The digital revolution has begun but 52% of executives have not progressed beyond the pilot stage

Darryl Gibbings-Isaac of Accenture, gives results of a HIMSS Trust survey, at The Future of Healthcare during HIMSS21.

Photo: Susan Morse

Healthcare is moving towards a post-pandemic world in which COVID-19 has influenced nearly every aspect of care, from telehealth to a new focus on the hospital-at-home model.

To find out how provider and payer executives and patients feel about where healthcare is headed and their role in the new normal, HIMSS gathered insights from over 3,000 stakeholders. 

Dr. Anne Snowdon, chief scientific research officer for HIMSS, and a panel of experts released the results of the research from the HIMSS Trust during "The Future of Healthcare," Wednesday, at HIMSS21 in Las Vegas.

"What happened in the pandemic, we were thrust into this digital revolution," said Tom Kiesau, senior partner with the Chartis Group, who talked about the findings from surveying 220 executives on such issues as digital health, machine learning and AI.

Fifty-two percent have not progressed beyond pilot stages for digital integration, but understand the need for digital transformation, Kiesau said. Close to half (47%) cite digital as a top organizational priority, and 80% plan to increase their digital investments.

One interesting statistic is that 7% said they believe AL and ML are a top priorities for the future, the same percent that also say they are a distraction.
 
Executives question whether making an investment is the best way to begin. But a good warning sign that more planning is needed is that new technology, plus an old organization, equals a costly old organization, Kiesau said.

Most (88%) said they believe commercial payments need to grow to support long-term financial health.

Investment needs to be prioritized. One area that stood out for investment is hospital at home, a care model that has gotten more attention as an alternative to inpatient care during COVID-19. Hospitals are even looking at models for acute care in the home.

About three-quarters are prioritizing hospital at home while a third are not over the next five years. The ones that are will have first-mover advantage, Kiesau said.

In one area there is agreement. Moving forward, "health systems are looking at everything," Kiesau said.

Dr. Darryl Gibbings-Isaac, clinical innovation subject matter expert for Accenture, knows the clinician perspective first-hand. 

Seventy-one percent of clinicians say they will continue to use digital tools to some or a greater extent at the end of the pandemic, he said. Eighty percent are interested in AI for clinical use cases and 76% said AI is not a threat to their job security.

Shreesh Tiwari, principal in ZS's health plan, gave the payer perspective, in which there is a great deal of forward-looking optimism, he said.

"On value-based care, the fee-for-service model is going to have its natural death in five or six years." Tiwari said.

But to really reduce the cost of care, "There is a growing realization that the entire ecosystem has to come together," Tiwari said.

Lauren Goodman, director for market intelligence for HIMSS, talked to 262 respondents who had a clinical visit in the past 12 months.

Patients imagine about one-third of visits being remote as ideal, she said. An estimated 61% said they would use wearable technology, and 63% said they would likely use an at-home medical test. Answers varied by age demographic, with younger consumers more likely to accept digital care and Baby Boomers less likely.

Surprisingly, 17% had negative views of AI and ML because they thought they'd be working with a machine, Goodman said.

Paying for care, insurance coverage and price transparency are important to consumers. In general, 39% want affordability.

Twitter: @SusanJMorse
Email the writer: susan.morse@himssmedia.com