Healthcare and life sciences executives continue to see health equity as a business strategy, according to Deloitte's "2024 Outlook for Health Equity."
The report, released Dec. 6, features survey responses from the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions, as well as insights from panels and in-depth interviews with healthcare and life sciences executives.
More than 80% of C-suite executives from healthcare and life sciences organizations see health equity as a top-10 goal for 2024, according to the survey. Nearly 50% of respondents expect to increase health equity investments next year.
Health equity leaders in the sector, including those who serve at health systems, told Deloitte that they anticipate a number of challenges in the year ahead. More than half predict regulatory pressures to be a driving force in their strategy, as more organizations — from trade associations to the White House — make health equity a priority of their own. For example, the FDA will now require researchers and companies seeking approval for late-stage clinical trials to submit a plan that ensures diversity among trial participants.
Forty-nine percent of health equity leaders expect an increased focus on patient engagement and outcomes will propel their initiatives forward, according to the report. A focus on health disparities could reduce overall health costs, as health inequities cost Americans an extra $320 billion a year in avoidable costs.
Read the full report here.