The Trump administration and the Republican-dominated Congress promise big changes to US healthcare policy, including cuts to the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, and Medicare. The administration has already acted in some areas. Whatever changes may occur will come on top of all the issues the healthcare industry has been dealing with since the COVID-19 pandemic, including inflationary pressures, clinician shortages and burnout, and increased patient utilization.

In addition, healthcare spending continues to grow for the industry and society at large as the US population ages and the prevalence of chronic disease expands. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services project average annual growth in National Health Expenditures of 5.6 percent between 2023 and 2032. This would result in healthcare spending’s share of GDP increasing by more than two percentage points in just 10 years, from 17.3 percent in 2022 to 19.7 percent in 2032. The country faces increased spending by all payers, from Medicare and Medicaid to private health insurers, as well as increased out-of-pocket expenses for many consumers as a result of higher hospital, physician, and drug costs.

What does this mean for payers, providers, hospital systems, pharmaceutical companies, and the professional services firms they work with? They clearly have their work cut out for them as they try to increase profit margins, manage costs, and improve patient outcomes. To do so, they will apply traditional cost-cutting approaches and reinvent their business models, sometimes through M&A. Importantly, they will increasingly look to AI to address various issues, such as operating room scheduling, insurance prior authorization, and improving patient diagnoses. This will happen in an intensely competitive and uncertain regulatory environment.

In such a marketplace, healthcare stakeholders—particularly professional services firms—must continue to find ways to distinguish themselves beyond excellent work and word of mouth. In many cases, that means the publication of distinctive thought leadership that demonstrates, among other things, a firm’s ability to solve problems.

When weighing in on industry trends and topics, healthcare stakeholders should keep the following recommendations in mind:

Analytical rigor confers credibility

Advancing the conversation in a substantive way that elevates your organization’s authority and insights requires much more than taking a sharp perspective. In every industry—but especially in healthcare—using data and analytics to illuminate developments and trends in new ways should be the goal. Opinions without a solid, fact-based underpinning could actually cause damage.

Avoid the hype

The race to respond to new developments can often lead organizations to overstate their importance and impact. For example, while AI may eventually be a game changer, much work remains to make its promise a reality. True thought leaders address issues in a balanced way, pointing out both the opportunities and the challenges.

Approach regulatory issues with objectivity

Thought leadership isn’t the place to take overly partisan views or rail against potential legislative or regulatory developments. These areas are particularly sensitive for healthcare companies because they reside at the nexus of public health, risk, and privacy. Your readers will be looking for a measured discussion of all the factors affecting a given issue. Seek to educate rather than persuade.

Elevate firsthand experience

The best thought leadership often features real-world insights that can be gleaned only from solving problems at the organizational level. Examples include how a hospital system enhanced its revenue cycle management, how a payer improved its prior-authorization process, or how a pharmaceutical company used AI to streamline clinical trials. Aggregate, synthesize, and feature these experiences—the more detail, the better. When readers see themselves in accounts and examples, they can better trust the source.

Focus on the fundamentals

Regardless of shifting industry dynamics, organizations will continue to face variations on the same challenges: how to increase operational efficiency, incorporate the latest technologies, attract talent, and create a winning culture—from the top team to the front line. You can demonstrate your acumen by understanding the current backdrop, concentrating on the sources of problems, and implementing effective solutions that translate to better performance, in addition to communicating your successes to your audience.

At LEFF, we have worked with healthcare organizations to highlight their experiences and credentials through the development of hundreds of articles, blogs, and other assets—whatever presents a client’s intellectual property best. Some of the articles we have developed with clients have even been published in prestigious healthcare and economics journals. Reach out if you’re interested in learning how to integrate the insights in this blog into your content strategy.