Deloitte issued a report final week predicting the important thing tendencies that may form the healthcare panorama in 2024. For its report, the consultancy agency questioned 60 healthcare system and well being plan executives working at firms with annual revenues of greater than $500 million.

The report predicted that 5 key tendencies may have the most important influence on healthcare organizations' enterprise methods subsequent 12 months: mergers and acquisitions, generative AI, workforce challenges, outsourcing and affordability.

M&A

Practically 9 in 10 healthcare executives surveyed mentioned they consider mergers and acquisitions may have a significant or reasonable influence on their 2024 technique. Medical insurance executives had been much less involved about mergers and acquisitions; solely a 3rd mentioned this may have an effect on their technique for subsequent 12 months.

This 12 months noticed many mergers and acquisitions in hospitals, together with the bulletins of the Kaiser Permanente-Geisinger merger and the Froedtert Well being-ThedaCare merger. The report predicted that this pattern of consolidation will proceed in 2024: healthcare programs wish to mergers and acquisitions to extend operational efficiencies, enhance cost-effectiveness and strengthen their capacity to ship complete and built-in providers in an more and more aggressive panorama .

Generative AI

Within the 12 months since OpenAI launched its viral chatbot ChatGPT, generative AI has already made a huge effect within the healthcare world. Hospitals use the know-how to foretell in-hospital mortality, size of keep and declare denials, the report mentioned. The report additionally highlighted that customers are turning to generative AI to reply questions on methods to take care of themselves and navigate the healthcare system.

As extra healthcare programs consolidate, management should be certain that all hospitals below one model share the identical caliber of cutting-edge know-how, the report mentioned. Having disparate programs can create bottlenecks, and new generative AI instruments are poised to make healthcare processes extra environment friendly and seamless throughout services, the report mentioned.

Human assets challenges

Practically 60% of healthcare system executives surveyed by Deloitte mentioned the workforce scarcity will influence their group's technique by 2024. Healthcare plan leaders had been much less involved about staffing points, with solely 37% saying they might influence their 2024 roadmap.

Well being system leaders mentioned they’ll proceed to concentrate on the psychological well being and well-being of their staff subsequent 12 months by providing higher advantages packages and in search of extra suggestions from workers.

Outsourcing

Monetary challenges – stemming from rising labor prices, elevated charges of payer denials and excessive rates of interest – proceed to place stress on hospitals. To alleviate this, some healthcare programs are outsourcing capabilities similar to income cycle, billing, claims, finance, human assets, scientific administration and provide chain, the report mentioned.

Hospitals ought to establish their strengths and discover choices to outsource duties that may be carried out extra cost-efficiently, the report recommends.

Affordability

In response to the report, customers may face increased out-of-pocket prices by 2024 as a consequence of medical inflation and rising protection prices. Half of medical health insurance executives mentioned affordability issues would be the largest problem impacting their technique for subsequent 12 months.

Healthcare leaders can affect customers' well being selections and probably improve loyalty and market share by providing digital instruments that assist sufferers navigate their healthcare journey, the report mentioned.

Photograph: Getty Photographs, Andrey Popov