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Forward thinking: The future of practice trends

Changes in health care delivery are no longer floating on the horizon. They're here. Here's how they're expected to take shape.

By Mike Norbut, amednews staff. Jan. 2/9, 2006.

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The start of a new year is a time to look to the future. And as we enter the latter half of the decade, it seems an appropriate time to gaze at trends in practice management.

What seemed to be little specks on the horizon just a few years ago are closing in rapidly on the present. The next few years are not as much about new ideas as they are about concepts taking hold, consultants said.

These are terms physicians have heard many times before, often in the abstract: technology, consumer-driven health care, ancillary services and pay-for-performance programs. Some physicians have adopted one or more areas, while others are waiting to see the pioneers' results before diving in themselves.

These trends are gaining traction, however, and soon will be mainstream requirements for practice survival. In other words, "In the future" is in your face.

Perhaps most important, the trends are intrinsically connected and dependent on one another. For example, ancillary services help determine a practice's position on the consumer-driven health care scene, which in turn influences how a group measures up in pay-for-performance programs. Technology, of course, fuels many other trends, but it also relies on those other programs to succeed for it to provide value to a practice.

Here's a closer look at how these trends will take shape over the next few years.

While the catchphrase over the past few years has been electronic medical record, or EMR, technology encompasses much more. From practice management software to the ability to accept credit card co-payments, little upgrades are possible to help propel your practice to success in the electronic age.