It is difficult to predict with certainty the specific impacts that health systems and hospitals will experience in 2023, as this will depend on a number of factors such as technological advances, policy changes, and global economic and political trends. However, it is likely that health systems and hospitals will continue to face a number of challenges in the coming years.

It can be argued that 2022 was one of the most financially challenging years hospitals and health systems have ever experienced, and it looks like 2023 is going to bring more difficulties as these organizations try to overcome rising costs, labor shortages, and inflation—just to name a few.

“Today, hospitals are facing multiple issues in the healthcare industry, including the rising cost of labor, a labor shortage, rising costs of supplies due to inflation, pandemic spikes, and reductions to Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements,” Michael Sunday, Jr., CFO for Pardee UNC Health Care, previously told HealthLeaders. “To take on these challenges, we are first looking at ways to not rely on contract labor. That could mean creating a hospital contract labor pool to reduce the impact of contract labor. Other steps would include hiring in-house recruiters to help bring qualified employees into the organization and finding ways to reduce costs, including the reduction of waste and energy consumption.” 

Tina Wheeler, sector leader for Deloitte’s U.S. healthcare practice, released the 2023 Outlook for Healthcare, where she identified four forces that will impact health systems and hospitals in the next year. Her research is based on the results of a recent survey conducted by the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions.

The four forces are:

Inflation and affordability: Only 7% of health system survey respondents said inflation and affordability issues were not likely to impact their 2023 strategy while 76% thought it would have a significant impact.

Digital transformation: Twenty-nine percent of health system survey respondents said the accelerated digital transformation would likely have a major impact on their organization’s strategy in 2023, while 63% thought it would have a moderate effect.

Shrinking margins: It is likely 2022 will be one of the worst financial years hospitals have experienced in decades. With operating margins compressed, some hospitals could get acquired while others may be forced to close their doors. 

New payment models: Transitioning to new payment models, such as value-based care, will be a top priority in 2023, among those health plan leaders surveyed for 2023.

“The thought always has been that healthcare was kind of recession-proof, but what we’re seeing is a trend—with inflation being so high—where consumers are saying [I need to prioritize] putting food on the table or I have to afford to put gas in my car,” Wheeler says. “People deferred elective procedures and even general healthcare during COVID-19. And now inflation has almost exacerbated that effect, because now people are saying, ‘Well, if I can do a virtual visit, am I really that sick, or do I really need that test?’ And then the other concern is, how is that going to impact preventative care.”

THE FINANCIAL IMPACT OF DELAYED CARE

One of the most significant financial challenges facing hospitals and health systems in 2022 was declining margins. A major contributing factor to this margin pressure has been the decline in patient volumes.

“A lot of health systems are still recovering from low patient volumes and revenue shortfalls that are tied to the pandemic,” Wheeler says. “And on top of that, it’s the perfect storm because you’ve got increasing cost of supplies due to inflation, you’ve got labor costs, which are continuing to rise. And the one thing that we’ve found statistically is that wage inflation doesn’t go away. So, when you start paying people more, whether it’s nurses, clinicians, cafeteria workers, or maintenance workers—once you start paying more, it’s difficult to pull back.”

One thing Wheeler and her team at Deloitte have noticed is that the issue when it comes to labor isn’t as much of a shortage as it is these organizations lack a sufficient plan to reduce their labor costs. One way Wheeler says hospitals and health systems can combat this is by focusing more on the organization’s digital transformation, which can help eliminate those low-value processes and jobs.

“The other trend that we’re seeing from a cost savings perspective is how a lot of health systems are asking: ‘Do I need to have a big IT shop, or should I outsource that?’ So, we call that an operate play, where you’re taking an area where you used to have a department of 100 or 1,000 people and are saying, ‘No, we don’t need to do that. Let’s focus on what we’re good at, which is treating patients and providing care to communities,” Wheeler says. “And maybe we should be outsourcing more of these functions, which in turn will reduce costs.”

Another tactic that can help offset margin pressures, according to Wheeler, is revenue differentiation. Different streams of revenue from sources that hospitals may not have necessarily been involved with previously can go a long way in reducing this burden.

