Lazard has released the results from its 2021 global healthcare leaders survey. Last year's survey responses have now shown strong correlations to current challenges facing the industry.
For the study, 200 healthcare leaders, including 171 C-level leaders, across biopharmaceuticals, medical devices and diagnostics, and healthcare services were surveyed. The fieldwork was conducted in June 2021.
Five key takeaways :
1. Ninety percent of those surveyed expect baseline caseloads of COVID-19 to remain at more than minimal levels through 2022, indicating that they expect the COVID-19 pandemic to persist for a while longer.
2. The move to the virtual world is also here to stay, with 70 percent of healthcare leaders expecting hybrid, flexible working environments to be a permanent shift.
3. Many healthcare leaders expect the pandemic to accelerate the digital revolution, increasing focus on automation and technology. Sixty-one percent of respondents expect a permanent shift toward virtual care delivery. Scientific innovation and advances in digital technologies were cited as the greatest forces for transformation.
4. Pricing and reimbursement was cited as the biggest strategic challenge by respondents, increasing from 57 percent in 2017 to 68 percent in 2021.
5. Some of the optimism from the pandemic began to wane. Only 15 percent of biopharmaceutical companies expected a permanent shift in improved public perception, down from 50 percent last year. Furthermore, only 14 percent expected a permanent shift to more collaboration across industry players.