Clinical laboratories will need new methods for accommodating the increase in senior patients seeking rapid access to medical laboratory testing and pathology services
Experts within the healthcare industry are predicting existing care delivery models will need to be revised within the next few years to accommodate a rapidly aging population dubbed a “silver tsunami.” Many hospital systems are actively taking steps to prepare for this coming sharp increase in the number of senior citizens needing healthcare services, including clinical laboratory testing.
Multi-hospital health systems will have to accommodate demand for healthcare delivered in ways that meet the changing expectations of seniors. These include rapid access to clinical laboratory testing and anatomic pathology services, electronic health records, and telehealth visits with their doctors.
These trends will also require clinical laboratories to evolve in ways consistent with meeting both the volume of services/testing and improved levels of personal, speedy access to test results that seniors expect.
All of this is problematic given the current state of hospital staff shortages across the nation.
“In this environment, coupled with lowering revenues, staffing shortages and higher expenses, healthcare is being forced from an abundance mindset to one of scarcity,” Jonathan Washko, MBA, FACPE, NRP, AEMD, director at large, National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT) and assistant vice president, CEMS Operations, told Becker’s Hospital Review.
Investopedia defines the term “silver tsunami” as “the demographic shift caused by the increasing number of older adults in society, led by the baby boom generation.”
Baby boomers are individuals who were born between 1946 and 1964. The US Census Bureau estimates there are 76.4 million baby boomers living in the country today, and that by 2030 all boomers will be 65 years of age or older.
“In the next five years, the most significant disruptor to healthcare will be the capacity challenges associated with the ‘silver tsunami’ of baby boomers hitting the age of healthcare consumption,” said Jonathan Washko, MBA, FACPE, NRP, AEMD (above), director at large, National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT) and assistant vice president, CEMS Operations, in an interview with Becker’s Hospital Review. Clinical laboratories will have to engage with these senior patients in new ways that fit their lifestyles. (Photo copyright: EMS1.)
Silver Tsunami Could Transform Healthcare
Approximately 10,000 people turn 65 in the US every day, making them eligible for Medicare. This increase in recipients is likely to strain the government system. Healthcare organizations are seeking new ways to prepare for the anticipated boost in seniors requiring health services.
Washko believes the population shift will cause healthcare leaders to develop novel care models based on “intelligent and intentional design for better outcomes, lower costs, and faster results,” Becker’s Hospital Review reported.
“Solutions will require shifts to care in the home, new operational care models, and technology integration,” Washko noted. “These will allow the medicine being delivered to be effectively and efficiently optimized, vastly improving the productivity of existing and net new capacity.”
A recent HealthStream blog post outlined some of the methods hospitals can use to adapt to an aging population. They include:
- Facility Design: Modifying lighting, using large-print signage, providing reading glasses and hearing amplifiers, purchasing taller chairs with arms and lower examination tables.
- Technology: Offering assistive devices, creating more telehealth options, developing more user-friendly websites and electronic medical records.
- Healthcare Delivery: Training staff on geriatric care, offering services intended for an older population, such as geriatric psychology, fall prevention programs, and establishing a more patient-centered environment.
Government Healthcare Changes
There are also looming coverage changes for Medicare recipients as the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) plans to transition from fee-for-service models to value-based models to lower government healthcare expenses.
“Anticipated regulatory challenges post-election will influence healthcare operations. The looming recession may alter how individuals access healthcare and treatment based on affordability,” Shelly Schorer, CFO CommonSpirit Health, told Becker’s Hospital Review. “Despite these headwinds and challenges, at CommonSpirit we are prepared to pivot and meet the changing needs of our communities by accurately predicting and addressing their healthcare needs efficiently.”
“This represents the greatest market disruption on the near-horizon,” said Ryan Nicholas, MD, Chief Quality Officer at Mercy Medical Group. “This has prompted Mercy Medical Group to move rapidly into value-based care with focus on total cost of care and network integrity.”
Nichols told Becker’s Hospital Review that Mercy’s Medicare population has increased by 24% over the last year, and that Mercy is anticipating a growth of 28% over the next year. These increases have convinced the organization to shift its view of service functions and to invest in additional resources that meet the growing demands for senior healthcare.
“Expanding ambulatory services and improving access for primary care services to reduce unnecessary [emergency department] utilization and shorten length of stay is our top priority,” Nichols said.
Shifting Demand for Clinical Laboratory Testing
This is not the first time Dark Daily has covered how shifting demographics are changing the landscape of healthcare services in nations where populations are aging faster than babies are being born.
In “Demographic Shift Means Lower Birthrates and Aging Populations around the World, Suggesting Big Changes for Global Healthcare, Pathology Groups, and Clinical Laboratories,” we reported how having fewer pediatric patients and more senior citizens is fundamentally altering what types of tests are in greatest demand from medical laboratories worldwide.
Thus, many healthcare organizations are taking a proactive approach to the expected increase in seniors needing care for age-related and chronic illnesses.
“This along with other risk and value-based models will continue to drive integration of healthcare services and the value proposition through improving quality while reducing costs,” Alon Weizer, MD, chief medical officer and senior vice president, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, Fla., told Becker’s Hospital Review. “While we are investing heavily to be successful in these models through primary care expansion and technology that will help reduce the need for acute care services, we continue to focus our culture on providing safe and high quality care to our patients.”
Clinical laboratories will need to adapt to the changing needs of older patients to ensure all people receive high quality care. The coming “silver tsunami” will require labs to evolve in ways consistent with meeting the growing needs of seniors and providing better levels of personal services and access to cost-effective, fast, and accurate lab testing.
—JP Schlingman
Related Information:
Health Systems Brace for the ‘Silver Tsunami’
Overcoming the ‘Silver Tsunami’
‘Silver Tsunami’: Challenges and Opportunities of an Aging Population
How Will the Silver Tsunami Affect Non-Acute Care?
Is Your Hospital Ready for the “Silver Tsunami”?
Silver Tsunami: Can Our Healthcare System Adapt to Aging Population and Mental Health Challenges?