Healthcare

The healthcare sector remains one of the fastest growing parts of the global economy and one of the biggest challenges facing policy makers and the private sector. The cost of healthcare continues to outpace inflation in virtually every country in the world, and efforts at reform and cost containment make operating a commercial venture in the sector a continually dynamic enterprise. Despite the challenges, though, the sector holds great opportunities driven by the aging population in developed countries, increasing demand for sophisticated therapies and care systems in developing countries, rapidly advancing health technologies.

The healthcare category covers the array of market products and services that form the environment in which clinical care is provided, including the financial side of medical markets from private healthcare financing (insurance, managed care, and reimbursement schemes) to public regulation and policy (government programs and subsidies). It also covers issues in care delivery and settings (hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities, personnel, improvement initiatives, and prevention/wellness programs) and technological product categories that will impact the entire system (hospital information systems, telemedicine, and electronic medical records [EMR]).