Alumni Share Their Predictions
As Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences concludes its 125th year and celebrates its new campus, we asked DMU alumni this question:
What do you see as the biggest changes that will occur in health care, public health or both in the next 10 to 50 years?
We received over 20 responses and have summarized the most mentioned positive and negative predictions here. Overall, Artificial Intelligence was identified as both a positive and negative aspect of the future of health care.
The Positives About the Future of Health Care
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Improved Treatments and Targeted Interventions
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Direct Pay Options, Allowing Patients To Work Directly With Providers
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Health Equity Expansion and Attention to Physician Burnout
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Increased Telemedicine, Allowing for More At-Home Care
“I am hopeful there will be solutions that are game changers when looking at the administrative tasks on health care teams and I anticipate solutions for work like prior authorizations, responses to patients about results and scribing to reduce the burden of dictations and charting.”
Eric Neverman, D.O.’12, M.H.A.’11, FAAP, FACP
“Individual preference will impact the health care landscape. More patients will want to seek care and recover in the comforts of their own homes, increasing the use of virtual visits and technology-enabled care, shifting out of the traditional settings and into the home.”
Gary Stuck, D.O.’83, FAAFP
“Health insurance companies who only focus on profits over patients have turned an honorable profession upside down. I predict more doctors will choose to deliver medical care directly to patients without having to deal with a third-party payer. Insurance-free practices have always existed, and now with social media, I expect an exponential growth among doctors choosing this pathway.”
Tea Nguyen, D.P.M.’11, AACFAS
The Negatives About the Future of Health Care
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Financial Pressure and Cost Concerns
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Predicted Physician Shortages
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The Possibility of a Singlepayer Insurance System
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The Public’s Perception of Health Care Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic
“Covid changed the public’s perception of how health care is delivered. Hospitals went from the primary source of knowledge to a skeptical provider of care that is not cost-effective. As a result, we are experiencing a true shift in the market from patient to consumer.”
Richard Green, M.S.P.T.’92
“Cost, quality and access to care will remain foundational in health care. Unfortunately, I expect our U.S. health delivery system will see an ever-widening gap between the ’haves’ and ’have nots’ when it comes to timely access and cost.”
Murray Rouse, D.O.’83
Looking into the future, the integration of AI, pharmaceutical advancements, new clinical procedure technologies and other innovations promise to revolutionize patient health outcomes. While challenges like financial pressures, physician shortages and evolving public perceptions remain, the commitment to improving cost, quality and access to care will remain foundational. The future of health care holds tremendous potential for a healthier world for all.
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