Digital natives, aging boomers and the sandwich generation (those taking care of their elders and younger family members) have found themselves collectively intertwined in an abruptly shifting health care landscape. As the population of the U.S. continues to grow and those entering Medicare eligibility will significantly outpace the other age demographic growth rates, the needs for health care will only heighten in coming years.
Health care operators are grappling with staying on top of a surge in the dynamic needs of the American consumer. Health care system leaders see this and are looking to evolve and find ways to boost productivity and enhance their organization’s mission while keeping an eye on what this surge does to margin. One way health systems are doing this is by doubling down on value-based care initiatives that focus on quality outcomes rather than quantity of services, which includes adopting alternative education practices to draw out health care workers earlier in their education journey and deploying them in the health care setting through apprenticeship programs.
What’s the goal of these initiatives? To keep the consumer healthy and out of the hospital, and to drive down costs.
As shown below, the demand for health care services is outpacing the supply of the future health care workforce, and some health care system operators recognize the crux of this issue and are moving forward with embracing alternative solutions such as partnering with high schools and community colleges to create apprenticeship programs that can alleviate some of the workforce bottlenecks in certain specialty areas of health care that drive up costs.
One example of a potential health care model shift is focusing on areas like chronic respiratory illnesses. Health care systems can migrate the service delivery component to certain individuals in high schools and community colleges and away from more expensive employees such as registered nurses (RN). Students can be trained in areas like chronic respiratory illnesses and can deliver essential education to patients, empowering them to manage their conditions and avoid unnecessary hospitalizations and readmissions. This shift would allow RNs to focus on more complex patient care.
Technology’s role in driving proactive care outcomes
It can’t go unsaid that technology will be a critical component to drive proactive care outcomes. To that end, physicians should leverage technology to monitor patient outcomes and care quality, ensuring patient outcomes remain uncompromised. Health care systems are exploring how technology can keep individuals on track with taking daily medication or reminding individuals when they have check-up appointments. Remote patient monitoring for those who are at risk of falling have evolved, too, helping patients remain stable and healthy.
Important to note, technology is ineffective if the community lacks access (including insufficient Wi-Fi, or if there is a lack of trust in the technology, etc.). To achieve success, patients should learn to use and trust these tools, which, at the same time, must offer a seamless, user-friendly experience rather than being fragmented across various platforms.
Looking forward
The transition to a value-based care model, aimed at proactive patient treatment, necessitates a cultural and mindset shift among providers. While there is support for this model, it requires altering established practices and stepping outside of the comfort zone of the fee-for-service approach.
Rebekuh Eley
Rebekuh Eley is a health care senior analyst with RSM US LLP.
Danny Schmidt
Danny Schmidt is a senior manager in the assurance practice and a health care senior analyst for RSM US LLP. As a member of the Industry Eminence program, Danny works alongside the firm’s chief economist and his fellow senior analysts to understand, forecast and communicate economic, business and technology trends affecting middle market businesses.