“We’re seeing a huge trend along those lines,” Wheeler says. “We’re seeing this continued convergence in our industry. You’ve got all of the retail disruptors in healthcare. As the retailers are getting in, healthcare providers are considering getting into retail. So, continuing to think about not being a traditional hospital, but looking at other revenue streams to differentiate so that you would have higher margin products to offset some of these lower margin issues that you’re dealing with. It’s continuing to look at ways to not be just that traditional bricks and mortar healthcare.”

EXPLORING NEW PAYMENT OPTIONS

Concerning the health plan industry, most health plans will start 2023 in a strong financial position, according to the Deloitte research, thanks to a decline in healthcare claims in 2022. Hospitals and health systems, however, are likely going to start off the new year in the red and spend 2023 figuring out how to move back into the black. One way Wheeler says they can do that is through alternative payment methods such as value-based care. 

“Health plan executives that we surveyed specifically said continuing the journey of value-based care was top of mind and part of the strategy for 2023,” Wheeler says. “It’s such a contrast—the headlines about health plan financials in contrast to healthcare provider financials. And so, I think what will be interesting to see is health systems will inevitably move to more value-based care. There’s a view that the healthcare system must shift … but there’s also hesitation because they’re facing such a difficult time. If they haven’t been doing anything in the last five to 10 years, they’re probably already behind.”

Wheeler says she’s seen organizations run pilot programs, but they haven’t been delivering well on those pilots because they haven’t fully embraced care delivery transformation.

“I’m focusing on quality and value and trying to align the financial aspects of healthcare with the delivery of care. Healthcare, in general, is known as a loss leader—you can’t make any money at healthcare,” Javier Vallejo, CFO for Prism Health North Texas, previously told HealthLeaders. “Time and time again, if you look at the business cycles, the facilities that are doing something right, the facilities that are working towards the future, they are finding ways to bridge that gap and bring those two concepts together.”

As for Wheeler, she says organizations just need the “right push” to make value-based care work for them.

“I believe 2023 is going to be another challenging year for hospitals and health systems as they work to balance financial pressures with the need to invest in the future while ensuring high-quality care,” Wheeler says in her report. “These organizations will likely need to do all they can to attract and maintain patients.” 

The post The 4 Forces That Will Impact Health Systems And Hospitals In 2023 appeared first on InnoHEALTH magazine.

Nurse unions can be active participants in the development and implementation of workforce policies, as they represent the interests of nurses and can provide valuable input and perspectives on issues that affect the nursing profession.

Nurse unions may participate in the policy-making process in a number of ways, including through direct lobbying of lawmakers, participating in policy committees and working groups, and collaborating with other organizations and stakeholders on policy initiatives. Nurse unions may also engage in public education and outreach efforts to raise awareness about issues that affect nurses and the healthcare system as a whole.

On Monday, December 19, nursing unions and associations across India wrote an open letter to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) demanding active consultation in drafting the ministry’s guidelines on the working conditions of nurses across private- and public-sector establishments.

The letter was signed by 11 unions, including the United Nurses Association (UNA), the All India Government Nurses Federation (AIGNF), and the Association of Railway Nurses of India (ARNI). It notes that “the government developed this draft without any consultation with the unions and associations that represent the nursing workforce of the country,” instead regarding them as “passive participants” in the development of the draft.

The draft guidelines released by the MoHFW aim to address the conditions of work of nursing personnel across both public and private sector establishments. Some of the provisions proposed in the guidelines include creches in every healthcare institution, an annual health checkup, fixed 40-hour work weeks, compensated leave for additional hours worked during emergencies, and mandatory housing for nursing staff on campus. 

The draft guidelines proposed cite the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Strategy on  ‘Human Resources for Health: Workforce 2030’ report, which calls for upholding “the personal, employment and professional rights of the health workforce, including safe and decent working environments and freedom from all kinds of discrimination, coercion, and violence.”

While welcoming the government’s initiative to address the conditions of nurses, who have worked through the COVID-19 pandemic under difficult conditions, the unions expressed disappointment at the government’s failure to engage them as “active decision makers” while developing the draft. They suggest that the guidelines could go further in “mandating nurse-to-patient ratios, addressing the issue of increasing contractualization of nursing workforces in private hospitals, accountability measures, especially for the private sector to ensure implementation of the provisions, among other gaps.” 

