The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated digital innovation for hospitals. As hospital leaders imagine a post-pandemic industry, here are five emerging health IT trends, according to an Accenture report.
Accenture surveyed 399 healthcare executives across six countries. Here are five trends:
- Stacking technology: Healthcare organizations are using several health IT platforms to give them a more personalized approach to tech-enabled healthcare. The unique solutions that stacking programs offer will allow organizations to evolve their goals. Nearly 3 in 4 healthcare executives said their technology architecture is vital for their organization's success.
- Digital twin investments: There is significant growth in digital twin technologies. A digital twin is a machine learning program that uses real-world data to create predictions or simulations of how physical objects will be affected by data. These technologies are enabling a new generation of healthcare intelligence.
- Innovation at an individual level: Natural language processing, platforms that work on low-code and artificial intelligence automation, give hospital leaders the capabilities to make the changes they see fit. It opens up more possibilities for healthcare workers to become innovators. Eighty-four percent of healthcare executives said they train employees to customize technology at an individual level.
- Bring your own environment: Clinicians can use telehealth to meet patients where it works best for them. It can also help hospitals alleviate talent shortages. Eighty-nine percent of healthcare executives said remote work opens up the market for difficult-to-find talent and increases competition for talent in healthcare settings.
- Building bridges: The pandemic revealed how fragile companies are that don't have a network of resources and partnerships. Partnering to form blockchain platforms, revenue models or databases are a few ways hospitals can increase efficiency through collaboration.