Welcome to the new year! As 2020 begins, we all know this will be a year marked with both great challenges and real opportunities. In a recent survey of healthcare IT leaders, Becker’s Hospital Review surfaced comments underscoring key themes for the year ahead:
- Patient access to their healthcare programs will drive demand for provider services, when given an option, as well as increased patient satisfaction.
- New clinical technologies must reflect a deep understanding of clinical workflows for adoption to be successful.
- EMR’s are a latent goldmine of data for sophisticated analytics that will fuel progress in provider operations and enhance patient outcomes.
These comments reflect the fact that technology must integrate well with clinical operations. This means IT leaders in healthcare should be demanding that their technology vendors bring significant clinical expertise to each and every implementation effort. Beyond IT, the focus in 2020 will be on the upcoming US elections. As was the case in 2016 and other election cycles, healthcare will be a focal point of policy debates. Whatever the results of the election, the impact will be felt for years to come. It’s perhaps more important now than ever before that providers ensure they are optimizing the effectiveness and efficiency of their clinical operations, so that when the inevitable policy changes do arrive, they are ready to absorb the changes without undue disruption to patient care. This requires a clarity of vision for what must be done now, why it must be done, and the expected benefits from taking action.
In an effort to aid providers in this endeavor, we at Surgical Directions are planning an exciting and innovative series of blog topics in 2020. Since we started this blog in September of 2017, our objective has been to provide the healthcare community with conversation starters on topics of critical importance to surgical services and other clinical areas in provider organizations. Our team stands at the forefront of perioperative and anesthesia thought leaders in the United States, and we want to do what we can to pitch in and help our industry in this time of change and upheaval. In the coming months, watch this space for topics such as:
- How advanced analytics and emerging technologies are transforming the way surgical departments are managed.
- How data unlocks insight into patient outcomes and helps providers maximize their revenue capture.
- New methods of pain management that are transforming anesthesia practices nationwide.
- How getting the little things right, such as excellence in central sterile, drives massive opportunity for improved patient care and bottom line results.
- Techniques for maximizing the financial possibilities in a value-based care environment.
These and other 2020 topics signal our commitment to excellence in healthcare. We know the pressure healthcare providers are under, and we are ready to help with our ideas and our experience. Subscribe today to our blog, and never hesitate to contact us to see how we can help you. From all of us at Surgical Directions, we wish you a healthy and successful 2020!
