The COVID pandemic did not start the technology revolution in healthcare. That movement had started well before 2020, spurred by several key megatrends such as the ageing of the global population. According to the United Nations, the number of people aged 65 and over is expected to more than double in the next 25 years, reaching 1.6 billion in 2050, equivalent to 1 in 6 people worldwide. The number of people aged 80 or older is growing even faster.
The ageing phenomenon has the potential to have an even greater impact than any past pandemic, as older people tend to consume more healthcare resources than the rest of the population. In the United States alone, people aged 65 or over accounted for 17 % of the population but represented 37 % of personal healthcare demand in 2020. In 2019, this segment of the population needed 280 700 physicians to provide their healthcare, but that number will need to rise to over 400 000 by 2034.
Extrapolated to the global picture, the healthcare provider shortage is even more dire, with the World Health Organization (WHO) suggesting a global shortage of 4.3 million physicians, nurses and other health professionals. Aside from sheer numbers, this shift could also influence how the field prioritizes its care delivery. We may, for example, need more doctors who are generalists rather than specialists as their patients are likely to suffer from comorbidities and require more generalist care.
While the promises of technological innovation are alluring, it is important to keep the quality of patient care in mind. AI may lead to more personalized care in the sense that doctors will be able to design tailored treatments for patients and deliver them with increased precision, but we must be careful not to compromise on how personal care is. Remember, no matter how “high tech” healthcare becomes, at its best and most effective, healthcare is a “high touch” practice.
In a hospital, patients have nothing but their gown. They are at their most vulnerable, and they need a human connection in the care they receive. This is the constant that must be protected at all costs. If the healthcare industry is to capitalize responsibly on the promises of innovation, it must go beyond outcomes and consider the patient experience, too.
Technology is already being implemented and developed at breakneck speeds at every level of the healthcare field. What is needed now is a quality platform where the industry can gather methods, processes, performance monitoring tools, accountability mechanisms and a sound risk mitigation apparatus. For this, ISO is the only prescription.
ISO’s International Standards, built on expert input, are the invisible fabric that will help us create this platform. These standards already exist, and more are being developed continuously – but a standard that is not adopted is meaningless. The future of healthcare is such a big conversation involving so many different voices that it can be hard to know where to start. Why not start by adopting standards and using them as the basis for future progress?
If large organizations and thought leaders like the WHO, national governments and industry leaders can embody this message and take it forward, we can usher in the next era of healthcare worldwide.
