Wondering which challenges healthcare professionals will have to meet in the future? Here are just a few of them to expect this upcoming year.
1. They will have to compete for top talent
Since there is a shortage of healthcare professionals, admins will have to compete for the best ones out there – and this might even go global. The shortage is really hurting the profitability of the hospitals in a sense that they will have to compete for every person they hire and it costs a lot – they will have to pay more.
There will be an increased demand for healthcare employment – 23%, compared to 9% of other industries. There will be a need for registered nurses, vocational nurses, home health aides, nursing aids, orderlies and attendants as well as physicians and surgeons.
Keeping this in mind, the hospitals will have to prepare to deal with this shortage and to compete with other hospitals. They have to develop skills in recruiting and hiring professionals as well as retain them which can get tricky with the higher demands.
Hospitals administrators will have to maintain a strong relationship with schools which have healthcare degrees as well as with their local communities and encouraging young people to get into healthcare. They will also have to dedicate time for employer branding and offering better conditions.
2. They will have to practice cost management
Getting reimbursement from insurance, paying salaries, keeping the supplies full, updating technologies, paying for drugs, paying legal fees are just some of the possible issues that healthcare admins face.
One of the biggest challenges they face is expense reduction. Budget is a major concern for healthcare executives as well. There are also elements that admins have no control – however, there are always ways to create a good budget. Many practices save on rent and storage by transferring to digitize medical records.
Investing in the right staff is also a good idea as well as retaining the good staff. They should also invest in quality equipment that will last longer with maintenance and require less repairing and updating. There are more changes to be made – for instance, only going for digital marketing which is cheap,
3. They will have to specialize for growth
There is a fast growth of specialty hospitals and centers run by physicians – this means that the traditional hospitals are facing a lot of competition. To compete, they will need to prepare for growth. They need to set up a specialized care strategy. They also have to research the competition in local communities and identify gaps in the market that they could fill.
A plan could then help them build their hospitals into renowned specialty hospitals. This process requires careful consideration and planning before it can come in place. They have to do extensive research and include all local demographics into it. When they create this strategy they have to commit to find good personnel and build reputation in that area.
4. They will have to start preparing for the future
As more and more baby boomers enter the senior sector and come of age, hospitals will have to expand to consider how to meet the demand for baby boomer care. They are also facing challenges in the way people pay them. Insurance is becoming based on outcomes and quality of care rather than paying the same for each service like it used to be.
Because patient happiness with the results plays a major role in the budget and income, hospital admins will have to make it a priority. They will have to have to know how to research the healthcare market and ensure that the expansions can meet the demands and desired satisfaction levels of the customers.
Based on information that women make most of the health decisions for families, one hospital built a center for women where there was a spa-like atmosphere. A rehabilitation center built a massive facility with gardens, play areas and a school for patients that spent more time there. Hospitals also include semi-private rooms or private rooms and invest a lot in making them comfortable and private for the patients.
Having modern facilities is very important if they want to bring more people into their hospitals and compete on the market.
5. They will have to improve patient care
The hospitals will also have to invest a lot into improving their technology in order to take steps to improve quality of patient care. Starting with EMRs and through the various processes that involve patients, everything will have to be seamless and provide a good experience for the patients. This is one of the main issues healthcare admins will have to face in the future.
6. They will have to face the opioid crisis
The opioid crisis is getting more and more attention as the proportions of it are getting bigger. The hospitals will have to face this challenge from both sides. For one, they will have to treat the addicts and help them recover as well as provide proper facilities and care. But, they will also face a lot of issues with them being the ones that hooked those patients on the opioid drugs in the first place.
Healthcare will definitely have to face a lot of challenges in the future. With proper strategizing though, they can overcome them and meet the new world and its demands.