The unions have stated that “a policy on working conditions of nursing personnel will be crucial in setting standards for the sector and requires more extensive planning and consultation, especially with the nursing workforce who have expertise in identifying relevant concerns and ways in which they can be addressed.” 

Raman Kannan, sub-regional secretary for South Asia at Public Services International, said that “nurses deserve more than applause. They deserve no less than their right to secure and safe working conditions, living wages, training and professional development. They deserve respect and to have their collective voice respected when forming policies that impact on them.” 

Unions have urged the Narendra Modi-led government at the center to conduct a joint consultation with nursing unions and nursing workforce representatives to develop and finalize the guidelines.

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Access to elective surgery, also known as non-emergency or planned surgery, can vary depending on a number of factors, including a person’s geographic location, income level, and insurance coverage. In some cases, access to elective surgery may be limited due to a lack of availability of specialized surgeons or facilities, or due to long wait times for procedures.

Improving accessibility

India is currently facing a dual dilemma in healthcare where the patients need more access to quality and affordable hospitals and doctors need more patients. With only approximately 40% of hospitals providing high quality and advanced treatments, the new-age healthcare providers are filling this gap by bringing high standard health treatments to patients. 

As far as elective surgeries in India are concerned, their high cost often puts them out of reach of a large segment of the population, which constitutes a large gap in the healthcare system. While the conditions necessitating an elective surgery are usually not life-threatening, they can lead to complications if the surgery is not done on time. For example, if a patient puts off surgery for removing gallbladder stones, it might lead to infection, and in some cases may trigger an emergency situation. 

India accounts for 20% of the global disease burden because an overburdened public health sector is simply unable to provide treatment to all those in need. New-age healthcare providers are filling up that healthcare gap and making the entire process of going for elective surgery easier, affordable, and accessible. With their patient-centric approach, these new-age healthcare service providers, which are still relatively a recent phenomenon, are democratizing surgical care in India with their unique patient-care models. 

Leveraging tech, surgeons & equipment

In a way, elective surgeries are becoming the healthcare equivalent of plug-and-play digital platforms that dominate retail shopping, transport, and hotel bookings. Digitization has improved access to top-class healthcare, including elective surgeries, and has obliterated geographies that earlier divided urban and rural locations. New-age healthcare providers can potentially cut surgical costs by more than 50% by circumventing the reasons that raise costs of private surgical care, such as the distant location of large hospitals, fragmentation of the ‘affordable’ healthcare infrastructure in smaller towns, and underutilization of surgeons and OT spaces. 

These companies provide access to an online network of hundreds of specialist doctors that facilitates transparency in the healthcare ecosystem. They provide access to elective surgeries from a range of ambulatory and daycare surgery providers. They also take care of the patient through the treatment journey starting from the first OPD visit, diagnostics, admission, surgery, discharge process, and follow-ups with the surgeon.

Medical advances have made surgeries for conditions like hernia, prostate, piles, fibroids, and kidney stones possible with daycare instead of longer and more expensive hospital stays. This plug-and-play model enables all those who use such a platform to benefit from the model by increasing operation theatre (OT) utilization, substantially enhancing the earning potential of surgeons, and slashing the expenses of patients. These new-age healthcare providers follow an asset-light model that benefits both surgeons and patients.

Elective surgeries do not have an urgency, but patients demand a higher level of service at a price that is cost-effective. Many of these new-age healthcare service providers establish smaller facilities for elective surgeries and have a panel of surgeons as well. Unlike a large hospital, new-age healthcare models need not always invest to set up an expensive OT but can rent one from smaller hospitals which brings down operational costs. Because of low overhead costs, these companies are able to do these surgeries at a competitive rate. However, they do invest heavily in upgrading the idle, unutilized space in hospitals in smaller towns, and setting up systems, including establishing strong IT infrastructure in those facilities.

In a nutshell, they are changing the scenario of elective surgeries with a business model that blends medical excellence with the services of highly qualified surgeons, and top-class equipment and provide affordable service to patients in their own towns, and eliminates the need for patients to travel for surgeries.

