By Amy Steinbinder
U.S. healthcare has entered a period of great change. Healthcare expenses—already accounting for approximately 18 percent of the nation's economy—are set to skyrocket as the population ages and seeks additional services and care. At the same time, health policies and legal guidelines remain in flux as states adopt and adapt to the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Both providers and hospital systems are scrambling for tools and cost-effective solutions to both meet the pressures of America's growing demand for healthcare and manage rising costs, a need that has been made all the more pressing by the ACA's emphasis on outcomes.