News: Outpatient care forecasted to grow, report suggests

A new report from healthcare analytics company Sg2 forecasts growth in several areas of outpatient care over the next decade, according to JustCoding.

According to the 2025 Impact of Change Forecast, the 10-year projection for adult outpatient care patient volume is expected to grow 18%, outpacing a population-based demand projection of 14%.

The main factors impacting this forecast are population, epidemiology/sociocultural changes, systems of care, and policy. In comparison, adult inpatient care patient discharges are forecasted to grow 5% over the same period.

Pediatric outpatient volume is also projected to grow 8% over the next 10 years, while pediatric inpatient volume is projected to decline 3%. Cancer outpatient volumes are also forecasted to grow 18% over the decade while inpatient volumes are expected to see no change.

The report also forecasted growth in outpatient surgery (20%), evaluation and management visits (16%), post-acute care (31%), and emergency department visits (5%) over the next decade.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in JustCoding. To read the Sg2 report, click here.