Few things are a bigger part of our lives than health care. Its importance is set to continue to grow in coming years, and these trends will ensure that that remains the case for 2021 and beyond.
- Virtual Checkups
With the COVID pandemic, virtual meetings have quickly become a regular part of our routine. That’s true for the healthcare industry as well. Virtual checkups allow patients to “meet” with doctors from the comfort of their own home. While they won’t replace physicals, if all you need is a quick 5- to 10-minute checkup, a virtual checkup is quicker and easier, which likely means it’s here to stay.
- A Focus on Mental Health
One of the most consequential shifts in our discussion of health care over the past few decades has been the rise in funding for and understanding of mental health conditions and treatments. That correlation is not unrelated. As much-needed and long overdue conversations about mental health have changed our preconceptions of certain behaviors and moods and their causes, the need for greater empathy and care becomes clear.
- A Growing Workforce
The pandemic has changed the way workforces operate across the world, including in the healthcare industry. The loss of jobs in other industries combined with the increased attention paid to the healthcare industry given the pandemic means that an influx of applications and workers is highly likely. This is especially true of younger workers, who both understand all too acutely the costs and importance of health care as well as how important jobs in the system are to public well-being. Add to that the fact that the sector continues to expand and is one of the few industries that seems “COVID-proof” (for obvious reasons) in terms of its economic future, and the growth of the healthcare industry’s workforce seems all but assured.
- Healthcare Equity
The subject of healthcare equity is a hot one every election cycle, but the pandemic has really driven home how essential it is that we all receive the medical care we need and deserve at an affordable rate. This increased awareness combined with the economic and political incentives involved mean that more and bigger conversations about healthcare costs and equity are on the horizon.
All of these trends are bound to shape our healthcare conversation for years to come.