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Healthcare leaders recognize the potential of predictive analytics to drive a step change in their ability to achieve their key priorities. At a clinical level, predictive analytics can help healthcare providers deliver the right care, to the right patient, at the right time. Operationally, it equips healthcare systems with the ability to identify trends, enhancing care and reducing costs. But our study suggests that, regardless of their stage of adoption, healthcare leaders are still struggling to unlock its full value. 

Building trust around data capture, storage and governance, while encouraging more widespread and consistent adoption of predictive analytics, are some of the key concerns of healthcare leaders highlighted in the research findings. The gap between the significant improvements to healthcare that data analytics can provide, and the reality of how it is used today, suggests that more technological support is needed to turn predictive analytics into a platform to supercharge care. 

This phase is the first in the learning journey. For the majority of HCD practitioners, this exposure occurs via a university or institution, a place of work, or an online resource. The amount of time spent at this first stage depends on how motivated the learner is. Interestingly, many practitioners immediately perceive HCD as useless and never leave this stage.

Leaders focus on the benefits of Predictive Analytics 

Predictive technologies are seen to improve care and lessen the administrative burden. A broad term used to describe advanced analytics that makes predictions about future events, behaviors and outcomes, predictive analytics increasingly plays a key role in advancing care, improving patient outcomes and the staff experience. Offering both real-time and future clinical decision support, from diagnosis to prognosis and treatment, predictive technologies are a valuable tool across healthcare settings. This was reflected in the Philips Future Health Index 2021 report, where healthcare leaders cited predictive technologies as an important way of preparing for the future, and something they planned to invest in during the next three years (40%).  

Today, many leaders have already embarked on this journey, with 56% reporting they have already adopted, or are in the process of adopting, predictive analytics in some form, in their hospital or healthcare facility. Healthcare leaders are generally united in their recognition of the potential of predictive analytics to improve care outcomes and deliver on their other priorities. The areas they feel predictive analytics could most benefit their hospital or healthcare facility are broad and span both clinical and operational spheres. They include expanding access to healthcare and driving healthcare transformation more generally, for example through improving scheduling and remote patient monitoring. 

The Promise of Predictive Analytics is still out of reach for many healthcare leaders

The uptake of predictive analytics remains uneven. Predictive analytics promises to transform healthcare. But, while healthcare leaders acknowledge the benefits of the technology, its uptake remains uneven, with Singapore, the US and Brazil far ahead of most European countries. There is also a marked difference in adoption rates between developed and emerging countries (28% vs 20%). Those healthcare leaders who are furthest along in their adoption of predictive analytics do not think they are making the most of its potential. For example, about one-fifth (21%) of first-to-innovate leaders see predictive analytics as delivering the most impact in remote patient monitoring, yet just 12% are using it in this area. It is likely that the barriers to data adoption, highlighted in the previous chapter, are fueling this gap between current and potential use of predictive analytics. Unless leaders can address them, their adoption journeys are likely to stall.

“For us, predictive analytics is part of our roadmap. When we talk about analytics, we want it to be predictive. We want it to be proactive in its ability to provide real time data that we can action.”

Chief Information Officer, suburban hospital, United States 

However, there are pockets of experience that leaders can draw on for guidance as they look to drive adoption of predictive analytics in their own facilities. Healthcare leaders in Asia report the highest rates of adoption. At a global level, healthcare leaders in clinical positions have higher rates of adoption than their peers in operational roles, particularly those working in radiology (31%), where predictive analytics is being used as one of several tools to help clinicians analyze and diagnose images more quickly. Given the preference of many healthcare leaders to learn from their peers, such leaders are well placed to share learnings and best practice with those in the earlier stages of adoption. 

Security and privacy concerns remain as roadblocks to progress

Data security and privacy are critical factors for healthcare leaders as they seek to foster trust in predictive analytics among staff and patients. Around the world, healthcare data breaches are on the rise. Over 90% of global healthcare organizations have reported at least one security breach within the last three years*. It is against this global backdrop that healthcare leaders are citing greater data security and privacy systems and protocols as the top way to strengthen trust in predictive analytics in both operational and clinical settings.  

Those in developed countries (29%) are more likely than those in emerging markets (25%) to cite increased transparency in how insights are determined on the operational side. This is likely due to the European countries in our research where stringent European data regulations like GDPR place a lot of responsibility for data protection and responsible data use on healthcare providers. Developed countries are also more likely than emerging countries (28% vs 23%) to want improved regulations related to data security and privacy. Initiatives like the European Health Data Space** – a European Commission-led project to promote health data exchange across Europe – improve healthcare, policymaking and research, while ensuring strict protection of the privacy of citizens. Such programs can help to address these concerns and hopefully improve the safe adoption of technologies like predictive analytics.  

While there is a desire to invest in predictive analytics, healthcare leaders are still keen to ensure the human touch is not lost. Over one-quarter (29%) say that increased human involvement, where a human always makes the final decision, is one of the top factors that could potentially enhance their trust in predictive analytics. 

“In healthcare, I don't think there's any data that's worth protecting more than patient health data.”

Chief Operating Officer Urban hospital, Germany 

Conclusion 

Bridging the gap between the promise of predictive analytics and current usage: From data silos and interoperability concerns to technology infrastructure limitations, many factors are to blame for the uneven uptake of predictive analytics to date. The good news is, we’re now seeing several leaders pioneering this technology and inspiring others to drive adoption in their own facilities. As more organizations reap the rewards of machine generated insights in both clinical and operational settings, such as enhanced decision-making and lowered administrative burdens, we expect to see increased demand for peer-to-peer mentorships between early and late adopters, as well as strategic partnerships with health technology companies, bringing the whole sector up to speed. 

References 

The Future Health Index 2022 report is based on proprietary research conducted from 3000 healthcare respondents in 15 countries. 

* https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/cybersecurity/data-breaches-have-lasting-financial-effects-on-hospitals-report-suggests.html  

**https://ec.europa.eu/health/ehealth-digital-health-and-care/european-health-data-space_en  

*** US and Brazil only 

This article is based on the Philips Future Health Report Index 2022 Report.

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