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Top 10 predictions to impact the health industry in 2008

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FRAMINGHAM, USA: Leading independent research and advisory firm, Health Industry Insights, an IDC company, today announced the release of its series of Top 10 Predictions reports that identify the major trends expected to impact the health industry in 2008, transforming business and technology.

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The overarching themes for Health Industry Insight's predictions have expanded from 2007 to include the need for improved organizational effectiveness and increased globalization. Data integration and interoperability will continue to drive major shifts in IT spending. These initiatives will be sharpened by an industry focus on cost containment, process improvements, and improved patient outcomes. Listed below are key highlights from each of the Top 10 reports. 

    * U.S. Life Science 2008 Top 10 Predictions, predicts 2008 will be a year of continued turbulence for life science companies. While M&A activity, continued cost cutting (including layoffs and offshoring), and a limited number of new drug approvals will highlight 2008 news, several more profound organic changes will occur that should strongly impact the industry over the long term. Many of these changes have IT components and will require both high-level organizational buy-in as well as bench-level behavioral change to succeed. And the use of business intelligence/analytics tools to more efficiently manage the life science industry will increase rapidly in 2008. 

    * U.S. Payer 2008 Top 10 Predictions reflect a volatile and changing business and technology environment, with investment planned in multiple traditional areas and new initiatives, rather than the more single-themed focus of some previous years ( e.g., HIPAA, consumerism, the collaborative business model). Business intelligence, prioritized investment on consumer information management and transaction tools, as well as "extra-enterprise" technology investment emerge as overarching themes and areas of the greatest investment in the next 12-18 months. Fragmentation and high technology costs will continue as the U.S. healthcare payer market technology investment encompasses over 50 percent of the total worldwide healthcare payer IT spend.

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    * U.S. Provider 2008 Top 10 Predictions identifies major trends that will impact the provider IT landscape in 2008. The industry is approaching a critical turning point whereby delivery models and applications are increasingly accessible and easier to use providing much needed data exchange and interoperability. Providers need to examine opportunities to expand EMR investments as this is becoming a key requirement in the inpatient and ambulatory care setting. Health Industry Insights also predicts that providers should keep an eye on Health 2.0 as it is changing the way consumers interact with healthcare information.

"We predict there will be accelerated investment in 2008 in the Business Intelligence segment with spending growing more than 13 percent over the next 12-18 months," said Scott Lundstrom, vice president of Research, Health Industry Insights. "In addition, the healthcare industry should anticipate more innovative use of Web 2.0 technologies in healthcare by mainstream technology vendors and niche companies over the next 12-24 months."

Health Industry Insights' Top 10 predictions across the industry sectors include:

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    * Business intelligence and related information management are leading categories of technology spending increases in 2008 across all segments 

    * Outsourcing seen as instrumental as the focus on cost reduction continues to increase 

    * Drug safety will remain front and center as a primary concern in 2008 

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    * SaaS (software as a service) will spur adoption of EMR's for small providers 

    * Healthcare/financial services interface and competition will heat up in 2008 as healthcare payers shift costs and payment responsibilities to consumers 

    * "Extra-enterprise" investments become mainstream as over 40% of healthcare payers report technology investments for use by consumers and providers 

    * Retail clinics and their technology will proliferate, increasingly disrupting healthcare delivery

To assist healthcare organizations and the vendors that serve this market, Health Industry Insights annually identifies the top trends that will heavily influence the direction and magnitude of IT investment, management, and technology evaluation. Health Industry Insights hosted a complimentary webcast on January 9, 2008 discussing all segments. For more information on obtaining or purchasing the report series, or reviewing the slides /recording from the Webcast, please contact info@healthindustry-insights.com