What Healthcare Themes to Expect in 2018

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Health Systems brace for 2018 Disruption (HealthcareDIVE)

HealthcareDIVE takes a deep dive into emerging healthcare trends in 2018, how the landscape may change and what the landscape may begin to look like. With much disruption, hospitals are beginning to "consider cost containment and hiring strategies to stay above water."

There is a large push for convenience and access when it comes to what the patients are seeking. Options such as outpatient care and Telehealth are becoming all the more popular while decreasing hospital admissions. The article predicts that "Hospitals will primarily be ICUs and ORs, and the rest of care will be done in the convenience of the home." While this may seem hard to believe, there is increasing evidence to support that this may be the case.

On a brighter note, it is predicted that "Healthcare jobs are expected to grow 18% from 2016 to 2026, adding about 2.3 million jobs to the economy." This is due to the need for hospitals to grow their clinical skills base. Although, it is highly possible with all of the mergers that are occurring, job cuts will be a norm for companies facing overlapping positions due to integration.

Yet, there is still a road ahead for value-based care. "States may get more control over the implementation of value-based care if [Alex] Azar implements Medicaid block-grants to the states." With over half of all family physicians participating in value-based models, it shows how this system helps integrate and connect doctors and specialists in a means of working together to affect change.

Value-based care and practice transformation are at the heart of the Delaware Center for Health Innovation’s (DCHI) efforts towards making Delaware one of the top five healthiest states in the nation. With the goals of being in top 10% of states in health care quality and patient experience, bringing the growth of health care costs in line with GDP growth, and improving the provider experience, DCHI is working in conjunction with public and private stakeholders to advance value-based outcomes in the Delaware by 2020. For more information please visit us at https://www.dehealthinnovation.org/.

**Articles are intended to foster meaningful discussion about the opportunities and challenges driving healthcare reform**

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