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ANALYSIS

Five digital health trends inspire new action

DUBAI, January 9, 2020

Digital and the rise of intelligent technologies are transforming healthcare delivery, said global professional services company Accenture in a new report, adding that payers and providers are embracing change to lead the future.

1. Digital Health Technology Vision 2019

There is no longer a separation of digital and non-digital.?Digital technology has become part of everything we do as people, as businesses and society—however, it is also influencing expectations and elevating risk in healthcare.?Digital can support delivery of healthcare when, where and how people want it, but security must be a top priority.

2. A new healthcare consumer is here

Healthcare consumers of all generations are redefining their expectations for convenience, affordability and quality care. More than half of patients surveyed expect digital capabilities—and these expectations increasingly influence who patients choose in a provider. In 2019, 70 percent were more likely to choose a provider that offers reminders for follow-up care via email or text, compared to 57 percent in 2016.?Patients are more open to non-traditional care options, such as virtual care and walk-in clinics.

3. Is primary care becoming secondary?

Accenture research shows that as convenient self-management options evolve, consumers are less likely to engage regularly with a dedicated primary care physician (PCP).?The numbers differ dramatically among generations. Older patients are more likely to have a PCP (90 percent of the Silent Generation) compared to just over half of millennials (57 percent).

4. Healthcare complexity has a hefty price tag

Accenture’s Healthcare System Literacy Index reveals that 52 percent of healthcare consumers have low healthcare system literacy. More than half?struggle to make informed decisions about everything from the health plan types they choose to the premiums they pay. Payers can help, but that comes with a big administrative cost burden. On average, health insurers and employers spend $26 more on administration for every consumer with low healthcare system literacy. That translates to $4.8 billion annually in administrative cost across the United States.

5. Intelligent payers are taking hold of AI

Nurses perform many health management activities for payers, but the nursing shortage is making it difficult to meet the demands of today’s healthcare enterprise. Intelligent payers are using artificial Intelligence (AI) in health management to augment and integrate human ingenuity and clinical expertise with intelligent digital technologies.?When AI alleviates the administrative burden, nurses can spend more time on functions that truly leverage their clinical expertise.

"Like other aspects of their daily lives, consumers increasingly expect technology to enable health organizations to meet them when, how and where they want care,” said Kaveh Safavi, senior managing director of Accenture’s health practice. – TradeArabia News Service




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