The Future Health Index (FHI) survey conducted by Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, explores the ongoing staffing and access challenges within the US healthcare system and the innovative solutions being used to address them. The ninth annual report, Better care for more people, demonstrates the pressures of staffing shortages and burnout on clinicians and their ability to deliver timely, high-quality care to patients. It reveals how healthcare leaders are investing in technologies such as automation and artificial intelligence to help ease the burden on staff, and those that are having an impact on increasing access and health equity such as virtual care.

“The report is critical to better understand the persistent challenges at this inflection point due to the increasing demands on the system. To overcome those obstacles, particularly the pressures on our healthcare workforce, collaborative solutions embraced by healthcare leaders and policymakers through innovations like artificial intelligence are essential to reduce gaps and optimize patient outcomes by delivering more inclusive and effective care,” said Jeff DiLullo, chief region leader for Philips North America.

Key trends for these challenges and solutions include:

Staffing Challenges: Burnout and shortages are critical factors impacting quality and access to care

• 92% of healthcare leaders see a deterioration in staff’s well-being, morale and mental health
• 81% of have seen delays in care because of staff shortages

Increasing Access: Technologies are key to making a difference for patient, provider and health equity

• 88% believe technology to automate repetitive tasks is critical for addressing staff shortages
  • 44% plan on implementing automation for workflow prioritization in the next three years
• 82% see virtual care having a positive impact on easing staff shortages at their organizations
  • 40% say virtual care is enabling them to expand special services to underserved communities
  • 45% are using remote patient monitoring for chronic disease management
• 96% say data-driven insights could help reduce disparities in health outcomes

Tech Investments: AI goes from ideation to implementation

• The top areas in which AI has already been implemented for clinical decision support are radiology (27%), in-patient monitoring (23%), preventive care (16%) and remote patient monitoring (16%)
• However, 79% of healthcare leaders are concerned about the possibility of data bias in AI widening disparities in health outcomes

Conducted in 14 countries, the FHI 2024 report is the largest survey of its kind, based on proprietary research among nearly 3,000 healthcare leaders.