Many patients, healthcare providers and other industry stakeholders are adhering to calls for a greater shift to a digitized patient journey - from offline to online.

There is also a strong trend towards the hospital not having to be the only place for highly specialized care. New technologies will enable more patients to receive high-quality care in the comfort of their own homes. Remote patient monitoring systems, for example, will allow healthcare providers to gather patient data outside of traditional healthcare settings and, should problems arise along the way, the doctor in charge will be alerted so that appropriate action can be taken quickly.

However, home care cannot succeed without the involvement of both doctors and patients. We might never reach a point where all patients can be offered care at home, and not everyone will want it, but for those who would prefer it, there are good opportunities for a better patient experience which often leads to a higher perceived quality of care overall.

Stakeholders – including payers, healthcare facilities and physician groups, homecare providers, technology companies and investors - can also clearly see significant value in developments where digitized homecare takes on a greater and more important role. A great deal of research already exists, but the area needs to be studied in more detail to better understand potential benefits, drawbacks and costs, and how they may vary per stakeholder.

The increasing digitalization of our society as a whole and its impact is still an area very much in need of further analysis in a more comprehensive way. There is much to be gained by choosing the right path!

As experts in identifying and analyzing trends in healthcare for our clients over the last 30 years, we at Opticom can help you to find the right path and messaging for all your most important stakeholders.

Sources: McKinsey, Forbes, RISE