While doing research one of the major healthcare trends identified in the
United States is the expected increase in an elderly patient population. As the
baby boomer generation reaches older age, they get more and more chronic
illnesses, and require more health care. Within the next decade, the number of
people with cardiac illness is expected to double (Global, 2020). a this places a
burden on a healthcare system that is already stretched thin with COVID,
nursing shortages, and budget cuts (Global, 2020). This places a higher
financial burden on the healthcare system as more patients require more
complex care to treat their chronic illnesses. Another implication on the
healthcare system is the need for more nurses. The nursing shortage this
country has endured even prior to COVID, has only continued to worsen
throughout the pandemic. For acute care hospitals this is especially concerning
as their resources are already stretched thin and the system will need to adapt
to meet the needs of a growing, critically ill population. This requires
redistribution of finances to assure proper staffing, more equipment, and more
hospital beds/rooms to accommodate these patients.
Global Ambulatory Healthcare Service Market Growth, Trends, and Forecasts
Report 2020-2025: Increasing Geriatric Population and Rising Prevalence of
Chronic Diseases - ResearchAndMarkets.com. (2020, October 22). Business
Wire.