End-to-end services

New-age healthcare providers attach high importance to patient-centric policies to boost growth. Many of them use AI-enabled tech platforms to make general and short-stay surgeries affordable and safe. From zeroing in on the best doctor and process for diagnosis to admission to discharge and post-surgery care, these tech platforms make the treatment journey smooth and affordable.

End-to-end services mean companies offer an array of solutions for every medical, financing, insurance, and recovery need of their customers undergoing surgery. Such services take care of the challenges of pre and post-surgery patient care and encourage secondary care surgeries.

Many of these healthcare providers are also collaborating with insurance companies to enable single-window clearance for patients for their healthcare financing needs. The hospitals that these startups leverage also provide no-cost EMI options, allowing patients to pay for treatments in monthly installments without incurring interest costs.

According to a Niti Aayog report, only 30-35 % of patients undergo surgery in India as compared to 60-65% globally. With a high disease burden, India is expected to see a huge number of short-stay elective surgeries, although these are yet to become a priority for those who need them. But that situation is slowly changing and is likely to pick up speed with new-age healthcare providers truly democratizing surgical care in India with patients at the centre of it all.

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Healthcare robotics refers to the use of robots and robotic systems in healthcare settings for tasks such as surgery, rehabilitation, and assisting with patient care. This technology has the potential to improve efficiency and accuracy in healthcare, as well as reduce the risk of injuries to healthcare workers.

For representational purposes

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:  Genrobotic Innovations, an emerging startup, opened a new research and development (R&D) centre at Technocity (Technopark phase-IV)) in Thiruvananthapuram, on Monday, focussing on development of healthcare robots. Health Minister Veena George inaugurated the facility. Dr Nitha J, Head of Department, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, KIMS Health and Genrobotics co-founders Vimal Govind M K, Nikhil N P, Rashid K, and Arun George were also present on the occasion.

Research and development of various health care products will be the exclusive focus of the new centre. This expansion will contribute job opportunities in the sector. Genrobotics, which began as a startup that has displayed innovation in solving different social issues, has emerged as one of the most impactful companies. It made a big impact by developing sewer-cleaning robot Bandicoot, which replaced manual scavenging. Bandicoot has been deployed in 17 states and three Union Territories across India.

“We are on a journey of growth, and opening an office at such a location will give us greater opportunities to attract new developments in this sector,” said Vimal Govind, who is also the director of Genrobotic Innovations. He said his team aims to make Thiruvananthapuram the world’s robotic capital, which was even mentioned by Padma Shri, Sridhar Vembu during the inauguration of G-Gaiter.

Genrobotics recently launched its new robotic gait trainer, G-Gaiter, for the healthcare segment to aid faster recovery from gait disabilities. G-Gaiter aims to give the perfect solution to issues pertaining to the traditional gait training method. With these new developments, the company is pushing ahead a global business expansion venture, with initial advancement projects in India and the UK.

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2022 was great for science, with historic space missions to archeological discoveries and plenty to learn in medicine.

January

The year 2022 started on a high note with the world waiting for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to reach its final position 1.5 million kilometers from Earth, which it did. And very soon we were able to see the universe like never before. January also brought the best evidence so far that the common Epstein-Barr virus is the main cause of Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

For the first time, a person received a genetically modified heart from a pig. The hope is that one day more people will get organ transplants when they need one even if a human organ is unavailable. But in this first attempt the patient died two months later.

February

In February, it was announced that the International Space Station (ISS), a hallmark of space cooperation, peace and research would retire by 2031 and rest at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean when it returns to Earth.

March

March became an important month for aphasia awareness when it was announced that Bruce Willis had been diagnosed with the language disorder and as a result was ending a decades-long career in acting. Also in March, a study estimated that the number of deaths caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to be around 18 million globally. This was three times the number reported by the World Health Organization (WHO). And when the wreck of Shackleton’s ship Endurance was discovered in Antartica, it was hailed “one of the biggest achievements in polar history and polar science.”.

