No matter the outcome of the U.S Presidential and Congressional elections, 2017 always was going to be a big year for healthcare. Several trends were inevitable, such as the impact of emerging technologies on the delivery of healthcare and the use of big data in decision-making.
Now, with election results clear, industry leaders have a better idea of what changes they might expect in the coming year. Some may be incremental while others could be drastic. Some changes may be slow-moving, while others could play out swiftly, such as the repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act and streamlining of the FDA drug approval process.
Healthcare executives and PR professionals can monitor broadcast news and commentary on key issues by setting up news alerts. The following four issues are a good place to start.
Repeal and Replace the ACA
All eyes are on the White House and Congress, as they move to dismantle the Affordable Care Act and replace it with something new. Healthcare organizations across the spectrum have a significant stake in the outcome. But this is a complicated issue, so a single search won’t be sufficient to adequately capture all relevant news and commentary. Instead, set up several searches tailored to your specific interests. For example, health insurance companies may want to set up searches to cover actions by Paul Ryan and Congress, statements by President Trump, and any mention of the ACA, repeal and replace, and HSAs. Remember, these searches can be consolidated in a single Watchlist cluster for ease of tracking.
Emerging Technologies
Healthcare has been slower than other industries to adopt emerging technologies, but PwC sees great potential for artificial intelligence, block chain, drones and other advancements to disrupt the industry over the next few years. Create a Watchlist cluster to monitor all eight of these emerging technologies.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Augmented Reality (AR)
- Block chain
- Drones
- Internet of Things (IoT)
- Robots
- Virtual Reality (VR)
- 3D Printing
Nutrition
With nearly 37% of Americans now considered obese, interest in nutrition is on the rise. Both consumers and employers are demanding more advice on healthy eating and fitness from their healthcare resources. Businesses as diverse as insurance companies, gyms, and retail clinics all have a financial interest in this trend. By monitoring the healthcare segments of morning shows, they can keep tabs on the latest weight-loss trends, changing consumer preferences and competitors’ commercials.
Drug Prices
Over the last several years, pharmaceutical companies have faced greater scrutiny about drug pricing. They’ve taken steps to self-regulate, while the Trump administration also plans to streamline the FDA’s drug approval process. Such actions will put pressure on drug prices, making these developments crucial to monitor.
Given the speed at which the new administration and technology are moving, no healthcare business can afford to miss a news segment about these topics. Request a demo to evaluate if TVEyes is right for your healthcare monitoring needs.
