Inpatient, outpatient volumes to increase over the next decade
Healthcare Finance News
|
Summary
The Sg2 analysis from Vizient predicts that both inpatient (IP) and outpatient (OP) volumes will see substantial growth over the next decade, primarily due to an aging population and rising chronic disease rates. Inpatient utilization is expected to increase by 3% to 31 million annual discharges, with a 9% rise in IP days, while outpatient volumes are projected to grow by 17% to 5.82 billion. Medical discharges will rise as the population ages, leading to bottlenecks in emergency departments. The demand for virtual and home health services will also grow, driven by technological advancements and the need to manage high-acuity, aging patients more efficiently. Organizations must strategically plan to address these shifts and ensure resource allocation effectively meets patient care needs.
