2024 Healthcare Forecast: Personalized, decentralized and green

Challenges and reasons for optimism

In recent years, the conversation about health has broadened. Health is no longer just about physical wellness but also mental and emotional well-being and the sustainability of healthcare services. The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the importance of sustainable healthcare, as it caused long waiting lists, vaccination delays, budget issues, and questions about caregivers and healthcare institutions. The aging population, economic inequality, and non-communicable diseases also add to the pressure on healthcare services. As such, governments, institutions, patient groups, the medical industry, and healthcare professionals are under enormous pressure and must find imaginative ways to improve and sustain healthcare services.

This reality strongly marks our 2024 forecast. But we remain hopeful as citizens are increasingly aware of self-care habits. Little by little, society is recognizing the needs of caregivers, who are often unpaid family members and prone to illness because of the stress generated by their role. On the other hand, clinical research is becoming more inclusive to reflect the pluralism of society and include women and minorities in its trials in order to be able to provide better care for them.

The healthcare sector is expected to increase its focus towards the “One Health” concept in 2024. This concept emphasizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health. Additionally, there will be an increased emphasis on ESG (Environment, Sustainability, and Governance) regulations. These rules link a company’s performance with its responsibility towards all stakeholders.