Every year Gartner, Inc., a technology research firm, makes future predictions based on their extensive study of wide-ranging businesses and industries. Perhaps not surprisingly, Gartner’s predictions for the next few years include significant technology-based changes for the medical community.
Rapidly evolving technology and the continued need to control costs mean medical providers and payers will have to incorporate streamlined, integrated processes and procedures. Decision-makers will need to understand industry and consumer trends, to ensure strategic planning and successful actions.
Adopting cloud computing is no longer an option.
Cloud and mobile access and changing social patterns are affecting the way we do business. The cloud facilitates customer relationship building, by providing better analytical tools and supporting customer-preferred social processes.
Working in the cloud is driving changes in IT spending as well as development of new performance goals. In short, IT is no longer a disparate operations element, it now pervades all functions.
We live in a social world.
Development of tablets and other mobile technologies necessitates re-thinking how business is conducted across the board. Consumers want and expect total connectivity, so business interaction with both existing and prospective customers will be critical for continued success. Look for more emphasis on social customer relationship management (CRM) for marketing as well as operations.
Privacy issues remain paramount.
Maintaining trust is a major customer issue, generating increased regulation, legislation and other data-privacy requirements. Businesses will have to balance cloud and mobile security opportunities against the risks and carefully consider security and fraud prevention plans and solutions.
Here are just a few of Gartner’s specific healthcare predictions:
- By next year, tablets will be used by most pharma sales reps, enabling better delivery and tracking integration.
- By 2014, nearly a third of US private healthcare payers will acquire providers, requiring technology that integrates delivery and payment processes. Insurance will be sold via at least one social networking provider, and top providers will integrate social networking with product lifecycle management software.
- By 2015, 20% of integrated delivery systems will include healthcare-targeted CRM. Businesses will leverage the cloud to access massive volumes of information via multiple technologies.
Successful medical businesses will be those that effectively manage organizational change. Living up to the “new normal” will require faster and more flexible responsiveness, greater accuracy and highly informed decision-making to capture opportunities and make the best use of available resources.
