Healthcare technology continues to proliferate the sector, the developments almost too many to track. The sector abounds with innovation and push forward in the name of better – even the minutest – advancements of care and better care outcomes. The coming year will be no different. As we enter the final year of the 21stcentury’s second decade, we’ve witnessed a tremendous amount of evolution in just 19 years. What role will our healthcare technology play in the healthcare industry in the next year?
A lot. And not just for a few, but members of many, many areas, even those peripherally involved with the boundaries of care. We must understand where current innovation is, but also the challenges these migrations attempt to solve. Being aware of the trends ahead can give us all a better grasp of how care delivery is changing and we can better understand how new areas can resolve real industry problems.
To help us navigate the year ahead for healthcare and its technology, the following are some of the trends that it leaders, observers, insiders, consultants and investors think are important or need to be taken notice of in 2019.
Kapil Desai, vice president, Catalyst Investors
2019 will be the year that telemedicine (finally) gains wider adoption. Patients are open to the idea of telemedicine, especially when it means more convenient, accessible healthcare. Capitalizing on increasingly favorable reimbursement policies, payers will embrace telemedicine to help stem swelling healthcare costs, namely from chronic health conditions and a rapidly aging population. Near-term, expect to see telemedicine help address access and convenience, particularly in rural or remote areas that lack specialists and primary care physicians. Longer-term, expect telemedicine to evolve from virtual visits to more comprehensive remote monitoring and preventive services.