Keeping Pace with the Changing Healthcare Landscape

THE HEALTHCARE landscape is constantly changing with new challenges faced by the medical profession, as well as emerging and evolving diseases that threaten the public’s health. In this issue, we highlight several of these concerns that are making headlines.

As demand continues for physicians to care for an aging population, the threat of an imminent physician shortage is causing alarm. It’s predicted that by 2030, the U.S. healthcare system will be understaffed by some 15,000 to 50,000 primary and specialty care physicians. While it would seem the problem stems from a declining number of medical students, the truth is medical school admissions and graduation are at an all-time high. Unfortunately, there is a lack of federal funding for residency programs for these students to complete their medical training. Add to this the changing demographics that require increased medical care and the ensuing doctor burnout, and the shortfall grows larger. As we discuss in our article “Combating the Shortage of Primary and Specialty Care Physicians,” steps to remedy this have commenced, and measures are being put in place such as team-based care, better utilization of technology to lessen workloads, and investment in new medical schools in underserved areas to address the doctor shortage in rural and nonurban areas.

Another looming challenge for healthcare professionals arises primarily from the use of electronic health records. In 2017, 83 percent of physicians surveyed reported experiencing some form of a cyber attack through phishing, computer viruses and, mostly, ransomware. In fact, healthcare practices are extremely vulnerable to cyber attacks since patient data is so lucrative on the black market — much more so than even credit card numbers. But, while not all forms of cyber attacks can be prevented, thwarting most can be achieved by implementing some best practices that involve both employee training and technology safeguards. These methods for reducing the likelihood of cyber attacks, as well as how to respond when they occur, are presented in our first new Health Management column “Preventing and Responding to Cyber Attacks.”

On the patient front, antibiotic-resistant illnesses are not only increasing, but have become a serious threat. Once considered miracles for their exceptional effectiveness in treating infections, antibiotics have for years been overprescribed, misused and abused, rendering them ineffective in treating microorganisms that have morphed into superbugs. As we highlight in our article “The Growing Threat of Antibiotic-Resistant Illnesses,” healthcare organizations are vigilant about this threat, and are responding by implementing a wide range of programs across the globe.

Also affecting patients are newly discovered diseases, the most recent of which is known as Keystone virus. While it was first identified more than half a decade ago, the first case in humans was confirmed just this year. As our article “Heads-Up on Keystone Virus Disease” explains, the vector-borne disease is largely confined to the Gulf Coast region, but much is still unknown about the risks it poses, and answers to many questions remain at large.

As always, we hope you enjoy this issue of BioSupply Trends Quarterly, and find it both relevant and helpful to your practice.

Helping Healthcare Care,

Patrick M. Schmidt

Publisher