5 leading healthcare trends for 2023

This article originally appeared on Forbes

By: Jill Collins, CEO

As we move further into 2023, the healthcare industry will continue to experience the impact of trends that have taken shape in the last year. We’re seeing incredible momentum in areas such as multi-omics and molecular diagnostics, personalized care and digital health solutions that will play an increasingly important role in the future of healthcare delivery. The industry is already taking steps to maximize the potential of advanced technologies, from AI-enabled solutions to digital ecosystems.

Here are five of the leading healthcare trends to keep an eye on in the coming year.

1. Multi-omic technologies are fueling the next precision medicine wave

Next-generation sequencing technologies are at the forefront of the precision medicine movement. Driving the next wave of precision medicine are multi-omic technologies, which initially focused on genomic and proteomic analysis but now include transcriptomics, metabolomics, epigenomics, microbiomics and phenomics. These omics solutions offer a more nuanced understanding of human health by providing insights into the molecular changes or characteristics that can impact health, cause disease or guide clinical decisions.

Through work with clients in the multi-omics market, I’ve had a front-row seat to watch this space grow in recent years. More momentum is expected in 2023 as researchers increasingly rely on multi-omic analyses to gain a pathway-oriented view of cellular activity for better prevention and treatment of critical diseases.

2. Digital health solutions will continue to evolve

The pandemic has forced healthcare organizations to rethink their digital strategies and develop solutions that facilitate virtual healthcare delivery. From telehealth to at-home testing and prescription delivery services, digital health companies now offer more convenient and accessible solutions that have revolutionized many patients’ ability to receive high-quality care and manage their health. However, despite record-level digital health investment in 2021 ($29.1 billion), many companies have struggled in recent years to navigate challenges including saturated markets, insurance coverage issues, labor and supply shortages, and data privacy concerns.

Digital health technologies this year will likely face higher scrutiny over their ability to measure success and demonstrate differentiated value. However, there is still strong momentum in digital health that’s driving the adoption of new solutions. Many technologies will likely focus on expanding access to care via an integrated experience and on generating data that can improve patient and population health. These advancements could lead to the development of digital health ecosystems that create much-needed connections between various stakeholders and meaningful health data.

3. Improving access to health data will enhance personalized care

As healthcare providers continue to emphasize patient-centered care, it is no surprise that access to health data is one of the top trends for 2023. By leveraging this data, providers can ensure they are delivering care that is tailored to individual preferences and needs. Research indicates that personalized care delivery can optimize health outcomes, strengthen provider-patient relationships and reduce healthcare costs. This patient-centric approach leverages individualized health information to enable more effective disease prevention and health management strategies. It also supports the creation of more inclusive clinical guidelines that can help expand insurance coverage, provider adoption and patient access.

However, this relies on easy access to reliable personal health insights, which have been fragmented across multiple systems in the past. This year, I think there will be a need for solutions that tackle the data access challenge by improving platform interoperability through centralized data hubs, such as the National Directory of Health Care Providers and Services. Centralizing this data will support not only personalized medicine but also the shift toward value-based care models by enabling accurate risk adjustment and quality evaluation methods while enhancing benchmarking and patient attribution methods.

4. Artificial intelligence will continue to transform healthcare

The availability of increasingly robust data paired with the rising adoption of digital solutions has created a natural and unique opportunity for healthcare innovations based on artificial intelligence. The global AI in healthcare market could grow to nearly $137 billion by 2029. AI-enabled technologies have the potential to benefit stakeholders across the healthcare ecosystem while improving how the healthcare system operates overall. AI offers unlimited potential to streamline operations, accelerate research discoveries, improve risk and disease identification, and facilitate more informed clinical decisions. In 2023, I think we will likely see a significant increase in the application of AI in testing and drug development and tools that enable personalized care.

5. Businesses will continue streamlining operations for increased efficiency

The healthcare industry is in the midst of an unprecedented revolution, undergoing a period of rapid change driven by workforce and financial challenges. Business operations are evolving accordingly. In 2023, I anticipate an increased emphasis on streamlining operations for increased efficiency. Many organizations are focused on reducing team sizes and restructuring for increased efficiency. This trend is likely to continue in the coming year as organizations look to conserve cash flow while creating a leaner organizational structure. To further streamline operations, I expect to see investments in digital solutions that improve clinical and lab workflows and simplify patient care coordination and delivery.

By carefully and consistently monitoring these trends and investing in the appropriate categories, companies can stay ahead of the competition and ensure that they remain at the forefront of healthcare innovation.

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