THE TOMORROW OF HEALTHCARE he landscape of healthcare has noticeably changed compared to what it was a few years ago. T<strong>The</strong> global expenditure of healthcare has been on a spree, ris<strong>in</strong>g at the rate of 5.7 percent annually, between the years 2017 to 2022. This growth is driven by various factors <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g the rise <strong>in</strong> the population of people <strong>in</strong> older age groups, <strong>in</strong>creased chronic disease rates, new demands of the care receivers and newer approach of care givers, and many more. Based on the scenario of the global healthcare <strong>in</strong>dustry <strong>in</strong> 2019, we can predict a few possibilities that will drive the market <strong>in</strong> the years to come. <strong>The</strong> two big trends that have emerged <strong>in</strong> the past few years are the shift<strong>in</strong>g of this <strong>in</strong>dustry towards personalized, outcome-based care and the developments <strong>in</strong> diagnostic and preventive care. <strong>The</strong>se trends will cont<strong>in</strong>ue to ga<strong>in</strong> popularity and many new startups as well as well-settled bus<strong>in</strong>ess players are seen to focus on them. <strong>The</strong> advancements <strong>in</strong> healthcare have come with huge <strong>in</strong>vestments and there is a ris<strong>in</strong>g need to br<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> better solutions at affordable prices. Many new researches and fund<strong>in</strong>g for drug development and treatments, along with technological advancements, are seen and are expected to <strong>in</strong>crease further. <strong>The</strong> future holds a promise for various disruptive <strong>in</strong>novations to make this a reality. We will also owe it to mergers and collaborations among various healthcare and nonhealthcare organizations to atta<strong>in</strong> f<strong>in</strong>ancial susta<strong>in</strong>ability. Technological <strong>in</strong>novation is another key factor driv<strong>in</strong>g the steer<strong>in</strong>g of tomorrow for healthcare niche. With emergence and wide-spread acceptance of developments <strong>in</strong> wearable devices, remote healthcare, telemedic<strong>in</strong>e, patient management apps, digital healthcare, and more, myriads of companies are seen to <strong>in</strong>vest <strong>in</strong> these areas. <strong>The</strong> consumer demands have changed with their <strong>in</strong>creased role <strong>in</strong> the system and therefore, the focus should be shifted to patient engagement and build<strong>in</strong>g of more personal relationships. Additionally, technologies like AI, VR, 3D pr<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g, medical imag<strong>in</strong>g, etc. have entered the healthcare sector and are assist<strong>in</strong>g the providers <strong>in</strong> offer<strong>in</strong>g more accurate and enhanced care to the patients. With <strong>in</strong>crease <strong>in</strong> the number of changes the <strong>in</strong>dustry is witness<strong>in</strong>g, there is <strong>in</strong>crease <strong>in</strong> the need of regulatory policies and compliances as well. Other than that, patient data has become the new currency <strong>in</strong> healthcare. Along with this comes the need of cyber-security for protect<strong>in</strong>g the highly sensitive and critical healthcare data. Additionally, the trend of health food habits and self-care has grown tremendously. <strong>The</strong> <strong>in</strong>dustry will be focus<strong>in</strong>g on these aspects as well. <strong>The</strong> stakeholders of healthcare, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g providers, <strong>in</strong>vestors, and consumers, have newer demands and the ecosystem is, therefore, shift<strong>in</strong>g towards better and susta<strong>in</strong>able solutions. <strong>The</strong> <strong>in</strong>dustry is expected to grow further, market as well as development wise. Preventive care, f<strong>in</strong>ancial susta<strong>in</strong>ability, digitalization, and so many other popular factors may take us towards an enhanced, affordable, and accessible tomorrow! Aishwarya Nawandhar Editor
Editor’s Column