Last week, I offered a look back at the big industry stories of the year. This week, I am looking to the future and offering my thoughts about what will likely be the big stories for 2015. Some stories are continuations of big stories from 2014 (you can
click here to see the list of big stories from this year if you missed them last week).
The Affordable Care Act dominated the news this year. Remember that there were problems with the web interface early on, but the second time around the process improved, although many states did not embrace the ACA.
Congress also invested a lot of time and money in trying to repeal the act. In the end, it seemed to hold its own. However, there is a good chance in 2015 that Congress will try to repeal it once again.
I predict
wearable devices are going to really take hold in 2015. They are going to save people money and decrease the necessity of going the hospitals and therefore, reduce pressure and stress on hospitals.
Dose reduction continues to be another big story. In 2015, I think a big story will be about how facilities are replacing their older machines and how they are dealing with legacy machines.
I don't know about you, but I didn't have very much confidence in the way we dealt with the
Ebola crisis. Are we ready for a pandemic if one comes? What will we do to get ready? Although coverage by the mainstream press has waned as the public is moving on to the next news of the moment, the wakeup call is there and it is up to the health care community to respond. Even if the story is not getting the coverage it deserves, pandemic prevention is big news and I hope we get things in place in time.
Speaking of another thing to get in place in time, there has been talk about the
technetium shortage for some time. We have experienced some supply problems over the past few years, but I think things are going to hit a critical stage in the near future.
As for our future as a society, we are living longer and the population is the largest it has ever been in history. How is health care going to deal with the
aging of America?
I think that our traditional health care structure may not be up to the task of dealing with aging in America. Thinking outside of the box, we will need to keep an eye on the developing role of
community-based outpatient centers in 2015.
Lastly, with continued budget crunches, hospitals are looking for ways to cut costs. Will this open the door for
Asian manufacturers to meet a need? Will they be more competitive than the current dominant players and how will that change the market?
So there are a lot of things that I will be watching in 2015. If you have any ideas on big stories that we should keep an eye on, please let me know.
If I have two recommendations would be to read DOTmed news online, DOTmed HealthCare Business News and keep your broker on speed dial.
I hope you have had a prosperous 2014 and I hope 2015 is an even more successful year for you. Most of all, I wish you health. Remember, every day that you're alive is a good day.
Happy Holidays!
Phil is a member of AHRA, HFMA, AAMI and the Cryogenic Society of America. He has contributed to a number of magazines and journals and has addressed trade groups.
Phil's proudest achievement is that he has been happily married to his wife Barbara since 1989, who helped him found DOTmed in 1998.
