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Healthcare usage in America has somewhat of a push-pull effect.

While there are factors increasing usage on some fronts, there are factors decreasing healthcare utilization on the other. Physicians and all healthcare workers must pay due diligence to be aware of these issues to better meet the needs of their patients and plan for trends possibly effecting your future business.

Factors that may decrease utilization are: decreased supply of healthcare workers; public health and sanitation advances; better understanding of the risk factors of diseases and prevention initiatives; discovery and implementation of treatments that cure or eliminate diseases; guidelines that recommend decreases in utilization; shifts to other sites of care; payer pressures to reduce costs; changes in practice patterns and changes in consumer preferences.

Factors that may increase health services utilization are: increased supply, such as ambulatory surgery centers and assisted living residences; growing population; growing elderly population; new procedures and technologies; consensus documents that recommend increases in utilization; new disease entities such as HIV/AIDS and bioterrorism; new drugs; increased insurance coverage; pressures for more comprehensive coverage; changes in practice patterns; and changes in consumer preferences and demand such as cosmetic surgery; hip and knee replacements; and direct marketing of drugs.



Source: Health Care in America, Trends in Utilization Report; U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and the National Center for Health Statistics.



November 2006

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