The Hospital of the Future Won't be What you Expect

Close your eyes for a few seconds and imagine what a hospital will look like 10 years in the future. If medical robots, artificial intelligence, and other technologies come to mind, you are on the right track. But if you picture these innovations happening in a sprawling hospital campus, think again.

Radical changes afoot in health care philosophy, medical technology, and treatment capability will lead to hospital-quality care being administered outside of hospitals in primary care and urgent care center and in people’s homes. These changes will create more comfortable conditions for patients, yield better outcomes, and be more affordable.

Due to the health risks and economic burdens involved, doctors and insurance companies prefer to keep patients out of hospitals for conditions that are not life-threatening. Payers increasingly financially reward health care providers for delivering high-quality care that keeps their patients healthy at a reasonable cost and relying on inpatient treatment only when absolutely necessary.