Every New Year brings new hopes and rampant optimistic fervor. That’s nothing new in healthcare, which begins each new year with a bevy of predictions about what the next 12 months will hold. 

•  

I’ve not usually been the one making the optimistic predictions; in the past, HDM staff members and me have gathered predictions from across the industry, synthesizing a range of prognostications into a cohesive look-ahead for the coming year. That’s the role I’ve stepped into again, mixing in a bit more analysis and my own estimate of what will be critically important in healthcare in 2024. 

•  

I thought this would take a couple days to write – it took about two weeks. That’s because there’s so much going on in healthcare, so many cross currents and impactful challenges that the industry must address next year and manage within this decade if healthcare organizations can really deliver on the lofty promises they want to make. The tools are there – now is the time for the craftsmen who lead healthcare organizations to take the data, IT tools and their evidence-based experiences to reformulate processes to fit the needs of people – both clinicians and patients. 

•  

Post-COVID-19, the industry is not out of the woods. It’s in the thick of a battle to manage conflicting demographic and economic challenges. Our series of five articles looks at the emerging trends of change that are critical to meeting the demands of the Quintuple Aim, which constitute important components for success in healthcare delivery. We welcome your feedback and alternative views – what’s on your radar screen for 2024? 

•  
• Fred Bazzoli, Editor in Chief