Hospitals will experience a slowing of inpatient admissions but an increase in the length of adult inpatient stays, the latter being fueled in part by long COVID-19 and a rise in chronic conditions, according to a new report from Vizient and its subsidiary Sg2, Healthcare Finance reports.
This will lead to greater financial strain due to a rise in patient acuity over the next decade that will outpace inpatient volume and impact patient length of stay.
Fueled in part by COVID-19 and its lingering effects, healthcare organizations can potentially expect an increased number of patients with more complex conditions creating capacity constraints that may require new strategies for patient care delivery.
Hospitals will need to do a fundamental restructuring of their operations and invest in resources, such as the hospital-at-home model, according to the annual Impact of Change Forecast.
Acute hospital care at home that was allowed during the pandemic would need to be made permanent. Read more.
