By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    photo of hands with blue veins
    8 Proven Tips on Finding Difficult Veins
    November 12, 2021
    tips for getting over the pandemic blues
    4 Proven Ways to Get Over the Pandemic Blues
    February 22, 2022
    medical industry innovations
    How is CNC Machining Transforming the Medical Industry?
    June 2, 2022
    Latest News
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    July 31, 2025
    Why Custom Telemedicine Apps Outperform Off‑the‑Shelf Solutions
    July 20, 2025
    How Probate Planning Shapes the Future of Your Estate and Family Care
    July 17, 2025
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    comparative negligence
    Not Knowing About Comparative Negligence Can Worsen Your Medical Debt
    April 12, 2023
    racial disparities in healthcare
    Why We Need to Address Racial Disparities in Maternal Health Care
    August 26, 2021
    Enhancing Pharmaceutical Patient Compliance & Drug Efficacy
    February 12, 2024
    Latest News
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
    How Health Choices and Legal Actions Intersect After an Injury
    July 17, 2025
    How communities and healthcare providers can address slip and fall injuries with legal awareness
    July 17, 2025
    Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
    July 6, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Is the Hospital of the Future Not a Hospital at All?
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Business > Finance > Is the Hospital of the Future Not a Hospital at All?
BusinessFinanceTechnology

Is the Hospital of the Future Not a Hospital at All?

Bill Crounse
Bill Crounse
Share
6 Min Read
SHARE

hospital of the future

A few years back I wrote a widely read piece on Hea

hospital of the future

A few years back I wrote a widely read piece on HealthBlog that was simply titled, If Disney Did Healthcare. In that post, I pondered how healthcare might be different if it was managed more like the Happiest Place on Earth. Here’s an excerpt:

If Disney did healthcare there would still be long lines and lots of waiting, but they would handle the lines so well that nobody would really mind.

If Disney did healthcare our hospitals and clinics would be impeccably clean, safe and extremely efficient despite the press of humanity seeking services there every day.

The doctors and nurses, and everyone else from janitor to clerk, would greet patients with a smile. Grumpiness wouldn’t be tolerated. All workers would understand that they were cast members playing the most important roles in their patients’ lives. They would always strive to put the customer first.

If Disney did healthcare they would know everything about me from the moment I entered their clinic or hospital until the time I went home and everywhere in between. All of this would be facilitated by the best technology money could buy. And even though computers would be running virtually everything, most of that technology would be invisible except where it was meant to be seen. Nothing could threaten the special relationship between provider and patient.

If Disney did healthcare they would still charge of ton of money, but their customers would seldom if ever complain because the total experience always exceeded expectations.technology and healthcare

Bottom line–If Disney did healthcare there would be nothing (or perhaps everything) Mickey Mouse about it.

That popular HealthBlog post came to mind as I read a new report from health industry consulting firm, Triple Tree. Their new Viewpoint Report takes a look at how changes in reimbursement, alternate care sites and amplified consumer expectations are blurring the lines of where (and how) care is being delivered. It suggests that, “The hospital of the future may not be a hospital at all.” The report examines the growing expansion and scope of practice of outpatient facilities and ambulatory surgery centers. It provides numerous examples of how some of the most progressive facilities are partnering with hotel chains and home health service companies to provide overnight accommodations and monitoring for patients needing post-surgical or post-procedural care. It predicts likely growth areas for this “hotel model” to include Oncology, Urology, Otolaryngology, Gynecology and Gastroenterology. Of course, top notch cosmetic and plastic surgery centers have been using this model for years.

hotel model of healthcareAs more and more consumers enroll in high deductible health insurance plans that are tied to health savings accounts, they will no doubt be attracted to a “hotel model” of care. Who wouldn’t rather stay in a room at the Four Seasons or a Hilton instead of a hospital, especially if you could save hundreds or even thousands of your dollars? The report also suggests that in many instances such post-surgical care could also be done in your own home. Protocols have already been developed for setting up and performing services in the home like managing IV medications, oxygen, and diagnostic testing for a variety of conditions. Let’s face it, the typical hospital room is a breeding ground for infections compared to your own bedroom. Even if you’re not the best housekeeper you’d be living with your own germs, not superbugs breeding in the hospital and resistant to every antibiotic known to man.

imageAfter I posted “If Disney Did Healthcare” I wrote a companion piece titled, “If Walmart Did Healthcare”. In that article I examined how Walmart’s expansion into retail healthcare, along with the likes of Walgreens, Rite Aid, and others is changing the face of primary care by offering great customer service along with price transparency–something that is not commonly associated with traditional healthcare settings.

It seems certain to me that healthcare as we know it will be increasingly challenged by new, more efficient, more convenient, and less costly models of prevention and care. Technology will play a significant role in this with wearable devices and sensors, eHealth and telemedicine, predictive analytics, and cloud services. How soon this happens or how long it takes will depend a great deal on the pace of private and public insurance reform, but that writing seems already to be written on the wall.

So, if you are running a hospital you’d better start planning for a future that looks quite different—a hospital with very few beds, and perhaps even fewer patients.

Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
Health
July 31, 2025
holistic dental
Holistic Dentist Services Are Natural and Safe
Dental health Specialties
July 28, 2025
botox certification
Help Improve People’s Skin Health Via Botox Certification
Skin Specialties
July 22, 2025
Telemedicine Apps
Why Custom Telemedicine Apps Outperform Off‑the‑Shelf Solutions
Health
July 20, 2025

You Might also Like

Tracking Campaign Effectiveness: The “Don Draper Days” Are Over

February 24, 2016

Maybe We Don’t Need to Train So Many Doctors

July 13, 2011
Artificial IntelligenceHealth careMedical Innovations

Benefits Of The Internet Of Things For Hospitals And Healthcare

April 24, 2019
organizing your psychotherapy practice
Business

Extremely Important Organization Tips for Psychotherapists

April 19, 2021
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?