Writer: Sara Suarez
2 min read January 2022 — With a new year underway, it’s time to take the measure of the past to inform the future. What trends or economic events are bound to repeat this year and how can people best prepare for them? Experts have been predicting the trends that will most likely continue to engrain in society and those bound to disappear. Here, Focus: provides a look at the concepts that could remain or emerge as the year unfolds.
Telehealth:
According to Jason Madsen, CEO of Ascend Medical, telemedicine will become more normalized and part of regular health operations in 2022. Telemedicine “will be leveraged everywhere in healthcare, across the whole continuum and even in specialties,” he told Focus: Atlanta. Experts agree that although the availability and scope of virtual medicine will increase overall, many services will still require physical examinations and locations. “You’re not going to have spinal surgery or cardiac interventions in your home. So, healthcare real estate is not going away,” Madsen added in relation to what some speculate could be a decline for traditional hospital or clinic services.
Relying purely on telemedicine is not plausible, according to Madsen. “Between 5 and 25% of primary and urgent care interventions require diagnostic tests or examinations that require touch.” However, minor or routine consultations or even mental appointments can take place from the comfort of your home, and you can get the medicine delivered.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion:
What used to be a taboo topic in corporate conversations is now a required discussion in hiring, marketing, supply chain and public contracts. Both the private and public sectors are interested in more than just showcasing their diversity efforts; they expect to use those results to their economic advantage. “Diversity is a mathematical equation,” Nick Masino, CEO of the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce, told Focus:, adding that diversity gives Atlanta “an economic edge.”
Employers that want to hire diverse talent are moving to cities that already have diversity in them. According to an article by the Wall Street Journal, “companies are adding new office footprints as a way to recruit ethnically diverse talent.” CEO of Invest Atlanta Eloisa Klementich agrees with that statement. She spoke to Focus: about the opportunities coming to the city that flow out of the commitments private companies have made to meet their diversity goals. “One of the top reasons why a business will choose a certain location is access to a diverse workforce in terms of skills and demographics.”
Next-Gen Banking Branches:
Not a single industry is migrating away from technology or online platforms. Banks are now embracing a more hybrid service model. There is an increased focus on introducing more products and services online. Financial expert Randy Koporc, Regional President of Georgia of Fifth Third Bank, agrees that it is necessary to connect people to these digital services through a physical location.
“We all know that consumer digital adaptation continues to increase annually and has been more prevalent than ever since the start of the pandemic,” Randy told Focus:. However, he noted that customers prefer to come to the branches for “in-person guidance” when it comes to big life decisions even if “they desire to make everyday transitions on their digital devices.”
Branches are set to evolve as well. Traditional transactions involving cash, loans, and checks will still be available but the focus of these “new financial hubs” will be to specialize in niches. According to Infosys, the new generation of branches will strive to onboard clients on trending concepts like fintech and crypto, build relations through a social branch cafe, or innovate with technological tools like highly intelligent ATMs and even robots.
