5 Clinical Predictions for 2023

How do you keep ahead of technology in the workplace when you’re unsure of what’s next? Here are 5 predictions for the physician and clinical practice for 2023.

1. The year of Artificial Intelligence, getting smarter every day and is being embedded in more of our daily lives. Artificial intelligence (AI) for healthcare is made up of Machine Learning (ML), computer vision, Natural Language Processing (NLP), and pattern recognition algorithms. We will see more clinical use for meta data analysis and patterns for better diagnostics and treatment. This includes predictive healthcare for patients with onset of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or other chronic conditions. AI will assist the clinician with peeling back all the layers for various diagnostics, and alternative treatments. It will also help with prescription recommendations unique to the patient. While this aids providers and clinicians, let’s not forget the benefits to the back office and management side of medicine. We have platforms that auto generate CPT codes that lower our claims denial rates. Further, they leave a documented path for audit proof patient engagement. Prior authorization is a snap and faster than ever before with this current platform and imbedded AI.
2. Wearable Technology continues to scale. While remote and telehealth care got a catapult launch from the pandemic, its role will continue surpass expectations. CMS has acknowledged the savings generated and ease of delivery for this omni-preventative and proactive healthcare. Telemedicine via-video conference or calling is the tip of the iceberg. The real growth and shattering benchmark will come from wearable devices available to patients. This remote patient monitoring (RPM) watch-like device can measure all the vitals 24/7 in real time back to the primary care physician (PCP) or specialist. One device can measure sleep patterns, bloodoxygen content, body temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, glucose, exercise, and a host of other physiological information. This offers the physician a full dynamic patient profile beyond the occasional office visit snapshot. It will also provide notifications to patients and provider if the data is beyond a set limit or target unique to the condition or treatment. This one device can improve your MIPS and MACRA scoring and has been the single greatest factor in lower ER visits and readmissions.
3. Improved UX for bedside technology. Patient Engagement and Care Journey will include Technology. Raise your hand if you were scheduling patient appointments from your website or portal 3 years ago? At your last patient visit did you turn your back to them while talking or entering data into their chart? Imagine a device whereby you never have to turn your back to a patient and save 30% charting time in the process. Rather you show the patient a detailed and drill down anatomical illustrations for their chief complaint or other concern to help educate and coach them. All this while you do your exam and consult. This improves your patient engagement and creates more trust, loyalty and better outcomes.
4. Big data consolidates towards Value-based care. Companies such as Google, CVS, Walgreens, and Amazon all want a piece of your patient market share for healthcare and services. Look at Oracle’s multi-billion dollar purchase of EHR giant Cerner. They want the meta data and will deliver medical services because the patient Googled UTI. How many of your patients do you see each day that have already been self-diagnosed by Dr. Google? These well-known tech giants will continue to expand and grow their footprint in medical services through mostly mergers and acquisitions.
5. Tech services become “plug & play”. Interoperability is no longer a luxury but a necessity. Just as you treat the body as a holistic system, you also need your technology to work in a synchronized holistic platform with all software and data. So what if you have the best scheduling platform there is, and it does not work with your EHR, what have you gained? Or the best coding software known but it does not sync to your EHR billing software? Wouldn’t be great to have such interoperability within your practice? Do all your products, software and systems work together like the philharmonic orchestra or like a room full of alley cats? Be realistic, no system has a one-size-fits-all solution, but it is possible to have a tech stack of tools that speaks to each other for better patient care experience, smoother workflows, and drive revenues to the business.

According to HIMSS, 80% of healthcare providers plan to increase investment in digital health over the next 5 years. From the Urgent Care Association, they noted that 25% of survey respondents are looking at changing their EHR solutions within the next 24 months. All due to the shortcomings of their current systems’ features or functionality.

Physicians have an administrative burden to create extensive documentation in the electronic health record EHR system for regulatory compliance and billing. They don’t have to shoulder this burden individually or at all for that matter. With the right tools and technological choices this burden can be shifted to automation allowing the provider to get back to the practice of medicine which is why they chose the profession in the first place.

Let 2023 be your year of improved digital healthcare.

About the author.

David Brown is the owner of Altera HealthTec. He is a serial entrepreneur with expertise in business operations and technology as owner of many companies and receiver for the Superior Court. Altera HealthTec provides service and product aggregation for physicians and clinics throughout the US. We leverage and pair proven proprietary technology and processes for our clients. For your healthcare technology solutions contact Mr. Brown at ccrx2live.com