare in Nashville.
On the panel were:
Milton Johnson, Chairman & CEO, HCA
Dawn Rudolph, Chief Experience Officer, St. Thomas Health
Bobby First, CEO, HealthStream
Ed Cantwell, President & CEO, Center for Medical Interoperability
Michael Burcham, CEO, Narus Health
This panel of healthcare leaders shared their thoughts on the direction of industry. This included the topics of value-based reimbursement, disruptive technologies, changing health benefit designs, the fusion of technology and services, and the changing workforce needs. There where several key thoughts voiced at the event - here’s my Top 10 Highlights I thought I’d share:
The complexity of patients both in the hospital and seeking services in the emergency department is on the rise (Johnson).
The work we are doing outside the walls of the hospital will have the biggest impact on the future - in the home, our retail healthcare models and virtual health visits and support (Rudolph).
We must understand both the person's clinical issues and their soft drivers of costs (social determinants of health) if we’re to have meaningful impact in their lives and enhance their experience with the healthcare system (Burcham).
There is a significant opportunity to change the way we train and test/confirm competency in healthcare - other industries have already done this. Technology now provides this opportunity in healthcare. (Frist).
There is a unique opportunity in Nashville for the players based here to create a true consumer-based personal health record that could dramatically change the way individuals engage with the healthcare system (Cantwell).
The future of primary care will likely include being able to have my genetic testing done to match for the best medications, see my doctor through a virtual visit on my phone, and have medications delivered to my door (Frist).
Continuous 24/7 care management provides a powerful way provider organizations can support the patient and their family long after leaving the hospital and enhance their overall experience (Johnson).
We’re looking to directly strengthen our relationships throughout the community - especially with area employers and their workforce (Rudolph).
We are working with our CMI partners and, using their data, looking to inform our strategies, enhance our collective knowledge, and deliver more meaningful value to the patient (Cantwell).
The average per employee medical expenses for workers between the ages of 60 and 64 are more than double the cost for employees between 35 and 39 years old. We cannot have a one-size-fits-all approach to how we support them (Burcham).