Top 10 issues impacting healthcare in 2010
December 21, 2009
Wondering what healthcare will look like in 2010?
Every year PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Health Research Institute publishes a report outlining the key issues facing the healthcare industry for the coming year. 2010 will be a year of opportunity if done right.
The report, called Squeezing the juice out of healthcare, says in 2010:
As the United States emerges from recession, the health industries have an opportunity to move forward if organizations can effectively leverage relationships, understand the impact of pending reform and potential regulatory changes, and respond to changing consumer demands.
Here are the top 10 health issues that health providers, including insurers, hospitals, and physicians will need to think about and tackle:
- Reducing costs
- Regulatory change
- Incentives and value-based purchasing
- Focus on fraud
- Improvements in technology
- Prevention efforts including clinical effectiveness, product safety and wellness
- Physician involvement from doctors seeking greater stability and electronic connectivity
- Alternate care models
- Disaster planning
- Social responsibility
David Chin, MD, a leader of the institute says, “The primary emphasis for all healthcare organizations in the year ahead will be on reducing costs and creating greater value in the health system.”
Post your comments below. Let us know what changes you would like to see.
This post first appeared at Action for Better Healthcare.
Terri,RN say: Reducing costs from PWC
How will health insurance companies reduce cost? They will put tighter restrictions on the two costliest areas in health care, that is, pharmaceuticals and radiological imaging. Prior authorization for advanced imaging(MRI, CT, PET scan, nuclear medicine studies) will become even more difficult. As a former senior nurse reviewer for one of the largest advanced imaging management companies and current owner of a consulting business that trains medical office staff to more efficiently perform prior authorization for advanced imaging, I talk with medical offices everyday that struggle with this process. They are concerned that the process will become even more unmanageable. They are concerned patients will not get the tests they need. Currently, there is no comprehensive training program offered by health insurance companies to assist medical office staff with this process. Unfortunately, it is the medical offices that will bear the burden of this problem.