Digital pathways poised to reshape healthcare continuum in 2021
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The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the use of digital tools that will better direct care, minimize administrative burden on clinicians and boost supply chain transparency, PricewaterhouseCooper s annual report found. Next year is going to be the year of resilience, said Gurpreet Singh, the U.S. health services sector leader at PwC. In order to create that resilience, there are a number of capabilities that have to be digitally enabled to drive that customer connection in a more convenient way.
More patients connected to the healthcare system virtually than ever before during the pandemic, with virtual visits increasing more than 10,000% in some cases. While utilization is poised to decline, it will better complement in-person care, healthcare executives and employers said, noting that copayment waivers implemented during the national emergency has expanded access.
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The healthcare industry has six big challenges ahead in 2021: rightsizing after the telehealth explosion; adjusting to changing clinical trials; encouraging digital relationships that ease physician burdens; forecasting for an uncertain 2021; reshaping health portfolios for growth; and building a resilient and responsive supply chain for long-term health.
For this report, PwC’s Health Research Institute surveyed 2,511 American consumers, 128 health plan executives, 153 healthcare provider organization executives, and 124 pharmaceutical and life sciences executives in August and September 2020. HRI also interviewed numerous thought leaders from throughout the industry and frontline clinicians to understand their on-the-ground experiences during a historic year.
“While in 2020 many healthcare organizations saw their financial plans obliterated, patient behaviors radically shift and virtual care explode, in 2021 they will work to put the system back together,” said PwC
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