By Jennifer Bresnick

mHealth apps, increased patient engagement, and a focus on data transparency are in store for the healthcare industry in 2015, says PricewaterhouseCooper.

December 09, 2014 - Patient engagement, data transparency, and a rapid increase in the use of mHealth apps and devices are among the top ten health issues that will guide the industry’s development in the coming year, says a report by PricewaterhouseCooper (PwC), as patient-centered care and outcomes-based reimbursements define an evolving ecosystem of care. As consumers continue to clamor for convenient, secure, quality service from their healthcare professionals, providers will be required to enlist the help of new types of technologies and new partnerships to meet demands.

“With consumers leading the way, bearing more costs and making more decisions, change is erupting throughout the health industry,” said Kelly Barnes, PwC’s US health industries leader. “Established healthcare companies and new entrants are rapidly developing cost-efficient products and services tailored directly to consumers.”

These products and services are preparing healthcare providers to embrace do-it-yourself healthcare, PwC says, leveraging the growing maturity and capabilities of mHealth to keep patients connected and providers informed. While smartwatches, wristbands, and sleep trackers have previously performed only basic functions with dubious clinical benefit, the report predicts that more robust and effective medical devices will move out of the hospital and into the homes of patients who will take advantage of remote monitoring and tracking.

Providers will need to find the optimal balance between convenience and privacy as data streams expand and health information creeps into new aspects of the industry. Data breaches are common, and patients continue to mistrust healthcare providers when it comes to handling their personal health information (PHI) in a secure and private manner.

Sixty-eight percent of the 1000 consumers surveyed by PwC’s Health Research Institute to develop the report were concerned about the security of their data in smartphone health apps, while 78% were worried about medical data security. As more and more data moves through information exchanges, lives in multiple locations, and is moved and sorted to perform analytics and population health management, providers will need to ensure that staff members are trained to handle PHI appropriately and that business partners are operating in secure environments.

This will be especially important as data becomes increasingly transparent, the report predicts. Consumers, payers, and government agencies alike are moving towards a desire for better reporting on quality and outcomes, especially as reimbursements become more closely tied to these metrics. Evidence of safe and effective treatments will be required if providers wish to be paid for high-cost or experimental treatments, and patients will continue to demand proof of quality and safety when selecting providers and facilities for their care.

In order to help keep up with these massive changes, providers will look to physician extenders, such as physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and care coordinators, to handle basic services, help patients understand and accomplish care tasks, and relieve the pressure of cramped schedules brought on by increases in patient load and decreases in productivity. As the Affordable Care Act brings in more and more newly insured patients who may not have had access to routine care while uninsured, providers will need to partner with additional healthcare professionals to stay financially solvent.

Addressing all of these issues in the coming year will be critical for providers who will be required to retool their practices for the changing generational landscape. Millions of retiring baby boomers requiring chronic disease management and other advanced care, coupled with the growing interest of millennials in quick, accessible healthcare, will drive significant changes in the way the industry is structured to deliver care.

“In 2015, the future will come into sharper focus,” PwC says. “Unprecedented data sharing and transparency will heighten the tension between privacy and convenience. New technology will demand new regulatory frameworks and clarified rules. Shifts in care will prompt states—and healthcare organizations—to revisit scope of practice regulations that enable non-physicians to do more.”

“Yet even as the industry contends with these emerging issues, healthcare organizations must not neglect the demands of today, from reducing hospital readmissions to fully integrating data from electronic medical records. In the near term, many healthcare organizations must straddle two worlds.”