The population health management IT market is slated for significant expansion as providers look to improve interoperability and meet patient expectations.

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 By Jennifer Bresnick

March 06, 2017 - Over the next five years, the population health management technology market is predicted to grow into a $42.54 billion opportunity, according to a Research and Markets report, but healthcare providers will need to adopt new care strategies at a similarly rapid pace if they are to make the best possible use of newly available data analytics tools.

As regulatory programs like MACRA and meaningful use, an aging population, and an increasingly complex chronic disease population continue to challenge the status quo of patient care, providers will need to focus on leveraging population health IT tools to optimize coordinated care delivery.

They must also learn how to meet patient expectations in regards to data sharing and access, which appear to be far higher than what the healthcare system can currently deliver. 

A recent poll by Transcend Insights found that close to three-quarters of patients believe their primary care providers can already easily share and access data about their medical histories and use that information to influence decision-making.

“As an industry, the time has come to move beyond viewing interoperability as a philosophical challenge or a problem that we’ll eventually get our arms around,” said Thomas J. Van Gilder, MD, JD, MPH, Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Informatics and Analytics at Transcend Insights.

READ MORE: How to Get Started with a Population Health Management Program