Technology trends to watch for in 2025
Technology has long been a driving force in transforming post-acute care. But in recent years, advances in AI, interoperability and automation have accelerated these changes. Here’s an overview of ways I see technology continuing to drive innovation and effectiveness in post-acute care in the coming year and beyond.
4 emerging technology trends
In 2025, I see the potential for four technology trends to become more widespread. First, although it’s been around for a while, I anticipate a resurgence of the Internet of Things. Examples include integrating vital stats into an EHR or having sensors in hospital beds that send signals about a patient’s weight or amount of movement.
Second, of course, is AI. But rather than focusing on individual AI modules, I see a shift toward building intelligent foundations where AI-driven insights enhance overall care delivery. This shift can help drive operational and clinical improvements by connecting disparate data points and enabling proactive interventions. I also think next year we could see the early stages of true generative AI in the form of things like documentation and other predictive models.
Third, ambient sensing will continue to grow in importance by helping care teams observe residents’ conditions through passive monitoring. This type of sensing can detect changes in breathing patterns or incontinence, and then seamlessly integrate this data into EHR systems.
Fourth, I think we’ll see robotic process automation. This is already being used in other industries such as the financial sector. But from the post-acute perspective, MatrixCare wants to leverage robotic process automation in workflows to improve efficiency. If we can automate some of the mundane steps our customers take outside of the EHR to submit billing or follow-up on invoices, it can be a big time-saver.
Barriers to adoption
Despite the help new technology tools can offer, there is still some resistance in post-acute care to adopting them. While I understand caution, I also think there’s a way to evaluate new technology and determine how to move ahead. The first challenge is to understand what these tools are—and are not. Understand the advantages offered as well as the guardrails your organization should have in place if you implement a new tool. Understand how they handle and protect PHI.
Many organizations are starting their journey to adopting new technology by upgrading their basic infrastructure, such as telecom system, to support the bandwidth needed for new technology like AI and robotic process automation. If an organization is housed in an older building, ensuring your infrastructure can handle new tools will be a major first step.
Budget is another potential barrier. One study of post-acute care organizations showed that they’re spending less than three percent of their total budget on technology. It can be hard to justify added spending on a new tool if there is no quantifiable return or solid outcome that leads to better efficiency downstream, and that keeps many organizations on the sidelines. It can be worth exploring new financial models such as “hardware as a service” to help manage up-front costs by paying for use of hardware over time, reducing the need for large capital investments.
One final barrier to address is adoption. There are two ways organizations can boost adoption. Change management, including detailed planning and internal champions, is the first step. Secondly, educating users is key to accelerating adoption, and there should also be incentives. For example, let’s say there was a new tool that could match residents who need a specific type of care with providers who have an open bed and the right staff and expertise. That could have a major positive impact for everyone, and I would encourage the government to incentivize adoption of tools like this to boost efficiencies.
Opportunities for better use of data
Currently, the basic problem with data is that it’s very siloed. This is fine in cases where it helps prevent leaks of PHI. But technology exists that lets users “stitch together” different data points to tell a story, while keeping data secure. I’m seeing signs of new tools that will let clinicians see a longitudinal patient record so that care teams can take action in a more seamless manner.
Of course, interoperability will be key to enabling that longitudinal record and improving transitions of care. When data from various EHRs and sensors is linked, providers can make sure all of a resident’s relevant information moves smoothly between care systems, which helps reduce administrative work and improve outcomes.
Use of data that tells a complete patient story also ties back to the Internet of Things. If data from a resident’s smart bed populates the EHR or alerts a nurse that a resident hasn’t moved for a while, then caregivers have the ability to intervene more quickly. Patterns that can be recognized based on data can drive efficiencies across the entire care continuum.
Transforming the resident experience
Today, a resident’s best friends are often the internet and their personal wearable devices. People have so much information at their fingertips that they’re proactively asking questions and borderline self-diagnosing. In addition, family members are becoming increasingly involved, so we’re not only looking at patient-centric care, but family-centric care.
From a technological perspective, managing this degree of communication will require more coordination. What steps can healthcare organizations take to make sure technology enhances communication while easing team members’ workload? After all, if caregivers are spending more time on the phone updating family members, then who is caring for residents? Being able to support preferences—from telemedicine and remote monitoring for patients to phone calls, email or texting to update family members—is also going to be a consideration for healthcare organizations.
Preparing for technological changes
As our industry shifts to value-based care, with the focus on outcomes instead of services, technology that uses data—AI, machine learning and predictive models—will be one way caregivers can be more proactive and help improve outcomes. Anytime we’re dealing with data, and especially PHI, cyber security becomes a major concern.
There are as yet few guardrails in place to help providers manage these risks, although the government is quickly catching up. Some vendors will perform audits to help ensure HIPAA compliance, but it can be difficult to balance the need to adopt new technology while also being cautious about risks and regulations.
So how does an organization prepare? The first step is to educate yourself about what these new tools can and cannot do so you can use them realistically. Do thorough vetting of any vendors you work with. Then, conduct small pilots with quick feedback loops so you can identify issues and quickly correct them before moving forward.
The second part of preparing for change lies with an organization’s leaders. It’s not enough to say, “We’re going to adopt new technology.” I’m a believer in the “calendar test.” If something is truly important to your organization, see how much time exists on leadership calendars to work on the initiative. If you don’t have time to invest, it becomes lip service, not a real priority. And you should encourage your whole team to join you in making the work a priority. This is how you can overcome inertia and adopt the technology tools that will keep your organization thriving.
Request a demo today for a closer look at MatrixCare.
Bharat Monteiro
As General Manager, Senior Living & Long-Term Care, Bharat is responsible for overseeing MatrixCare’s entire product portfolio for the facilities market, including skilled nursing, life plan communities, and senior living. His leadership will influence product strategy, development, and go-to-market initiatives. Prior to MatrixCare, Bharat led the digital transformation of Ciox Health’s Release of Information business for hospitals catering to the legal and life insurance requester segment. Prior to that, he led the medical technology business at Masimo Corporation, implementing remote monitoring and advanced care solutions in India and South-east Asia. Bharat brings considerable experience in healthcare business transformation and digital integration, and has helped providers across the world improve care delivery and reduce the cost of care through a combination of process improvement methodologies like Lean and Six Sigma, advanced technologies, remote monitoring, new business models, and digital integration solutions. Bharat is a Six Sigma Master Black Belt, has been a Lean Manufacturing practitioner for over 20 years, and has a Master’s degree in Engineering Management from the Milwaukee School of Engineering.
See MatrixCare in action
Start by having a call with one of our experts to see our platform in action.
MatrixCare offers industry-leading software solutions. Thousands of facility-based and home-based care organizations trust us to help them improve efficiency and provide exceptional care.
© 2024 MatrixCare is a registered trademark of MatrixCare. All rights reserved.