The Future of Hospital Care in 2035

SUMMARY :

• The healthcare landscape is evolving at a rapid pace.
• The shift from inpatient care to outpatient care has been evolving for decades and will continue on this trajectory
• Digital transformation coupled with new innovative technologies will drive a patient centric approach to care within the hospital
• In addition, we will see a rise in the “smart” infrastructure of the hospital facility itself.

REVIEW:

• The future of hospital care will fall into 5 major categories:

1. The People/Technology Interface
2. Artificial Intelligence
3. Robotics
4. Telehealth
5. Smart Infrastructure

People/Technology Interface

• The people interacting with the system should be considered first.
• SINGLE PATIENT DASHBOARD: Coalesce data from all systems into a single patient dashboard with all salient data to care for the individual patient.
• PATIENT POPULATION: Better management and engagement tools for the entire population. Analyze real time data to improve outcomes.
• REVISED PATIENT JOURNEY: To optimize patient flow through the hospital from the ED through discharge.

Artificial Intelligence

• Artificial Intelligence (AI)? services for the prediction, diagnosis and treatment of disease enhancing the effectiveness, efficiency and costs.
• Large Language Modules (LLM) with advanced digital tools through generative AI making care delivery more precise and efficient.
• AI algorithms will identify the optimal location of service, the right clinician provider and predict transfer, care progression and discharge.
• Minimize administrative tasks
• Reduce wait times
• Maximize time provider has with patient at point of care
• Expand capacity
• Improve efficiency & health outcomes
• Profitability
• DIGITAL TWINS: To simulate responses to various treatments.

Robotics

• Perform actions on behalf of humans in a variety of settings (surgery, rehabilitation, nursing, logistics.
• Delivery of:

1. Food
2. Medications
3. Supplies
4. Pick up trash

?

Telehealth

• Augment traditional bedside care
• Shift from reactive to proactive care
• Synchronous and asynchronous care delivery
• eConsults
• Enhance care coordination
• Improve clinical outcomes
• Enhance patient experience
• Improve efficiency
• Expand clinician access
• Remote patient monitoring within the hospital

Smart Infrastructure

• Increased digitation of the building
• Redesign of the physical environment: As more services move into the outpatient arena, the hospital will consist of a population of patients with increased severity of illness.
• ALL CARE, ANYWHERE:? Scalability of a room – ability to scale up or scale down the room based on patient needs
• Total Room Automation by patient or family

1. Lighting
2. Temperature
3. Shading

• Centralized tracking of supplies, assets and people
• Support patient social needs (food security, utility access, housing).

CONCLUSIONS:

• The next decade will offer new opportunities and technologies to dramatically improve the provision of patient care.
• Integration of smart infrastructure with technology will increase efficiencies, patient comfort and outcomes.
• The benefits of these advances will be groundbreaking, but only if we embrace and innovate these opportunities.

Erkan Hassan, Pharm.D., FCCM is a clinician and transformational healthcare executive with 20+ years experience developing innovative solutions to improve clinical outcomes, enhance provider experience and increase revenue.

Dr. Hassan aids health systems and providers by making telemedicine a reality as well as improving the process of difficult clinical challenges using evidence based clinical data creating and optimizing intelligent ecosystems to generate validated patient centered clinical and financial outcomes.

You can reach Erkan at [email protected]