Earlier this month, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu named Russ Rudish as its global healthcare leader; he will remain as leader of Deloitte's U.S. Provider Practice and also serves as Deloitte's life sciences and healthcare industry practice leader. He joined Deloitte in 2006 from Eclipsys Corp., which was acquired by Allscripts in 2010. Here Mr. Rudish discusses his new role — which comes at an exciting and challenging time in healthcare, especially in the United States — and what he expects for the future of healthcare delivery.
"The world is changing finally on the hospital side of healthcare. It's not changing at a Silicon Valley pace, but it's starting to change," he says. This change has been brought about in part because of rising healthcare costs — which are not sustainable, especially given the aging baby boomer generation — and increasing transparency and consumer demands.
Challenges around cost management are the top reason hospitals seek out consultants like Deloitte, Mr. Rudish says. "[Every hospital] knows it has to become more efficient."
Interestingly, Mr. Rudish says healthcare providers around the globe are also grappling with similar challenges. For example, in China, where couples are only allowed to have one child, an aging population is poised to become a significant obstacle. "There are different answers but similar questions," he says.
"You have to have efficiency; you have to have scale; and you have to get ready for wellness," he says. "In 5 to 10 years the hospital will be thought of as a cost center, not as the revenue center."
One thing that has become clear, Mr. Rudish says, is that hospitals will not be able to reduce costs and redundancies or manage population health without technology. Thus, the next question for providers is: What type of technology allows me to connect with others? To treat patients with a certain diagnosis in the most effective way? To maximize the health of a population?
"The way people make money on the provider side will totally flip flop, and the use of technology will be paramount," he adds.
"Healthcare IT today is pretty tactical, but I do think it will become more strategic and clinically focused toward clinical best practices," he says. "Today, that's just starting."
"Ten years from now, as much as possible, medical care will be provided in the lowest cost, most efficient venue, including the home," he explains. For example, patients, in cases where it's appropriate, may be able to self administer diagnostic tests through a mobile device and then connect virtually with providers. In fact, a device that connects to an iPhone for ECG readings has already been developed, although it has not yet been cleared by the FDA.
"If that's today, I don't think we can actually imagine what is possible," he says. "Without technology we can't have [true population health management]."
"The world is changing finally on the hospital side of healthcare. It's not changing at a Silicon Valley pace, but it's starting to change," he says. This change has been brought about in part because of rising healthcare costs — which are not sustainable, especially given the aging baby boomer generation — and increasing transparency and consumer demands.
Challenges around cost management are the top reason hospitals seek out consultants like Deloitte, Mr. Rudish says. "[Every hospital] knows it has to become more efficient."
Interestingly, Mr. Rudish says healthcare providers around the globe are also grappling with similar challenges. For example, in China, where couples are only allowed to have one child, an aging population is poised to become a significant obstacle. "There are different answers but similar questions," he says.
What kind of change should health systems expect?
In the U.S., Mr. Rudish anticipates continued consolidation as systems look to broaden their scale in order to stay profitable under reimbursement pressure. Systems will also be more and more concerned with health and prevention as reimbursement moves to value-based models."You have to have efficiency; you have to have scale; and you have to get ready for wellness," he says. "In 5 to 10 years the hospital will be thought of as a cost center, not as the revenue center."
One thing that has become clear, Mr. Rudish says, is that hospitals will not be able to reduce costs and redundancies or manage population health without technology. Thus, the next question for providers is: What type of technology allows me to connect with others? To treat patients with a certain diagnosis in the most effective way? To maximize the health of a population?
"The way people make money on the provider side will totally flip flop, and the use of technology will be paramount," he adds.
Stages of evolution
As hospitals and health systems move toward a connected delivery system aimed at maintaining population health, their evolution will occur in a manner that could be likened to phases, says Mr. Rudish. Today hospitals are most concerned with aligning with physicians and then getting technology put in place that 1) has been mandated by the federal government and 2) will begin to grow a system's capabilities for mining data to inform healthcare decisions."Healthcare IT today is pretty tactical, but I do think it will become more strategic and clinically focused toward clinical best practices," he says. "Today, that's just starting."
What does the future look like?
Mr. Rudish anticipates healthcare delivery could look markedly different than it is now for both patients and providers."Ten years from now, as much as possible, medical care will be provided in the lowest cost, most efficient venue, including the home," he explains. For example, patients, in cases where it's appropriate, may be able to self administer diagnostic tests through a mobile device and then connect virtually with providers. In fact, a device that connects to an iPhone for ECG readings has already been developed, although it has not yet been cleared by the FDA.
"If that's today, I don't think we can actually imagine what is possible," he says. "Without technology we can't have [true population health management]."
More Articles on Population Health Management:
The New Competitive Edge for Hospitals and ACOs: Employee Health
Building a Robust, Sustainable Health Information Exchange: Case Study with Northeast Georgia Health System, HealtheConnect
Advancing Accountable Care: 5 Hospital ACO Leaders Share Insight