Dive Brief:
- Futurist Ian Morrison, who spoke at the National Healthcare Innovation Summit, argued that the health care industry faces an urgent need for innovation.
- He argues that the massive consolidation of hospitals — which could result in as few as 100 to 200 large regional systems around the country — is creating giants that will have trouble innovating.
- Despite obstacles like these, health care organizations that hope to serve demanding baby boomers need to innovate to keep up with their customer base, which will insist on the best technology can offer.
Dive Insight:
While there will be lots of agitation and planning in the market, innovation won't peak till 2018, according to one futurist. The bottom line here seems to be that in addition to going mobile to please finicky millennials, the industry will have to continue to make technology discovery after discovery to meet the needs of baby boomers. That's particularly the case given that by 2025, 20% of the population will be over 65. Health care organizations that don't prepare for this massive wave of demanding patients will lose their loyalty and their business.