Privacy and Access Concerns about Health Information Compete with Care EfficienciesIndustry Compass 2.0: Intersection of Increasing Transparencies & Practices |
Evidence-based medicine becomes the standard of care. Electronic health records systems become more commonplace as physician adoption increases and organizations streamline administrative practices to help reduce preventable deaths and unnecessary hospitalizations. But individuals’ concerns for the privacy, accuracy and confidentiality of health-related information remain. Proper incentives and confidentiality guarantees will need to be in place before most Americans will trust the safety of their personal health information with third-party payers.
Numerous scholarly and public policy publications call attention to major gaps in safe and effective health care:
- The U.S. health care system falls short in the delivery of safe care – avoidable errors are a major problem
- The health care system falls short in the delivery of effective care – care based on evidence that improves the likelihood of an accurate diagnosis or optimal treatment plan
The increased practice of evidence-based medicine could help to close these gaps in the coming decade. According to Deloitte’s 2008 Survey of Health Care Consumers, 42 percent of consumers are in favor of a national program that provides incentives to doctors to adhere to evidence-based medicine; 43 percent say they might support such a program.
Key Trends
Movements that provide a richer understanding of what the future might hold
Evidence-based medicine becomes more commonplace but challenges remain:
- Electronic health records
- Streamlined administrative practices
- Privacy concerns compete with efficiencies
- Physician adoption
Signals
Early indicators, innovations and examples that suggest larger trends
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EMR Implementation Increases Traditionally, physician adoption of information technologies such as Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) has been a challenge; however, that appears to be changing. As evidence, 44 percent of respondents to the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) 2008 Leadership Survey indicated that they have a fully operational EMR in place at one or all facilities in their organization (up from 32 percent in 2007). Another 45 percent reported that their facility has begun to install EMR hardware and software in at least one facility; have either signed a contract to install an EMR, but have not yet begun the installation process; or have developed a plan to implement an EMR system. Fewer than ten percent of respondents indicated that they have not yet begun to plan to use an EMR within their organization. |
Landmarks
Strategic questions confronting industry stakeholders as they define and navigate the future
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Information Ownership How will health care data control, security and privacy concerns be addressed? |
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Universal Quality Concerns How will quality be measured and managed in a global marketplace? |
What is Industry Compass 2.0?
Produced by Deloitte LLP’s Health Sciences & Government Practice and Institute for the Future’s (IFTF) Health Horizons Program, the Industry Compass 2.0 is a visual guide designed to help you think about, plan for and navigate the future in an engaging and constructive way. The major elements of the Industry Compass 2.0 map – Drivers, Impact Zones, Trends, Signals, Hurdles, Landmarks and Artifacts – provide a framework for discussions about how the elements might interact and how your organization might respond to or even co-create the future.
Related Research and Insights:
U.S. News & World Report Article: Deloitte: Patients Want Electronic Health Records
Report: Pay for Quality: A Strategic Perspective
Overview: 2008 Survey of Health Care Consumers
Report: Transforming Care Delivery: Promoting Physician Adoption of Advanced Clinical Systems
As used in this document, ‘Deloitte’ means Deloitte LLP (and its subsidiaries). Please see www.deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte LLP and its subsidiaries.
