While the stunning acceleration of the healthcare market is no secret to industry experts, it did come as a surprise to many when healthcare jobs surpassed all others in the United States in late 2017, as reported in a recent Atlantic column. We knew it would happen, but not necessarily this quickly.
To find out why, let’s take a closer look below.
America is getting older, faster:
According to the aforementioned Atlantic article, one-quarter of the American workforce will be older than 55 by 2025. This reflects a 100 percent increase in just three decades. Already, the graying of the Baby Boomer population has pushed the demand for medical care. But according to experts, that trend is not expected to subside any time soon.
Automation tips the scales:
Automation has been the death knell of industries like retail and manufacturing, where many labor jobs have been replaced by machines. Healthcare, on the other hand, has flourished with the introduction of automation. Not only is there still a strong demand for a human touch when it comes to doctors, nurses and home health aides, but automation has in many ways actually been a positive introduction for many patients and medical processes.
Employers buy in on telemedicine:
Though doctors and nurses are in greater demand than ever, many of the new jobs created in healthcare revolve around telemedicine. This includes data analysts, developers, IT workers and logistical support—as well as many other emerging roles. Now, employers are lending further credibility to telemedicine, according to recent statistics. According to Healthcare IT News, almost all large employers will offer telehealth benefits to employees as soon as this year. The increased role of telemedicine enables for new healthcare jobs—even in more remote areas.
Rural areas picking up the pace:
Furthering the previous point, many new healthcare jobs are emerging in rural areas that have gone underserved in the past. The emergence of telehealth, ubiquitous connectivity and even the emergence of private walk-in clinics has democratized healthcare and opened up new opportunities for providers and patients alike in rural areas.
Experience and outcomes:
Healthcare leaders understand that there is a correlation between patient experience and patient outcome. A convenient and low-stress environment can have tremendous impact on a patient. Most importantly, a good experience can help bring a patient back to good health more quickly. And by keeping patients healthy, healthcare organizations can keep costs down, operations more manageable, and patients can keep more of their hard earned money in their pockets. This has driven healthcare organizations to increase the number of workers, and innovative tools, to take care of patients in as many ways as possible.
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