The Future of Healthcare Facilities Management: Growth and Challenges
The U.S. is facing an aging population. This means that a significant number of people are going to be in need of healthcare in the near future to help them manage age-related conditions. That's not all, either -- all around the world, the healthcare facility management market is expected to continue to grow for a wide range of reasons. What does this mean for the future of healthcare facility managers?
Factors Driving the Growth of Healthcare Facilities Management
In addition to the developed nations facing an aging populace in need of care, healthcare facilities management is being boosted by outsourcing. The healthcare industry is hiring facility managers to take care of things, and that's propelling growth in this sector. The high cost of medical care in countries like the U.S. is also increasing medical tourism, which has destination countries scrambling to meet this increased demand.
Not only must they find a way to take care of their own population, but they now also have to provide care for tourists seeking medical procedures. In addition to medical tourism, chronic disease is on the rise, which means more people are in need of specialized, long-term care. All told, the global healthcare facilities management industry is expected to grow to over $513 billion by 2028.
Challenges Facing Healthcare Facility Managers
Of course, all this growth doesn't come without a cost. There are some significant challenges that facility managers in the healthcare sector will face, including:
1. Supply chain issues.
If you thought global supply chain problems were a thing of the past, think again. These are going to continue to pose a challenge to facility managers in general, but those who manage healthcare facilities may be hit even harder. One of the factors driving the growth of this industry is an increased investment in sanitization and hygiene, which also increases the demand for items like disinfectants. If you remember what that was like at the beginning of the pandemic, you can probably imagine how the growth of the healthcare facility management industry can stress an already-burdened supply chain.
2. Company restructuring and acquisitions.
In the past few years, many local healthcare networks have been acquired by larger ones. As a result, big conglomerates are displacing smaller companies. Healthcare facility managers may find fewer hospitals in their portfolios, but an increase in small clinics and emergency facilities. Each of these has its own specific needs and assets, which means that facility managers are going to have a lot more to keep track of.
3. An uptick in nosocomial infections.
Nosocomial infections are those that are acquired from or in a hospital. As healthcare improves, infections related to treatment dropping. Unfortunately, the number of healthcare-associated infections tied to the care setting is actually increasing. This means that healthcare facility managers don't just have to keep track of assets, inventory, and utilities -- they also have to stay on top of all of the factors that can contribute to these infections. This can range from upgrading HVAC systems with items like UV-C duct light, to replacing old room decor with easy-to-sanitize furnishings.
4. A drop in experienced managers.
The general U.S. population isn't the only one that's aging. About 40% of facility management professionals are slated to retire within the next decade, which is a huge blow to the industry's talent pool. Facility management software platforms can help newer talent by recording and analyzing data, freeing them up to focus on high-priority tasks. This can also keep assets and data organized, which will greatly simplify the transition from experienced managers to newer ones.
5. Outdated and inefficient compliance procedures.
Compliance can often feel like a lot of unnecessary work, but it's important. Unfortunately, if it's too complicated and time-consuming, two things can happen: It'll either take you away from more important things, or it'll get sidelined and forgotten about. While more and more facilities are modernizing and automating, this isn't true for everyone. Some places still require manual compliance procedures, and ensuring compliance is vitally important in an industry where patients' lives can hang in the balance.
For healthcare facility managers that already have a lot on their plates, complicated compliance measures can be a big stumbling block. This is another area where automation can help. Growth comes with growing pains. The same factors that are driving the expansion of the healthcare facilities management field are also creating challenges within it. As small healthcare networks get rolled into larger ones and supply chains continue to struggle, facility managers will also run up against retiring talent, outdated compliance procedures, and an increase in healthcare-associated infections. While everyone is likely to feel the pinch from these issues, an agile, local supply chain and judicious automation can help facility managers overcome them.
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