From Covid precautions and fertility perks to AI’s role in patient care, here are some of the future health trends that could affect workplaces and employees.
We’re closing out on our first ever Future Health Week here at Siliconrepublic.com, and it has been a busy one. There are many diverse elements to consider when discussing the future of health. Health and safety measures post-Covid, fertility benefits for employees and how people and technology will need to collaborate are just some of the topics we explored.
One area that could be affected is employee benefits. Staff perks have become a field for employers to flex in for the past number of years. Some offer in-house provisions such as free meals or fridges of beer. Others allow their people to take unlimited annual leave or career breaks.
But for Sims IVF director, Damien O’Dowd, there’s something missing – fertility benefits. According to O’Dowd, helping their employees through the emotional and financial toll of fertility treatment would give companies a competitive edge.
Another area that could change in healthcare is how doctors and other healthcare practitioners do their jobs. This infographic from EIT Health and McKinsey highlights some of the ways AI could impact the future of health.
They argue that to manage and harness the potential technology could bring to patient care, new disciplines will need to be integrated into the healthcare workforce. This includes people working in science and engineering.
In fact, people from these industries are already getting involved. Genuity Science’s Irene Blat, for example, is senior director of data products and analytics. She spoke to us about her career and her passion for genomic discovery.
How offices are designed could also change in the future. Already, construction companies are responding to Covid-driven needs such as touchless technology, tracing apps for booking systems and hands-free toilet flushers.
Since the future of health looks so bright, you might be wondering how you can contribute to it. The good news is that plenty of companies in the health sector are hiring right now. We compiled a list of 23 here, from Accenture and Amgen to Pfizer and Regeneron.
And to help you get started, make sure to check out some of the most in-demand skills for the future of health. Hays’ Alex Dawson believes that emotional intelligence, communication, teamwork and time management will be among them.
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