With the new year upon us, everyone has an eye on what we can expect for the next 12 months. 2024 was a year of great change in healthcare. We continue to deal with the fallout from the COVID-19 and the resulting shifts within the healthcare industry, but instead of being reactive, we are in a period of proactive adjustments. 2025 will continue in this vein as healthcare organizations look to find investments and updates that drive efficiency and sustainability.
Technology Taking the Lead
For the past year, we’ve been bombarded with speculation about Artificial Intelligence. There is great potential for AI to integrate with healthcare systems and there will be added movement in this space over the next 12 months, but there are privacy and copyright issues to be ironed out before it is widely used in healthcare. In the meantime, healthcare organizations will invest in technology that drives revenue, efficiency and outcomes.
On the patient experience side of technology, there will be an increase in demand for better patient portals. This will include self-scheduling and communication with providers. Greater engagement on digital tools can have a significant impact on a healthcare organization, leading to the potential to increase financial performance by closing patient engagements faster. Additionally, increased telehealth services will bring added access to many organizations, particularly in hard to fill specialties.
From an efficiency standpoint, we will see more organizations look to optimize processes through technology. For instance, administrators are looking for solutions to manage all contract, float and employed staff through a single program, which reduces the time spent searching for talent. It also frees up clinicians and leaders to work on tasks directly related to patient care. Targeted technology investments in 2025 will lead to more flexibility and success.
Using Data to its Fullest
Healthcare organizations are continuing to find ways to unlock the power of data. There is immense opportunity to create efficiencies and bring heightened transparency to operations through data. In 2025, we will see new ways to integrate data into the care continuum.
Technology will serve as the foundation for this, allowing organizations to filter and analyze more data than ever before. To accelerate these efforts, organizations will invest in more technology solutions that give administrators full line of sight and flexibility into operations. Additionally, scheduling and float pool management are ripe for improvements through enhanced data analysis.
There are challenges as well. With more data comes more risk, with many notable healthcare data breaches over the past few years. In 2025, healthcare organizations and vendors will look to add security around private data, giving patients and practitioners peace of mind.
Focus on a Sustainable Workforce
Over the past few years, we’ve heard a lot about sustainability in materials and supply chains, but arguably, our workforce is the most important aspect of sustainable healthcare operations. On the physician side, there will be more competition for sought-after specialties, causing care delivery challenges in some communities. Over the next year, administrators will need to take a holistic look at their staffing strategy to ensure they can meet their physician needs today and tomorrow. In most cases that will require a contract/locums and float pool strategy that integrates with full-time staffing recruitment. The right staffing strategy brings flexibility and sustainability to operations, ensuring results and access for patients.
Demand Increases for Certain Specialties
A number of specialties will see an increase in utilization and need in 2025. Some areas have well-documented growth, while others face shortages in clinician availability. Two areas of particular concern: behavioral health and neurology.
Behavioral Health—Nearly 25% of the U.S. population is expected to see a behavioral health clinician by 2027. With escalating utilization comes a need for more clinicians and alternatives to traditional in-office appointments. Telehealth is an excellent option for many organizations to reach patients where they are and ensure increased access to care.
Neurology—The demand for neurologists is expected to exceed the supply by 19% in the coming years, according to the American Academy of Neurology. An aging population and increases in brain diseases have exacerbated this challenge. Many organizations are already struggling to fill neurology roles, leading to a greater emphasis on contingent staff and telehealth options.
Organizations will find success in 2025 and beyond by taking a proactive approach to their specialty strategy. This may involve evolving to find new, outside-the-box solutions to deliver access.
2025 will be a year of opportunity. As technology and data take center stage, administrators will use new tools to solve problems and deliver results for patients. One thing that the past decade has shown us—you can’t do it alone. That’s where collaborating with the right partner will bring more efficiency and faster results.