April

In April, research suggested human gene mutations could be strongly linked with the likelihood of a person developing schizophrenia. A further 120 genes were identified as playing a role as well. Other research explained how psilocybin, a psychedelic compound found in magic mushrooms, could be effective in treating depression. But it’s important that people do not “self-medicate”: the psychoactive element was tested in a controlled setting.

May

In May, the Event Horizon Telescope team said it had captured the first image of a supermassive black hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxy. Then we learned that seven hours of sleep is best for cognitive performance and good mental health, after results from a big study with 500,000 participants were released. And with humanity still struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic, the month of May was hit with yet another bit of viral news when monkeypox cases started to emerge internationally. The WHO has since changed the name of the virus to Mpox.

June

In June, researchers at Germany’s Alfred Wegener Institute predicted “dramatic losses” of the Siberian tundra by the middle of the millennium due to global heating. They said the tundra may disappear. Then, adding to the many amazing astronomy events this year, it was a particular treat when five planets — Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn — aligned with a crescent moon.

July

In July, DW’s Science team looked at life as a LGBTQ scientist and the challenges and discrimination that people face. There was exciting particle physics news: scientists working on the world’s largest and most powerful collider, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), announced that they had discovered three new particles. And then it was time for one of the most awaited moments of 2022 in science: scientists unveiled the first images from the JWST. The images revealed a deep look at the universe with unprecedented detail and signs of water vapor on a planet 1,150 light-years from Earth.

August

In August, a study suggested that milk consumption might not be the reason why ancient humans evolved the capacity to digest lactose as adults. We got a better understanding of long COVID with the findings from a study with 1.2 million patients conducted over a two-year period. For almost 120 years, the writing system known as “Linear Elamite” was considered unreadable. But that changed when a team of archaeologists said they had partially deciphered the writing system.

September

In September, space scientists achieved something almost sci-fi, with humanity’s first attempt to nudge an asteroid’s trajectory by hitting it really hard with an automated spacecraft. That was NASA’s DART mission, a test to see how we might one day defend Earth from asteroid impacts.

October

October started as ever with the Nobel Prize announcements. These were the winners in science: Medicine was awarded to Svante Paabo for research into how human beings evolved. Physics was awarded to Alain Aspect, John F. Clauser and Anton Zeilinger for their work on quantum mechanics.

Chemistry was awarded to Carolyn R. Bertozzi, K. Barry Sharpless and Morten Meldal for developing a way of snapping molecules together. Also in October, we learned that dating archeological objects based on the Earth’s magnetic field could help pinpoint the dates of biblical military campaigns. And this year’s World Polio Day came with a reminder that the disease was present in two countries and vaccine-derived forms had been reported in UK and US wastewater.

November

Our understanding of human history took a step forward with findings that early humans cooked food as early as 780,000 years ago and not only 170,000 years ago as was previously thought. On November 16, Artemis I, an uncrewed mission to the moon finally launched after numerous scrubbed attempts earlier in the year. The Artemis program’s goal is to take humans back to the moon, build a base there and travel on to Mars.

December

And finally, in December, the US National Ignition Facility (NIF) announced that researchers there had made a breakthrough in fusion energy. Nuclear fusion is what powers the sun and scientists hope it will become part of future, sustainable energy sources. But there is a long way to go yet.

The post The best science, innovation and health stories of 2022 appeared first on InnoHEALTH magazine.

Fifteen startups selected in the first-of-its-kind product accelerator program for innovators developing sustainable solutions will soon start working towards solutions in the healthcare and agriculture domains.

This is the first cohort of the NIRMAN Accelerator Program launched by Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC) IIT Kanpur. The accelerator program supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Govt. of India, through its NIDHI scheme portfolio, will help solve challenges in the product development journey of indigenous innovations. The programme takes a leaf out of the best methods and key insights from the 2 very successful national initiatives of SIIC IIT Kanpur, The Ventilator Project and Mission Bharat O2.

The calls for the programme were launched in July 2022, and the start-ups were selected through rigorous screening. This was followed by training, including residential workshops for getting the start-ups geared up to meet the challenges ahead.

