Portland, OR -- (SBWire) -- 02/06/2018 --ImageFIRST, a provider of healthcare linen services to facilities in Salem, OR, and across the US, reports prominent medical industry trends that have been in the news for the past year.

The healthcare industry has begun to shift toward consumerism, subsequently driving competition among medical providers. In some cases, patients are using mobile apps to compare and review healthcare providers as they would when choosing a restaurant for dinner. This type of behavior has reportedly increased competition among providers. In turn, consumers may begin to see healthcare providers making efforts to increase quality of care while reducing prices.

Additionally, the industry should expect an increase in the number of high-deductible insurance plans, which already account for two-thirds of new insurance plans. These high-deductible plans may soon be the industry norm, further encouraging consumers to shop around for the ideal balance between quality and value. As the price of deductibles rises, medical providers will continue to shift non-acute care to outpatient facilities over hospitals, offering patients a more cost-effective option and freeing hospitals to focus on acute cases.

The responsibility will fall on medical facilities to adjust properly to a shifting healthcare landscape and respond to these new patient-consumers. As with any change management, involving staff in the process has been shown to be a more effective way for staff to embrace change than with traditional bottom-down approaches.

When staff are involved in the implementation of change, they become part of the solution and disruptions around changes concerns are minimized, allowing them to focus on providing quality patient care.

ImageFIRST, as a provider of scrubs, medical linens, and a variety of additional healthcare laundry services in Beaverton, OR, aims to not only provide medical laundry solutions to customers, but to help them maintain continued success within a healthcare field that remains in a constant state of change. To learn more, visit http://portland.imagefirst.com/.

About ImageFIRST
Founded in 1967, ImageFIRST® is the largest and fastest growing national linen rental and laundry service specializing in the healthcare market. ImageFIRST's 36 locations nationwide serve over 11,000 medical facilities every week providing linen, patient gowns, scrubs and more while managing their clients' linen inventory for cost management. With a customer retention rate of over 95%, ImageFIRST is dedicated to improving patient satisfaction through quality products and remarkable service: their Comfort Care® line of gowns are proven to increase patients' favorable perception of a facility by more than 50%.

For more information about ImageFIRST, your cost-effective solution for greater patient satisfaction, please visit http://portland.imagefirst.com/.