Top Healthcare Predictions for 2023: HIT Analytics, mHealth, EHR, HITS

January 16, 2023 - In 2023, leaders in EHR, health IT analytics, mHealth, and health IT security may see a spike in innovation around reducing provider burden and addressing healthcare consumerism, experts told Healthcare Strategies.

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The focus on improving EHR interoperability will continue in 2023, according to Frank Harvey, chief executive officer of Surescripts. The shrinking healthcare workforce will motivate for healthcare organizations to streamline processes and reduce provider burden.

“Our focus and our work is to continue to evolve our technology to make it easier to help the transactions, to help that bright information get there, to help ease the burden on a healthcare practitioner,” Harvey shared.

“You're going to start to see an evolving healthcare team, where—as the number of primary care physicians lessens and the number of other healthcare workers drop off—you're going to see pharmacists playing a larger role in that primary care triad, if you will.”

Harvey also noted the challenge that specialty medications pose to access to care. These medications come with affordability barriers as well as administrative barriers that prevent patients from receiving treatment in a timely fashion.

In the face of administrative burdens and high rates of provider burnout, John Halamka, MD, President of Mayo Clinic Platform, suggested that artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning might become more important in the new year.

This increased uptake of AI and machine learning solutions must coincide with efforts to improve the credibility of these technologies and better oversight.

“Recognize that AI is math, not magic, and we need to ensure there is credible AI,” Halamka said.

However, not all the technological innovations in 2023 will be provider oriented. In fact, consumerism will continue to be the overarching theme in digital health in the new year, according to Lee Schwamm, MD, vice president of digital patient experience at Mass General Brigham Health System.

“The next wave of innovation is going to be around replicating that digital service-oriented experience in healthcare,” Schwamm predicted. “Be bold, deconstruct the traditional encounter and reassemble it in a way that increases value and efficiency. And remember that other disruptors are entering this space who know a lot about how to do that, even if they don't know a lot about healthcare.”

With the uptick in digital health solutions comes higher risks from cybersecurity threats. Robert Booker, chief strategy officer and executive vice president of the center of excellence at HITRUST, expected to see more guidance from the government and more alignment within the government around cybersecurity oversight.

“My sense is we'll see some level of alignment and continued synergies from the government,” Booker explained. “We'll see more and more opportunities to maybe hear a more common voice from the government instead of hearing different perspectives from different departments and agencies.”