The first 3-day residential workshop for the startups provided the startups with a better understanding of funding opportunities, compliance & business opportunities for health tech and agritech startups, Angel and VC funding for early-stage startups, compliance through Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), ISO and Government e-Marketplace (GeM) and ethos associated with team building. Representatives from VCs like growX, YourNest, corporates like DS Group, and government agencies like TDB, GeM shared their insights and learning with the startup founders in this program. Startups under the cohort got opportunities to interact with eminent speakers from government agencies, Angel Investors and VC communities, and prominent industry leaders.

Dr. Anita Gupta, Head NEB Division DST, underlined this program’s importance in strengthening the country’s innovation ecosystem and creating startups focusing on areas of national importance.

Regarding the program’s response, Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Director IIT Kanpur, said, “NIRMAN Accelerator Program is expected to expedite the journey of startups developing cutting-edge, technology-driven innovations in these critical areas from prototype to market.”

The cohort was encouraged to address the pertinent challenges of the Indian hardware sector through their innovative solutions. The accelerator program will enable comprehensive nurturing and fostering of the start-ups through effective mentoring and market access, and with the completion of the training period this month, the start-ups will get launched in their journey towards indigenous innovations.

The programme can build focused solutions to accelerate the journey of indigenous solutions from India to build a sustainable world.

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Ms Shalini Kumari from India received first prize in the Grassroots Innovation Competition at the 3rd ASEAN India Grassroots Innovation forum for her innovation ‘Modified walker with adjustable legs’.

The technology which was transferred to the industry, Vissco Rehabilitation Aids, a leading manufacturer of orthopedic products in the country, is available for purchase through Brick and Mortar stores and also through marketplaces like Amazon India for purchase by common people of the country.

Ms Shalini Kumari received the prize from H.E Dr. Hul Seingheng, Cambodia COSTI Chairman and Director General, General Department of Science, Technology & Innovation under the Ministry of Industry Science, Technology & Innovation (MISTI), Kingdom of Cambodia. She has won the cash prize of USD 1,500 by virtue of being the winner of first prize.

The three-day 3rd ASEAN India Grassroots Innovation forum organized by the ASEAN Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation (COSTI) in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India and the National Innovation Foundation (NIF) – India concluded today at Phnom Penh, Cambodia in the presence of H.E. Kitti Settha Pandita Cham Prasidh, Hon’ble Minister of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation, Kingdom of Cambodia. The forum consisted of Grassroots Innovation Competition, Student Innovation Competition, Panel discussions, Keynote speeches and an exhibition of innovations consisting of participants from India and the ASEAN Member States (AMS).

Speaking on the occasion, the Hon’ble Minister from Cambodia expressed his optimism that the participants would have learnt from experiences of each other. About 100 technologies from 9 countries were on display during the three-day exhibition.

On this occasion, Mr Richhpal Singh, Charge d Affairs, Embassy of India in the Kingdom of Cambodia and Dr. Zurina Moktar, Head – Science and Technology Division, ASEAN Secretariat were also present. On the side-lines of the 3rd ASEAN India Grassroots Innovation forum, a Government 2 Government meeting was also held in Cambodia which included representation from ASEAN Member States, India and ASEAN Secretariat.

The 2nd and 3rd prize has been won by grassroots innovators from Philippines and Myanmar respectively who have won USD 1000 and USD 500 respectively. Altogether, a total of 45 grassroots innovators have participated and represented 9 nationalities in this competition. The first and second prize in the Student Innovation competition has been won by participants from Thailand whereas the third prize has been won by the student from Lao PDR. A total of 37 participants have participated, representing 9 countries.

The first prize winner from India Ms Shalini Kumari at the forum, a resident of Patna in Bihar; she was first recognized by the National Innovation Foundation (NIF) – India, an autonomous body of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India through IGNITE Competition in the year 2011 for the same technology.

The ASEAN India Grassroots Innovation forum organized annually by COSTI in partnership with DST, Government of India and the National Innovation Foundation (NIF) – India comprises seminar sessions, innovation competitions, and an exhibition. By bringing together key players, namely government officials, grassroots innovators, student innovators, academics, business actors, and the wider community, this forum provides a platform to promote and strengthen the development of the grassroots innovation ecosystem. The 1st two forums were organized in Indonesia (2018) and Philippines (2019) respectively while there was a brief pause of two years owing to the pandemic.

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