2018 global health care sector outlook

The Report

With quality, outcomes, and value the watchwords for health care in the 21st century, sector stakeholders around the globe are looking for innovative, cost-effective ways to deliver patient-centered, technology enabled "smart" health care, both inside and outside hospital walls. Evolving policies, processes, and capabilities to deliver smart health care will not be easy, given global health care’s magnitude and complexity.

This 2018 outlook reviews the current state of the global health care sector; explores trends and issues impacting health care providers, governments, other payers, and patients; and suggests considerations for stakeholders as they seek to deliver high-quality, cost-efficient, smart health care.

Viewpoints / key findings

Independently and collectively, health care stakeholders in 2018 are likely to face a number of existing and emerging issues in their quest to get “smarter”. The report explores the six key issues that are of primary concern to the health care sector, and the trends that will impact smart health care delivery:

• Creating a positive margin in an uncertain and changing health economy 
• Strategically moving from volume to value
• Responding to health policy and complex regulations
• Investing in exponential technologies to reduce costs, increase access, and improve care
• Engaging with consumers and improving the patient experience
• Shaping the workforce of the future
  
  

It also lays out suggestions for providers, health plans, government health, and consumers on how they can leverage technology in order to achieve these smart goals.